Green chilli cheese croque madame with poached egg – recipe
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Sonali Shah’s spin on this decadent classic swaps fried eggs for poached – and adds a spicy kick. The croque madame is my favourite take on the humble cheese toastie, and the twists here add a real depth of flavour. Cumin seeds, turmeric and caramelised shallots spice up the classic cheese sauce, which I like to fire up further with a handful of chopped green chillies. While the classic madame is topped with a fried egg, I prefer poached Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker eggs – something about their golden yolks dripping over crispy cheese makes my heart sing, and takes this dish to the next level.
Prep 10 min. Cook 20 min. Serves 2. 4 slices sourdough bread. 1 tbsp unsalted butter. 1 tsp cumin seeds. 1 escallion shallot, peeled and finely sliced. 2-3 green chillies (depending how hot you like it), finely chopped. 1⁄2 tsp turmeric. 1 tbsp plain flour. 200ml milk. 75g gruyère, grated.
75g mozzarella, grated. 4 slices of ham. 2 Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker eggs. To serve. 50g green leaves, optional. Chopped chives, optional. Olive oil, optional. Toast your sourdough bread and switch on your grill to medium. While it warms, heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Tip in the cumin seeds and wait until they start to sizzle. Add the sliced shallot and green chillies, with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Then add the turmeric and plain flour, mixing really well to form a paste. Cook for a further 30 seconds and remove from the heat.
Gradually pour in the milk, again mixing well to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is added, return the pan to a medium heat and cook, stirring all the time, for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to a double cream consistency. Finally, stir in a third of the grated gruyère and mozzarella – this is your green chilli cheese sauce.
