Croque madame with spinach and smoked salmon

A French bistro classic of a a fried sandwich filled with a thick cheese and spinach sauce with slivers of smoked salmon and topped off with a fried egg

Croque monsieur is a French bistro classic. When covered in a cheesy béchamel sauce with a lightly fried or poached egg on top, it becomes a croque madame. This version puts the béchamel on the inside and replaces the ham with smoked salmon or trout. It's best to work with two pans here so you can time things so they finish cooking simultaneously and everything is nice and hot.

Serves: 6-8

Difficulty: Easy, 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Béchamel filling (enough for 6-8 sandwiches):

200g baby spinach leaves

50g butter

30g (¼ cup) flour

250ml (1 cup) milk

10ml (2 tsp) Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

50g sharp cheese of your choice

Other ingredients (per sandwich):

2 thick slices of bread

Butter

1 fried egg

40-50g smoked salmon or trout

Method:

1) For the filling, blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.

2) Squeeze out excess water and chop roughly.

3) Melt the butter in a small pot and stir in the flour to form a roux.

4) Add the milk gradually, whisking to prevent lumps.

5) Add the mustard and season with salt and pepper.

6) Once smooth and cooked, add the chopped spinach and cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.

7) Spread butter on the outer sides of each slice of bread, place a dollop of béchamel mixture on top, add a few salmon strips in the centre, sandwich together and fry in a medium-hot skillet until golden brown on both sides.

8) While that's on the go, fry an egg for each sandwich.

9) Serve the sandwiches topped with a fried egg.