The croque madame is the croque monsieur's older sister: the same ham and cheese sandwich, but with an egg on top because she said so. It's about as French as it gets and we make ours close to the way you'd find it at any decent Parisian café — buttery brioche, good ham, gruyère, and a generous spoonful of béchamel that gets toasted under the salamander until it bubbles.
The béchamel is the difference. It's a slow-cooked roux of butter and flour with whole milk whisked in over twenty minutes, finished with a grate of nutmeg. Most kitchens use too much flour and you end up with paste. We use enough to hold and no more.
To finish: a sunny-side egg laid gently on top, the yolk still wobbly, a few cracks of pepper. Cut into it and the yolk runs into the béchamel and the cheese, which is exactly what's supposed to happen.
$16. Order with a small black coffee. Pretend you're in the Marais.
