Croque Voila

My Croque Voila is a combination of the famous French brunch dishes, Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur.

There are lots of different versions of both, but basically, a Croque Monsieur consists of cheese and ham sandwiched between slices of bread, with béchamel sauce on top, then toasted. A Croque Madame is the same, without the béchamel sauce, but with a fried egg on top.

Although I love cooking, and I honestly believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there’s no way I’m going to start making béchamel as soon as I roll out of bed. (Though if you fancy it, my recipe for Bechamel Sauce is here) Instead, I’ve created my own version of ‘Croque’, which requires much less effort. I’ve obviously used Veggie ham, instead of the real stuff. You can get lots of versions of veggie ham now, including smoked , which I think would be really nice in this recipe.

It takes about 20mins to make, but it’s well worth the effort, especially if you’re planning a special breakfast for someone. I think my Croque Voila is the perfect breakfast to serve on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a breakfast date or for someone’s birthday, as it’s easy to make, tastes amazing and looks impressive.

Ready in 20mins (5mins prep, 10mins on the hob, 5mins under the grill) – Serves 1.

Ingredients:

1 free-range egg
2 teaspoons of milk
Half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard
A pinch of salt
A pinch of black pepper
A pinch of thyme
2 thick slices of crusty bread
1 tablespoon of olive oil
A knob of butter
50g of strong cheese, grated
A slice or two of plant-based ham

Method:

Break the egg into a large, oven proof dish and add the milk, mustard, salt, pepper and thyme.
Mix together.

Add the bread. Let the bread sit in the egg mix for a few mins, then turn it over to soak the other side too. Most of the egg mix will be absorbed into the bread.

Put a frying pan on the hob and add the oil and butter. Turn the hob to a medium/high heat, and once the butter has melted, lift the eggy bread out of the dish and into the pan.
Fry the bread for a few mins on each side, until golden brown, then take off the heat.