Rich and Creamy Croques Madames Recipe

by
Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Daniel Gritzer
updated Mar. 27, 2019
20160317-croque-monsier-madam-vicky-wasik-10.jpg
Photograph: Vicky Wasik. Video: Serious Eats Video

Why It Works

  • Slicing the bread thinly ensures that it doesn't overwhelm the filling.
  • Toasting tender bread on both sides gives the sandwich plenty of delicate crunch.
  • Cheesy Mornay sauce adds an extra layer (or two) of richness.

A good croque is all about nailing texture, bread-to-filling ratio, and the goo factor. This recipe, which calls for thin slices of toasted-on-all-sides bread, melted cheese, rich Mornay sauce, and Dijon mustard, is a case study in getting it right—and the fried egg on top is just the icing on the...sandwich.

0:45

Recipe Facts

5

(1)

Active: 30 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add eggs and cook until whites are mostly set, about 3 minutes. Cover and cook until whites are set on top, about 1 minute; be careful not to keep covered too long, or top of yolk will begin to cook. Season with salt.

  2. Transfer 1 egg to top of each sandwich and serve right away.

Special equipment

10-inch cast iron skillet or 10-inch nonstick skillet

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