Croque Madame Popovers

 

1 C. whole milk

2 large eggs

1 C. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

2 T. butter, melted

1 T. minced fresh chives, optional

For the pan: 6 tsp. vegetable oil

2 ¼ tsp. unsalted butter

2 ¼ tsp. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ C. whole milk

2 oz. grated swiss cheese, about ¾ C.

Good pinch each kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/3 C. diced cooked ham, about 2 ½ oz.

1/3 C. finely grated swiss cheese, about 1 ¼ oz.

6 large eggs

chopped chives for garnish

 

For the popover batter: In a blender add the milk and eggs then the flour, salt and pepper and blend on a low speed until smooth, about 15-30 seconds. Add the melted butter and blend for an additional few seconds. Transfer to a two-cup measure or something similar with a spout, stir in the chives if using and let the batter rest for 30 minutes. For the mornay sauce: in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter then whisk in the flour to form a paste. Continue to whisk for another 1 minute to cook out any raw flour flavor. Whisk in milk until smooth and cook, whisking frequently, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Turn the heat off but leave the pot on the burner and slow whisk in the swiss cheese, a little at a time, until smooth. If needed, turn the burner back to low heat if needed to fully melt the cheese. Let cool a bit then transfer to a piping bag or a freezer type Ziploc bag and set aside. Can be made at least one day ahead and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before proceeding. Crack the eggs into ramekins or small bowls to make it easy to pour them into the popovers. Set aside until needed. To cook the popovers: While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 450°F along with the popover pan for at least 10 minutes. Just before baking, remove the pan and add 1 tsp. oil to each popover cup Return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes to heat the oil. Remove the hot pan and evenly divide the batter among the six C. Immediately return the filled pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 450°F. Do not open the oven. After 20 minutes, rotate the pan and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until popovers are lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and make a small opening in the top of each popover with a paring knife. Snip the tip off the piping bag and pipe 1-2 T. of the mornay sauce into each popover, then add about 1 T. each of ham and grated cheese. Pour one egg into each opening and top with a pinch of cheese. You might have to make the openings a bit larger to accommodate the egg. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until hot and bubbly and the egg is just cooked but still runny. Serve hot, split open and garnished with a pinch of chives.

 

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 filled popover

Calories: 378
Fat: 24 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 19 g