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Le Sandwich Croque Madame
 One of my earliest memories of living in Belgium was the concept of the "snack bar." Up until then, my idea of a snack bar was the stand at the pool that sold frozen Snickers and hot dogs. It was usually manned by an exceptionally cute lifeguard. Fast forward a few years, and it's the day we arrive in Belgium as a family. I hadn't yet mastered the art of sleeping upright in an uncomfortable coach airplane seat, my parents instituted a no-nap policy to help my body adjust to the time warp, and I didn't speak French. I was hoping for a 5 pm dinner and an early turn-in to bed, but no such luck. There is no 5 pm early-bird dinner special in Belgium. This was one of the most important discoveries during my first week, as well as the legitimate acceptance of skimpy swimsuits (aka "banana hammocks") in the older male population. Now that I have blazed that impression into your minds, let's get to the food, shall we? So my stepdad, having lived in Belgium before, suggested we hit a snack bar for an early dinner. Really?... frozen Snickers bars and hot dogs? Could we not find something more appetizing in the country that gave us waffles and frites? Oh, but was I in store for a treat. Turns out, snack shops in Europe bear little resemblance to their American counterparts. Sure, they have chips, candy bars, and various and sundry ice cream novelties, but they have a sitting area where you can order quick plates of things like spaghetti bolognese, croquette, omelets.... and croque madame. Oh, la la... le croque madame! Not understanding much on the menu, I said oui to a humble grilled ham and cheese. What arrived was nothing short of beauty. Sure, it was a grilled ham and cheese... but it was smothered in bechamel sauce with a glorious fried egg resting atop the entire masterpiece. The more decadent version of the croque monsieur, the croque madame is classic French fast food. Leave it to the French to say, "I do not haff time to eat a large meal, but I insist of haffing somezing zat eenvolves butter, cream and cheese. Merci." I believe this is the day the Food Hound was born.  Strangely enough, that was my one and only croque madame. I've had many croque monsieur since then, but none smothered in bechamel and fried egg goodness to elevate it to madame status. No one knows how these sandwiches got their names, but I tend to believe that the madame got its gender-specific name because it looks like a croque monsieur with a breast on top. Some say it's supposed to be a woman's hat. I'm going with the breast theory. It's so French. My salivary glands danced a jig when I saw Fine Cooking's rendition of this risque French classic in one of their recent issues. I knew I must make it. It's easy, it's fabulous, and it's exactly the kind of thing you make on a weeknight, glass of wine in tow, when you want to relax and pretend you're in a French snack shop. Which, if you know me, is all the time :) Bon appetit! Adapted from Fine Cooking Serves 4 3 T unsalted butter, plus more for buttering sandwiches 2 1/2 T AP flour 2 T brandy 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp fresh thyme 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground pepper 8 slices country-style white sandwich bread 4 tsp Dijon mustard 4 oz Gruyere, grated (1 cup) 12 oz deli ham, sliced 1/2 oz Parmesan, finely grated (1/2 cup) 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1. Melt 2 T butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking just until it turns beige, about 20 seconds. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream; continue whisking until smooth, thickened, and slightly bubbling, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the brandy, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Whisk for 30 seconds; then remove from heat and set aside, whisking occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. 2. Position a rack 4 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. 3. Spread butter on one side of each of the 8 pieces of bread. Spread four of the bread slices on the other side with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard each. Layer the Gruyere and ham on the bread in this pattern: cheese, ham, cheese. Top with the remaining bread. 4. Cook 2 of the sandwiches in a 12" skillet over medium heat, or in a panini press, until brown and crisp on each side (about 4 minutes total). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining two sandwiches. 5. Ladle the bechamel sauce over the sandwiches (it will run down the sides), and then top with the Parmesan. Broil until bubbling and lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 T butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and fry them sunny side up until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3-4 minutes. 7. Use a large, flat spatula to transfer the sandwiches to serving plates. Place a fried egg on each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.  related searches : Sandwich
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