Croque Madame Crepes

    Crepe is just French for “pancake.” But the word makes a skinny pancake folded around tasty things (like the ham-and-Gruyère combo here) sound fancy, doesn’t it?
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    Recipe by Tara Holland and Alexa Bernstein

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

    • 1 cup plus 1 tbsp. flour

    • 5 large eggs

    • 5 tbsp. butter, melted

    • 1/4 tsp. salt

    • 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

    • 2 1/3 cups grated Gruyère

    • Generous pinch of cayenne

    • 12 slices ham

    • 2 tbsp. olive oil

    • Chopped fresh chives, for garnishing

    Preparation

    1. Preheat the broiler. In a blender, puree 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. melted butter, the salt, and 1/2 cup water. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

    2. In a small saucepan, stir 1 tbsp. melted butter and the remaining 1 tbsp. flour over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until light golden. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in the mustard, then 1 cup cheese. Cook, stirring often, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the cheese sauce with salt and cayenne. Cover and keep warm.

    3. Heat a large skillet over medium. Brush with some melted butter. Pour 1/2 cup batter into the pan and quickly swirl the pan to coat the bottom with batter. Cook until browned at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter for a total of 4 crepes.

    4. Arrange the crepes on a work surface. Top each with 3 slices of ham, then 1/3 cup cheese. Fold over the sides of each crepe toward the center. Arrange the crepes on a large baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is melted and the edges are crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.

    5. Wipe the skillet clean. Heat the oil over medium. Crack in the remaining 4 eggs. Fry until cooked to your liking, about 3 minutes for set whites and runny yolks.

    6. Top each crepe with a fried egg. Drizzle with the cheese sauce. Garnish with chives.