Dec 12 Croque Madame Sandwiches with Sautéed Pears

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp (90 mL) unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp (90 mL)
• 4 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, sliced
• 8, 3/4″ (2 cm) slices of French bread
• 8 slices of mortadella
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
• 6 oz (175 g) grated old white cheddar cheese
• 4 small eggs

Directions

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar. Add pears and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Butter all slices of bread on one side. Place buttered side down in skillet and cook until browned. Flip each slice and cook on the other side. Remove from heat. Place Sautéed Pears in a single row and top with 2 slices of mortadella in a single row on the unbuttered side of each of 4 slices of toast.

In the remaining 4 pieces of toast, using a 2.5″ diameter cookie cutter, cut a circle in the centre of each slice. Reserve toast circles. Place unbuttered side on top of mortadella and press firmly to compact. The toast has to be touching the mortadella evenly so when the egg is added, it stays contained in the circle.

On a baking sheet, place all 4 sandwiches and the toast rounds. Sprinkle rounds with cheese. In the holes, break an egg. Sprinkle eggs lightly with cheese. Using aluminum foil, cover edges of toast so broiler will not burn bread. Broil approximately 6″ (15 cm) from element in oven until egg white sets and the yolk is still very runny. Serve sandwiches with the cheese topped round just barely covering the egg.

Serves 4