Recipe – Croque Madame
Ingredients
| 75g unsalted butter | 8 slices pane di casa bread |
| 1 tbsp plain flour | 4 eggs |
| 3/4 cup milk | 8 slices smoked ham |
| 1 cup grated cheddar or gruyere cheese | |
| 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg | |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Directions
Step 1 – Spread 4 slices of the bread with butter on one side. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan and then add the plain flour, stirring constantly until it comes together. Add the milk to the mixture and whisk over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Add half of the grated cheese, plus the nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir until the cheese has melted complexly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 2 – Heat the BBQ to medium heat (170 – 200°C) and prepare for direct cooking with a hotplate or BBQ safe frying pan. Cast iron works best for this recipe.
Step 3 – Once the hotplate or pan has reached temperature, add a little olive oil and fry the eggs until cooked to your liking. Remove the eggs and set aside to keep warm.
Step 4 – Place the 4 slices of bread buttered side down on the hotplate, then layer each slice of bread with the ham slices and the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices, then spoon over the cheese sauce. Close the lid of the BBQ and cook for 5 – 7 minutes or until the bottom of the sandwich is toasted and the cheese sauce is bubbling. Top each sandwich with a fried egg, cook for a further 2 minutes and serve immediately.
