Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. It holds a special place in my heart because Teach and I went for coffee or brunch when we first started courting each other and it has become an honoured meal in our little family. If we decide to break the budget and head out for a meal together, it's always for breakfast!

So it comes as little surpirse that I started salivating over this divine image of Croque-madame while flipping through an old copy of Gourmet Traveller waiting for my coffee yesterday.

The image had me at Yummmm and I very nearly ripped the page from the magazine and ran from the cafe. But I like my local and wish to return, so common sense got the better of me. Now all I can say is thank god for the Inernet because this fabulous recipe is all mine!

I'm so excited to try it out over the weekend and really hope Teach and E like it too. Besides, what more could two boys ask for on a Sunday morning? Eggs, freshed toasted white bread smothered in butter, mustard, loads of cheese and lashings of bechamel sauce. (*Drool. Lick lips. Repeat*)

I'll let you know how it goes. Enjoy. x

You'll Need:

8 slices	crusty white bread, cut 1cm thick
95 gm	(1/3 cup) Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve
4	thick slices leg ham
300 gm	Gruyère, coarsely grated
100 gm	butter, coarsely chopped
4	eggs
Béchamel
60 gm	butter, coarsely chopped
60 gm	plain flour, sieved
250 ml	(1 cup) milk
30 gm	finely grated parmesan
Pinch	finely grated nutmeg

 Now do this:

1	For béchamel, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in flour, cook until light golden (1-2 minutes), remove from heat. Meanwhile, heat milk in a separate saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, then, whisking continuously, gradually add milk to butter mixture. Return to heat, stir until mixture just returns to the boil (3-4 minutes), stir in parmesan and nutmeg, season to taste, cover closely with plastic wrap and set aside until thick and cooled to room temperature.
2	Place four slices of bread on a work surface, spread with mustard, top with ham and Gruyère, sandwich with remaining bread.
3	Preheat grill to high. Melt half the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming, add sandwiches to pan and cook, turning once, until golden (2-3 minutes each side). Remove from pan, spread tops thickly with béchamel and transfer to a baking tray, then grill until golden (3-4 minutes).
4	Meanwhile, heat remaining butter in a large frying pan and fry eggs to your liking (3-4 minutes for soft yolks). Place an egg on each sandwich and serve hot with extra mustard on the side.

This recipe is from the April 2011 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.