Croque Madame on a Croissant
Source of Recipe
From "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" by Emeril Lagasse
Recipe Introduction
"This sandwich is the perfect candidate for breakfast champion: a buttery crisp croissant loaded with Black Forest ham and cheese, topped with a Parmesan b�chamel and a fried egg. Whoa! This will get your day started right."
List of Ingredients
◦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
◦ 1 cup whole milk
◦ � teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
◦ ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
◦ ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
◦ 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
◦ 4 large eggs
◦ Freshly ground black pepper
◦ 4 croissants
◦ 8 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham (or another quality smoked ham, such as Smithfield, Westphalian, or Virginia)
◦ 1 cup grated Gruy�re cheese
◦ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
◦ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
Recipe
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it has melted, add the flour and stir for 1 � to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and Parmesan, and whisk to combine. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove the b�chamel sauce from the heat and set it aside.
Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the broiler.
In a large nonstick saut� pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, raise the heat to high, crack 2 of the eggs into the hot saut� pan, and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Fry the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the yolk has almost set. (Cook the egg for less time for a runnier yolk.) Set the fried eggs aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Slice the croissants in half and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet. Place 2 slices of ham on each bottom half, and place � cup of the Gruy�re on top of each portion of ham. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the cheese has melted.
Top with the remaining halves of the croissants. Ladle 2 tablespoons of the b�chamel on top of each sandwich, sprinkle each sandwich with � teaspoon chives, and place a fried egg on top of the b�chamel. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 sandwiches
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