Foryoueats: Thomas Keller’s Croque Madame

Ingredients

• 8 slices brioche bread
• 30g (1 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 thin slices cooked ham
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 large eggs
• finely chopped chives, to serve
• Mornay sauce
• 45g (1.5 oz) unsalted butter
• ½ cup diced onion
• sea salt
• 25g (0.8 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup double (heavy) cream, or as needed
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of ground white pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 35g (1 oz) grated Comte or Emmental cheese