It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love cooking and love
being in the kitchen. But just like everyone else, I go through the
occasional (maybe more than occasional) slump of, it's 5:30
and I have no idea what to make for dinner. I remember one time in
particular this slump seemed to be lasting longer than normal and I just wasn't
feeling all that excited about food. Around this time I happened to find my way
onto the blog Alexandra Cooks.
I remember my mouth watering as I scrolled through recipe after
recipe. I could feel my food excitement building and I quickly made my
way back to the place I love...the kitchen. That night I made
Ali's croque monsieur with poached eggs and with the very first (very delicious) bite I was
reminded of a quote by Alice Waters
that hangs in one of my favorite restaurants.
"When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very
simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it
is."
Ali's croque monsieur with a poached egg was a simple meal made from
simple ingredients, but tasted truly extraordinary.
Croque
Monsieur with a Poached Egg
(2
open faced sandwiches)
Great
bread, cut into thick slices
Béchamel
(recipe below)
2-4 slices
good quality ham
Grated
gruyere cheese
Fresh
thyme leaves
Béchamel
1
tablespoon butter
3
tablespoons finely minced onion
Kosher
salt
1
tablespoon flour
1
cup whole milk
1
bay leaf
Poached
eggs
2
eggs (I will usually cook an extra just in case one breaks)
1
tablespoon white wine vinegar
Prepare
pot for eggs. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet with two to three
inches of water and bring to a simmer.
Prepare
the béchamel. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium
heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are
soft, but have not begun to color, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to
low and add the flour. Stir to combine with the onion and butter.
Cook over low heat until the flour is absorbed, stirring constantly so that it
doesn't brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the
bay leaf.
Bring
the mixture to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to low and cook for
about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be thick, but
if it's too thick and becoming difficult to stir, whisk in a bit more milk, 1
or 2 teaspoons at a time. Remove bay leaf and discard. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Preheat
heat broiler. Place the slices of bread on a rack on a sheet pan and
broil each side for about a minute or until golden brown. Watch
closely! The bread can go from golden brown to burnt in
seconds. Remove pan from oven.
Spread
about 1 tablespoon of béchamel over each slice of bread. Top with 1 to 2
slices of ham. Top with grated cheese. Set aside.
For
the poached egg. Bring the water to 190 degrees F. Add the vinegar.
Gently crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin. Lower each cup into
the water until it touches bottom and gently pour in the egg. Cook for 4 1/2
minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain the temperature. Remove the eggs with a
slotted spoon, 1 at a time, to a tea
towel lined plate.
When
the eggs have cooked for about 3 1/2 minutes, place croque monsieur under the
broiler and cook until the cheese is bubbling and starting to get brown in
spots. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
Top
each sandwich with a poached egg. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky
salt and freshly cracked pepper.
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