Best Croque Madame With Cranberry Mustard Relish Recipes

CLAIRE'S CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, keeping it light in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, and cayenne and continue to cook just until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in cheese and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On an aluminum foil lined sheet tray, heat the ham and toast croissants. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and water and cover with a lid to steam eggs over easy. Top each bottom slice of toasted croissant with a teaspoon of Dijon, then 3 slices of hot ham and 1 over easy egg. Spoon the cheese sauce over the egg and leave somewhat open faced, by putting the top piece of the croissant on the side. Garnish with parsley or chives, and serve.

CROQUE MADAME WITH CRANBERRY-MUSTARD RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cranberry sauce, mustard, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Spread relish over 1 side of each slice of bread.
• Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 1 slice of bread, plain side down, in skillet and cook until just golden on bottom side, about 2 minutes.
• Scatter 3/4 cup cheese over and slightly around bread (the cheese in contact with the pan will begin to melt immediately). Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese is golden brown around edges, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and top bread with a few slices of ham; let sandwich cool slightly in pan 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, carefully loosen edges of cheese and transfer sandwich to a plate. Repeat with remaining butter, bread, cheese, and ham to make 3 more sandwiches. Wipe out skillet.
• Heat oil in same skillet over medium. Crack eggs into skillet, cover, and cook until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top each sandwich with a fried egg; season with salt and pepper.

CLASSIC CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter. When melted, add flour and whisk for a few minutes to cook out the raw taste.
• Add 2 tablespoons cold milk, and whisk constantly until the mixture gets thick. Add 1 tablespoons cold milk at a time, whisking between each addition. Continue adding milk until the consistency of the sauce gets creamy but not too thin so it's spreadable.
• Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap making sure it touches the surface to prevent skin formation and chill for at least 20 minutes.
• SANDWICHES:.
• Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC and cover a baking sheet with foil; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine grated Gruyère, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper; stir until cheese has absorbed the milk and set aside.
• Spread a thin layer of chilled béchamel on two slices. Spread Dijon mustard on the other two. Place 3 slices of ham on the sauce before spreading on half of the cheese mixture. Cover with the other two slices, mustard side down and then press gently.
• Spread the remaining béchamel sauce on top of those 2 slices. Add the remaining cheese and place the sandwiches on the prepared baking sheet.
• Transfer to the preheated oven and bake until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• About 5 minutes before time is up, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When melted and it starts sizzling, crack the eggs; season with salt and pepper.
• After 2 minutes when the whites are almost set, cover and cook for just 30 seconds.
• Place one cooked egg on each sandwich and serve immediately with a salad.