Croque Tartine Parisienne (Egg-Topped Ham and Cheese Sandwich) Recipe

Name: Croque Tartine Parisienne (Egg-Topped Ham and Cheese Sandwich)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 tbsp. unsalted butter; 4 tbsp. flour; 1 cup milk; 5 1&frasl;2 tbsp. Dijon mustard; 1&frasl;4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 8 (1&frasl;4"-thick) slices country bread, lightly toasted; 8 oz. thinly sliced smoked ham; 16 oz. Gruyère cheese; 4 eggs; Crème fraîche, for garnish; Aleppo pepper, for garnish; Mixed green salad, for serving (optional); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients

6 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
5 1⁄2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1⁄4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
8 (1⁄4"-thick) slices country bread, lightly toasted
8 oz. thinly sliced smoked ham
16 oz. Gruyère cheese
4 eggs
Crème fraîche, for garnish
Aleppo pepper, for garnish
Mixed green salad, for serving (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PREP TIME 10m	COOK TIME 5m	TOTAL TIME 15m
YIELD 4 servings

Instructions

Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 minutes.
Whisk in milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until slightly thick, making a béchamel sauce, 6–8 minutes. Whisk in 1 1⁄2 tbsp. mustard, plus nutmeg, salt, and pepper; set sauce aside.
Heat broiler to high. Place 4 slices bread on a baking sheet and spread 1 tbsp. mustard over each. Top each with 2 oz. ham, 2 tbsp. béchamel sauce, and 2 oz. cheese. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes.
Top with remaining bread slices and spread with remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Broil until cheese is browned and bubbly, 3–4 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add eggs and season with salt and pepper; cook until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
Place an egg on top of each sandwich, garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche, and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper.
Serve with salad on the side, if you like.