Croque Madame – French Sandwich with Egg and Cheese

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Béchamel

1. 1
   Melt some of the butter in a pot over medium heat, add the flour and stir 1–2 minutes, until a smooth roux forms and starts to bubble.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, and cook 5–8 minutes, until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

   StoveWhisk

   💡Add the milk slowly, whisking constantly, so no lumps form. For lasagna, the common ratio is about 7 g flour per 100 ml milk (4 tablespoons flour to 2 cups): more flour gives a thick béchamel, for moussaka; less flour gives a soft béchamel, for a sauce.
3. 3
   Season with salt, Nutmeg and black pepper.

To assemble

1. 4
   Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 5
   Spread béchamel on half of the bread slices and top with the turkey breast and some of the yellow cheese.
3. 6
   Close each sandwich with another slice of bread and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Baking panParchment paper
4. 7
   Spread the rest of the béchamel over the sandwiches and sprinkle the rest of the yellow cheese over it.

   💡The béchamel on top of the sandwich keeps the bread from drying out in the oven, and the grated cheese on it browns into a crust.
5. 8
   Bake 10 minutes, until the topping is golden and bubbling.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
6. 9
   Melt a little butter in a pan over medium heat and fry the eggs sunny side up, until the white is set.

   StoveFrying pan
7. 10
   Place an egg on each sandwich and serve immediately.