Croque Madame Homard

Never heard of a Croque Madame (or Monsieur), right? Well you have probably heard of a Monte Cristo sandwich, which was invented in Southern California and is a sweeter variation of the French Croque Monsieur, which is a grilled cheese sandwich with Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses and ham. The French word “croque” is based on the verb “croquer”, which means to bite or to crunch. A Monte Cristo also contains both ham and turkey and the bread is completely different and is basically French toast dipped in jam and includes whatever kind of cheese the restaurant decides to use (Swiss is a good choice). We’re going back to the original and upping it a notch, substituting lobster (homard) or if you prefer, shrimp (cevette) or crawfish (langouste) for the turkey and ham. It has the same type of bread as a Monte Cristo, however, and that’s a major departure from it’s French cousin, which is served all over France. The difference between a Croque Monsieur and a Croque Madame is the latter is topped with a fried egg. I think that’s where the unknown American chef got the idea of putting the ingredients in French Toast. It was so well received that it made its way into Disney restaurants. So this is a French Toast Lobster Bite (with the “correct” kinds of cheeses). You may be asking yourself “What is the French word for sandwich?” Sandwich except you pretend you have a moustache (even if you are female) and a French accent.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 6 slices white sandwich bread

• 6 Oz cooked lobster meat

• 5 Oz fresh grated Gruyere cheese

• 2 Oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 eggs

• 2 Oz milk

• 1 Tbsp butter

Directions

1. Make the sandwiches by layering a slice of bread, cheese, lobster, another slice of bread, lobster, cheese, and then another slice of bread. Press it down to make sure it all sticks together.

2. Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow pan.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet.

4. Dip all sides of each sandwich in the milk and egg mixture, then transfer to the hot skillet.

5. Cook until the sandwich is toasted on all sides and the cheese is melted.