Croque Madame aux champignon

I remember sitting in Les Deux Magots Paris watching with envy as Julie devoured a Croque Monsieur cursing the fact it had a layer of ham in its middle.  I then saw a Croque Madame  being served to another table, which was a Monsieur with a fried egg on top. I felt even more envious!  

As soon as we came home I had to make a vegetarian version simply by omitting the ham replacing it with thin slices of saute mushrooms. It was perfect. 

Ingredients
serves 2
4 slices of White bread
200g Gruyère cheese, grated
2 large free-range egg

for the bechamel
40g butter
40g plain flour
250ml milk
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leave
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

salt, to taste

for the filling
10 small chestnut or button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp olive oil

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste


Method
In a saucepan, gently warm the milk with the garlic and the bay leaf. Do not bring to the boil. After ten minutes remove from the heat. Sieve out the garlic and remove the bay leaf. 

Next, make the bechamel. Melt he butter in a pan on a medium temperature. Then add the flour and stir vigorously until blended smoothly.  Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly as the mix loosens the paste into a sauce. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens nicely. Add the mustard, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste. It needs a good deep flavour to it.  Set aside.

In a frying pan, over a medium-low eat add fry garlic in olive oil. Add the smoked paprika and continue to fry for a while before adding the mushrooms. Season them well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, butter one side of the sliced bread and fry them in a dry frying pan until they toast golden.

Pre heat the oven to 200C

Begin to form the sandwich by spooning a layer of béchamel onto all the slices, (untoasted side) then a layer of grated cheese. Add the mushrooms to two of the slices, then carefully lift the other half over the top to form the sandwich.  

Add a spoonful of béchamel and another layer of grated cheese on top of the sandwich.

Place in the oven for ten minutes, then pop under the grill to colour the top a little. 

In the meantime fry two eggs. Make sure the yolk is still runny. 

Place the cheesy toasted sandwich on a plate and carefully plonk an egg on top. Sprinkle over some chopped chives and season the egg with a little salt & pepper.