Our friend Thom knows that New Year’s Day calls for slow mornings, strong coffee and something properly comforting to eat. His take on the croque madame certainly ticks that box! It's an ideal and delicious way to use up leftover cooked ham and odds and ends of cheese from the festive table, turning them into a brunch worth lingering over.
Golden, crisp bread, rich béchamel and melting cheese, finished with a perfectly fried egg – it’s indulgent, restorative and exactly what January mornings are made for!
Ingredients - serves 1 (generously!)
-
2 slices thick white crusty bread
-
30g cooked ham, sliced
-
1 free-range egg
-
80g butter, plus extra for frying the egg
-
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
-
½ tsp ground nutmeg
-
10g chives, finely sliced
For the béchamel
-
40g butter
-
30g plain flour
-
300ml whole milk, warmed
-
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-
100g Gruyère, finely grated
-
50g Quicke's, Vintage Clothbound Cheddar
-
(If you don't have these cheese available, then most cheese will work very well!)
To assemble
-
3–4 slices leftover cheese (whatever you have to hand works well)
-
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
-
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan).
-
To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and stir with a spatula to form a roux. Cook gently for 3–4 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
-
Gradually add the warm milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once smooth and thickened, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and half the Dijon mustard.
-
Stir in the Cheddar and half of the Gruyère, mixing until melted and fully incorporated. Remove from the heat.
-
To assemble, spread the remaining Dijon mustard over one slice of bread. Top with the ham, a generous spoonful of the cheese sauce, a handful of grated cheese and the slices of leftover cheese.
-
Place the second slice of bread on top to form a sandwich.
-
Melt the 80g butter in a medium frying pan over a medium-low heat until just foaming. Add the sandwich and gently weigh it down with a small plate or press. Cook for 5 minutes until golden, then carefully flip and repeat on the other side.
-
Transfer the sandwich to a baking tray. Spoon over more of the cheese sauce, scatter with the remaining grated cheese and bake for around 8 minutes, until bubbling and gloriously oozy.
-
Meanwhile, melt a knob of butter in a small frying pan over a medium-low heat. Crack in the egg and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the white is just set and the yolk still soft. Season lightly with salt.
-
Serve the croque madame topped with the fried egg and a scattering of chopped chives.
Perfect served with a strong coffee and of course, good company.
