Image of ‘Cheat’s’ Croque Madame

‘Cheat’s’ Croque Madame

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  • Cooking time: 8 mins.
  • Serves: 1

IngredientsIngredients

  • 2 slices of soft white Pain de Champagne bread
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons crème fraiche (or ready-made béchamel or cheese sauce)
  • 50g grated Gruyère cheese
  • 1 slice of good quality carved ham from a deli or deli counter (from the bone)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large British Lion egg

‘Cheat’s’ Croque Madame, made with crème fraiche rather than béchamel

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread the butter on both sides of the bread then spread one side with Dijon mustard. Spread on 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche, béchamel or cheese sauce. Sprinkle on half the grated cheese and lay on the slice of ham, then sandwich together. Spread the top layer of the sandwich with the rest of the crème fraiche, béchamel or cheese sauce, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Place the sandwich on a baking sheet and bake for 6-7 minutes until the cheese has melted and gone gooey on top.

While the sandwich is baking heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the egg (Gizzi uses free range) for 1-2 minutes basting the yolk with the hot oil as it cooks. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately on top of the sandwich. 

I always look for the Lion on eggs to guarantee the highest standards of food safety.  All Lion eggs come from British hens vaccinated against salmonella and are date-stamped for freshness.