Croque Madame with Oven Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes
Please forgive my absence. I know it's been almost two weeks since my last post, but I've been very busy and haven't been cooking much. I am happy to say that I got a full time job, and I'll be working soon. So bring on the late-night posts, the photo editing until the wee hours of the morning, and most importantly: the money to buy a few fancy ingredients every now and then!
In other news, I'm weird. No really, I am. Ask my family or friends. Weird, that is, in the sense that I have a love-hate relationship with eggs. And it's mostly hate (on my end at least...I am not so presumptuous to assume insight into the mind of an egg). And I only say weird because I'm pretty sure that I'm part of the minority in disliking eggs. So, that's why this dish is so great: because it has eggs and I ATE IT. Croque (pronounced "croak") madame is a variation on a croque monsieur, which is basically a grilled cheese with ham. The croque madame adds béchamel and a fried egg (which makes it a madame and not a monsieur because the egg was said to resemble a lady's hat). There are many different forms which have come out of the original. I guess you could say that mine is a loose combination of the croque provençal with tomatoes, and the croque gagnet which uses andouille sausage. Plus, you know I can't follow the beaten path when it comes to cooking, so mine is a little different in ingredients as well as in execution. Instead of a sandwich, I'm doing a kind of egg-in-a-basket. Most Parisians would say that this couldn't be called a croque madame, but hey, there is always a time to follow the rules, and this just isn't it!
First start by prepping your tomatoes. To do so, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure your paper can withstand the heat (most have temperature maximums). Then slice three vine ripened tomatoes in half lengthwise. You're looking for big chunks here. Drizzle with a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil--like three drops per slice--and 1tsp of balsamic vinegar per slice. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle 1tsp of sugar total on top, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. I also put a head of garlic in there to roast. Just wrap in aluminum foil and throw it on the baking sheet. While you're at it, you might as well, right? The tomatoes should be shriveled a bit and charred on the edges when done.
Next, brown 3oz. of sage sausage (my substitution for the traditional ham in a croque madame) and half of a medium yellow onion over medium-high heat. While that's browning, cut the edges off of three slices of sourdough sandwich bread. Then place them on your cutting board, and use a rolling pin to thin them out. This makes the bread denser, and will help make the slices crisp in the oven. Melt 3T of butter and brush onto both sides of the bread.
Next, line a 3-inch muffin tin with the sourdough (one slice per hole). In each "basket" add 1/3 of the sausage and onion mixture, one tomato half, and crack one whole egg.
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Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 20-35 minutes depending on how you like your yolk. Since I'm squirmish when it comes to eggs, I cooked mine all the way through.
Ok seriously? Look at that down there. I'm a fan of anything that does that.
Slice some scallions and sprinkle them on top. Et voila!
Crispy crunchy bread, savory earthy sage sausage, sweet and tangy balsamic tomatoes, and a pillow soft egg. Nestle with a blanket of cheddar and sharp scallions and you're in business. Plus, this is very easily made a vegetarian dish with the removal of the sausage. Next time you reach for a pop tart, remember you can make this instead.
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