RECIPE: Make Tiny Lou’s Croque Madame
When we have out of town guests, we always take them to brunch at Tiny Lou’s. They love the history of the building, and the food is to die for, especially the croque-madame — a totally decadent start to anyone’s weekend. What’s the secret to that sauce? — Jacqueline Radbil, Atlanta
When he shared this recipe, Tiny Lou’s executive chef Jon Novak wrote, “When conceptualizing our brunch menu in early 2022, we knew this hardcore French classic must be represented here at Tiny Lou’s.”
Preparing this dish is a lesson in French cuisine. The sauce is made with an onion pique, a French way to boost the flavor in a sauce or soup. If you were to stop before adding the Gruyere, you would have a bearnaise sauce. Add the Gruyere and you’ve turned it into sauce Mornay.
At Tiny Lou’s, the sandwiches are made with cured ham from Bayonne, France, and pan de mie, a fine-grained white bread. To dress the salad, Novak recommends Maille Dijon mustard. The verjus blanc in the vinaigrette is the juice of unripe wine grapes. You can find it online or substitute Champagne vinegar.
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons verjus blanc
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 12 slices white bread
- 12 (1-ounce) slices Gruyere
- 6 (1-ounce) slices ham
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, divided
- 6 eggs
- 8 ounces mixed baby greens
- 1/2 cup shaved radishes
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
- Sauce Mornay (recipe follows)
- In a medium bowl, make the vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, verjus blanc and Dijon. Set aside.
- Lay 6 slices bread on work surface. Top each with 1 slice Gruyere and 1 slice ham. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Top each with second slice of Gruyere and second slice of bread.
- Warm a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Brush 1 side of sandwiches with softened butter and lay buttered side down in skillet. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute. Spread softened butter on untoasted side of sandwich, then flip and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute.
- Arrange sandwiches on 6 serving plates. Keep warm.
- To the bowl of vinaigrette, add baby greens, radishes and cucumber. Toss to combine and set aside.
- In a small skillet over medium high heat, melt remaining softened butter. Carefully break 1 egg into skillet, making sure not to break yolk. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, without turning, until white is set and yolk is hot. Carefully place egg atop a sandwich. Repeat with remaining 5 eggs. Divide Mornay sauce between dishes, pouring over the whites of the eggs, leaving the yolk uncovered. Divide salad among plates and serve. Serves 6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, including Sauce Mornay: 1,281 calories (percent of calories from fat, 74), 46 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 106 grams total fat (58 grams saturated), 466 milligrams cholesterol, 1,293 milligrams sodium.- 1/2 small yellow onion, cut in half from tip to root end, root end left intact
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 of whole nutmeg, grated
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere
- Make onion pique by peeling onion and lay the bay leaf on the cut side. Use cloves to pin the bay leaf to the onion halves. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour until thoroughly combined. Continue whisking and add milk, then cream. Stir in grated nutmeg. Add onion pique. Cook until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, whisking constantly so sauce does not scorch and lumps do not form. Remove from heat and discard onion pique, then add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in creme fraiche.
- Working carefully, pour hot sauce into the jar of a blender. Hold the lid on the blender and puree, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan over low heat. Discard any solids in sieve. Whisk in the Gruyere. Keep warm until ready to use. Makes 4 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 3/4-cup serving: 554 calories (percent of calories from fat, 83), 12 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 52 grams total fat (33 grams saturated), 160 milligrams cholesterol, 192 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Tiny Lou’s, Hotel Clermont, 789 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta. 470-485-0085, tinylous.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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