The French have created some really magical dishes, and I love making so many of them at home. In terms of sandwiches though, the Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame have to be the most iconic. The main difference between them is the sunny-side-up fried egg, and the madame is thought to have earned it’s name due to the egg’s resemblance to a woman’s hat!
The Croque Madame is a French bistro icon – rich, crispy, cheesy, silky and topped with a fried egg, just to remind you that it’s not playing around. It’s comforting, elegant, and seriously indulgent. The béchamel, the two French cheeses, the thick-cut bread, the jambon de Paris, it’s a sandwich, sure, but this thing eats like a full-blown meal. We’ll get into all the details below.
A few things to know before you start:
Use the right ham: Jambon de Paris is ideal, but any mild, delicate, unsmoked ham will work - prosciutto cotto or regular deli ham are great.
Thick bread matters: You want something that can hold up to all the toppings - Japanese milk bread, brioche, or any fluffy, slightly sweet white bread is perfect.
You don’t need Mornay sauce: Technically, this sandwich is made with a Mornay (béchamel with cheese), but since we’re layering on plenty of cheese already, a thick béchamel does the job beautifully.
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