Croque Madame – The Yummiest Ham & Cheese Sandwich Ever!
- erinna Chng
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
This scrumptious sandwich is one of my favourite breakfast/brunch item. The rich and creamy mouthfeel from the melted cheese and mornay sauce (Béchamel Sauce with Cheese) is heavenly. When topped with a perfectly fried sunny side up or onsen egg, the creaminess from the runny yolk makes this a perfect meal that is even fit for the king!
To make this sandwich, you have to prepare the béchamel sauce first. Béchamel Sauce is one of the five French mother sauce. It is a very versatile sauce that you can use it in many dishes. A few of the common ones are mac & cheese, savoury soufflé, etc. It is made with milk, flour, sometimes cream, and seasoning. Béchamel sauce with cheese is known as Mornay Sauce.
1
Searing the Beef
Sear beef fillets on high heat for 2 minutes per side to form a golden crust. Let it cool before proceeding to keep the beef tender.
2
Mushroom Duxelles
Cook the mushrooms until all moisture evaporates to prevent soggy pastry. Aim for a thick, paste-like consistency.
3
Puff Pastry Handling
Keep the puff pastry cold to avoid softness. Chill if it becomes too soft, and score the top lightly without cutting through.
Notes
1
Preheat the oven @ 180 degree Celsius for 30 mins or preheat the Air fryer @ 160 degree celsius for 5 mins
Preparing the Mornay Sauce
Melt the butter and stir in the plain flour in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir and allow the butter-flour mixture to cook for 1 to 2 mins
Add the milk and cream and whisk quickly until mixture thicken into a smooth, glossy mixture
Add in all other ingredients for the sauce and stir until the cheese melted
Turn off the heat and set aside for assembling of the sandwiches
Assembling the sandwiches
Prepare a baking tray and lay a piece of non stick baking paper over it
Remove the crust of the Bread
Put a slice of the bread on the tray and layer 1 slice of ham on top of it.
Scoop a generous spoonful of mornay sauce over the ham and layer with another slice of bread. Add a slice of cheese then follow by another spoonful of sauce.
Layer another piece of bread and finish with a very generous spoonful of Bechamel Sauce. Allow it to overflow to the sides of the sandwich.
Repeat the same step for the other sandwich
Top with mozzarella cheese (Optional)
Place the tray of sandwiches into the oven and bake for 10 mins (or 5 mins if using Air Fryer) until the sauce slightly browned or when the mozzarella cheese melted and browned.
Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the sandwich to a serving plate
Top each sandwich with an egg
Serve with some salad
Instructions
Quality Fresh 2 beef fillets ( approximately 14 ounces each )
Quality Olive oil
4 cups Chestnut Mushrooms
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups puff pastry
8 slices Parma ham
2 egg yolks
beaten with 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Beef Wellington
2 tbsp olive oil
7 oz beef trimmings
4 large shallots ( peeled and sliced )
12 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
Splash of red wine vinegar
3 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
Red Wine Sauce
Croque Madame - The Yummiest Ham & Cheese Sandwich Ever!
Head Chef
eckitchensg
Servings :
2 sandwiches
Calories:
813 Calories / Serve
Prep Time
10 min
Cooking Time
20 min
Rest Time
0 min
Total Time
30 min
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