Croque Madame

This show stopping brunch masterpiece is the perfect dish for your mother's day celebration. Its decedent, savory, and soo soo delicious.

Yields: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Sandwich

- Brioche Bread

- 8 oz. Sliced deli ham

- 8 Slices White cheddar cheese, or swiss cheese

- 2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

- 4 Eggs

- Mornay Sauce

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Parsley and Pickled Pink Onions for garnish

- Serve with thinly cut French fries or a mixed green salad

Mornay Sauce:

- 1 1/2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

- 1/4 cup diced yellow onion

- Kosher Salt

- 1 1/2 Tbsp. all- purpose flour

- 1 cup of whole milk

- 1/2 cup of heavy cream

- 1 small bay leaf

- 2 black peppercorns

- 2 whole cloves

- Freshly grated nutmeg

- Freshly ground white pepper

- 3 Tbsp. of grated white cheddar cheese, or swiss cheese

Directions:

Mornay Sauce:

1. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted, add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook onions until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Slowly add the flour, stirring constantly, to form a roux. Stirring constantly will prevent the roux from browning.

3. Whisk in the milk and cream. Once fully incorporated, bring to a simmer.

4. Add bay leaf, peppercorn, and cloves. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally for the next 30 minutes, and reduce heat as necessary as to not burn your sauce.

5. Remove sauce from heat and season with salt, grated nutmeg, and white pepper.

6. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Add the grated white cheese and fold to melt.

7. Serve right away, or store sauce with plastic wrap against the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Should last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

8. Heat up sauce in a medium sauce pan, when ready to use. If sauce is too thick, feel free to thin in out by stirring in a splash of heavy cream.

Sandwich:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Lay out 8 slices of brioche bread.

3. Spread the 8 oz. of ham among the bread slices, then top with cheese slices.

4. Heat 2 large oven safe non stick pans or griddles to medium heat.

5. Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in one large pan. Once melted, add two brioche slices to the pan, bread side down. Cook for 2 -3 minutes until the bottom of the bread are a nice golden brown. Move pan to oven to melt the cheese.

6. In the mean time, fry a sunny side up egg.

7. Once the cheese is melted, remove pan from the oven. Put the two slices together to make 1 sandwich, and move to a serving dish. Top sandwich with the fried egg.

8. Repeat steps 5-7, working in batches to make 4 sandwiches.

9. Slowly drizzle Mornay sauce on top of the sandwich, being mindful not to get the mornay sauce on the egg yolk.

10. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and pickled pink onions.

11. Serve with French fries or a mixed green salad.

Please Enjoy!!