As you probably know, I’m a brunch addict. It’s all I seem to want lately. I haven’t really wanted to spend time making an elaborate dinner or a pretty dessert. I just want muffins, eggs, potatoes and pancakes. After spending our honeymoon in France, I’ve been slightly obsessed with all things French. I remember the late mornings, walking down the streets of Nice and all the little outdoor cafes were packed full of people having their coffee and croissants. I loved stopping into these places for an Iced Tea (it was WAY too hot for coffee. The french are brave!) and a freshly grilled Croque Monsieur. Such a perfect way to begin a day in the south of France.
When we got back, I decided to give Rachel Khoo’s show, The Little Paris Kitchen, a chance. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to listen to an English girl tell me about French food, but I was pleasantly surprised. She does French food simply with a bit of a twist, and doesn’t talk about it as if she knows it all. She makes intimidating French dishes seem possible, even in a tiny little kitchen and without all the latest gadgets. I was so smitten that my husband went out and bought me her cookbook, to add to my already heaving bookshelves. In it I found a recipe that just seemed to call to me from the pretty pages. Croque Madame Muffins. All the goodness of a Croque Madame (a grilled ham and cheese, topped with an egg to us Americans) in a cute, compact little muffin-like package. Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe what happens when you add a little Dijon mustard to a bechamel sauce. Mmmmmm…
But anyways, give this recipe a try, transport yourself to France even just for a few minutes and wow your family and friends with a batch of these babies for your next brunch. I served them with a ripe avocado and cherry tomato salad to offset the richness of the egg yolk and bechamel. Remember to watch them carefully if you like a runny yolk! Bon appetit!
Croque Madame Muffins adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen
Makes 6 cups
For the cheese sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
7 oz milk
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup or 30g Gruyere cheese (you can also use Comte, Emmenthal, Cheddar or Parmesan)
salt and pepper to taste
6 white bread slices, crusts cut off and flattened thinly
3 tablespoons melted butter
6 slices ham, cut into strips
6 small eggs
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour while whisking and beat to form a smooth paste. Take the roux off the heat to cool for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until there are no lumps. Place the pan back on medium heat, add the mustard and nutmeg and simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking to prevent burning and clumping. As it thickens, remove the sauce from the heat. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some more milk. Sieve if there are lumps.
For the muffins:
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Brush each flattened bread with melted butter, making sure to get those corners! Press in a 6 hole muffin tin. Divide ham between muffins followed by the egg. If egg is too much, pour away a little of the egg white. Put 2 tablespoons of sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper.
Bake for 12-18 minutes depending on how runny you like your eggs. Serve immediately.
