Italian-Style Croque Madames
February 2011
Makes: 4 servings
- 4 1-inch-thick slices good-quality white bread
- Fig spread
- 2 tablespoons butter, plus a couple of small pats for frying the eggs
- 1 rounded tablespoon flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- Salt and pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 8 slices prosciutto cotto with rosemary
- 8 ounces fontina val daosta cheese, grated
- 4 large organic eggs
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and spread a thin layer of fig spread on each slice. In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for half a minute, then whisk in the milk. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn off the heat and stir in the mustard.
- Divide the sauce among the bread slices. Top each slice with 2 folded prosciutto slices and a small mound of fontina, scattering the cheese all the way to the edges of the bread. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Rinse out the skillet and return to the stove. When the sandwiches are done, cook the eggs to order in pats of melted butter.
- Top each sandwich with an egg and serve.