Croque Madame
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Equally delightful as a sturdy breakfast or a light lunch.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of sandwich bread
- 4 large slices of good ham
- 1/3 lb (150g) of grated Gruyère Cheese
- 2/3 - 1 cup (1 1/2-2.5dl) sour cream
- 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
- 4 fried eggs
- Salt and pepper
- A little bit of butter
Tomato Compote
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 1/2 lb (250 grams) of tasty tomatoes
- 3 tbsp. dark balsamic vinegar
- A little salt and sugar
Instructions
Tomato Compote
- Chop onions and tomatoes
- Fry 2 / 3 of the tomatoes and of the onions in a little oil for a few minutes.
- Add vinegar and reduce
- Season with salt, pepper and sugar
- Mix in the remaining tomatoes and onions and cool.
Croque Madame
- Stir sour cream with mustard, 2/3 of the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper
- Butter up four of the slices of bread
- Place a slice of ham on top of the buttered bread
- Distribute the cheese cream on top of the ham and sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese
- Put one slice of bread on top and throw a dollop of butter on top
- Bake in a 390°F (200°C) oven until cheese is melted and the top slice is golden
- While baking, fry four eggs and place on top of the finished Croques
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the sour cream and Dijon mustard mixture do in this version?
Instead of a classic béchamel, this recipe uses a mixture of sour cream, Dijon mustard, and two-thirds of the grated Gruyère as the creamy filling. It gets spread over the ham and then finished with the remaining cheese before baking at 390°F (200°C) until melted and golden.
What is the tomato compote and do I have to make it?
The tomato compote is a quick condiment made by frying two-thirds of chopped tomatoes and shallots in olive oil, deglazing with dark balsamic vinegar, seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar, then folding in the remaining raw tomatoes and cooling. It goes inside the sandwich on top of the ham before the cheese cream and adds brightness; it is not strictly required but is part of this recipe’s version.
Is this recipe baked or pan-fried?
This version is baked. After assembling the sandwiches with cheese cream on top, they go into a 390°F (200°C) oven until the cheese is melted and the top slice is golden, while the eggs are fried separately and placed on top at the end. 
