French cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Vegetarian Croque-Madame

Baked béchamel-cheese sandwich with tomato slices and a fried egg with a runny yolk on top.

Ingredients · for 2 servings

• 4 slices toast bread
• 150 g gruyère
• 2 tomatoes
• 20 g butter
• 20 g flour
• 250 ml whole milk
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (grated)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp butter for frying
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. For the béchamel, melt the butter, stir in the flour and sweat lightly for 2 min., then gradually pour in the milk and simmer for 5 min., stirring, into a thick sauce; season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
2. Grate the gruyère, stir half of it into the still-hot béchamel until smooth, and cut the tomatoes into slices about 5 mm thick.
3. Spread two slices of bread thinly with Dijon mustard, top with tomato slices and some of the cheese, and cover with the remaining bread slices.
4. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet, spread thickly with the cheese béchamel, sprinkle with the remaining gruyère and bake in the oven preheated to 220°C for 10–12 min. until the crust bubbles golden brown.
5. Meanwhile heat the butter in a pan and fry the eggs over low heat for 3–4 min. until the white is set but the yolk is still runny.
6. Place one fried egg on each sandwich, sprinkle with salt and coarse pepper, and serve immediately with knife and fork.