EN DE FR ES PT IT
Mini Croque-Madame on Pain de Mie with Comté Béchamel, Jambon de Paris and Quail Egg
Recipe

Mini Croque-Madame on Pain de Mie with Comté Béchamel, Jambon de Paris and Quail Egg

Breakfast • France

A refined French breakfast canapé: toasted pain de mie layered with Jambon de Paris, nappéed in nutty Comté béchamel, gratinéed until bubbling, then topped with a delicately fried quail egg.

Why smarter

Mini portions deliver the classic croque-madame experience with balanced richness: a measured béchamel, quality ham, and a small egg for satisfaction without excess, plus a simple dressed salad if desired.

Chef tip

For a restaurant finish, strain the béchamel before adding Comté, then gratin under a very hot broiler for 60–90 seconds so the sauce bubbles without over-toasting the bread.

Soft line

Best served immediately while the béchamel is glossy and the quail yolk is still runny.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 8 slices pain de mie (thin, square brioche-style sandwich bread if available) 8.000 slices pain de mie Trim crusts for a refined look if desired
2 120 g Jambon de Paris, cut to fit the bread (about 8 small pieces) 120.000 g Jambon de Paris
3 25 g unsalted butter, plus extra for toasting the bread 25.000 g unsalted butter
4 25 g plain flour 25.000 g plain flour
5 250 ml whole milk, warmed 250.000 ml whole milk Warming helps prevent lumps
6 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1.000 tsp Dijon mustard Optional but classic
7 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg nutmeg
8 90 g Comté, finely grated (reserve a small handful for the top) 90.000 g Comté cheese
9 8 quail eggs 8.000 quail eggs
10 1 tbsp neutral oil (or clarified butter) for frying the quail eggs 1.000 tbsp neutral oil
11 Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper salt and pepper
12 1 tbsp chopped chives (to finish) 1.000 tbsp chives

Method

  1. Heat the oven broiler/grill to high and position a rack about 10–15 cm from the heat. Line a tray with baking paper.
  2. Lightly butter one side of each slice of pain de mie. Toast the slices butter-side down in a skillet over medium heat until just golden, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to the lined tray.
  3. Make the béchamel: in a small saucepan melt 25 g butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute until it smells lightly nutty but stays pale.
  4. Gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth. Simmer gently 3–5 minutes, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and whisk in Dijon.
  5. Off the heat, stir in most of the grated Comté (reserve a small handful for the top). Mix until melted and glossy; adjust seasoning.
  6. Assemble: on 4 toasted slices, place Jambon de Paris cut to fit. Spoon a little Comté béchamel over the ham (a thin, even layer), then top with the remaining slices to make 4 mini sandwiches.
  7. Nappé the tops with the remaining béchamel and sprinkle with the reserved Comté. Broil/grill 1–3 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned; watch closely.
  8. While the croques gratiné, fry the quail eggs: heat oil (or clarified butter) in a nonstick pan over medium. Crack in quail eggs and cook 45–75 seconds until whites set but yolks remain runny; season lightly with salt.
  9. To serve, place one quail egg on each mini croque-madame. Finish with chives and a twist of black pepper. Serve immediately.