"Mother Hen" Toast: Gallina De Madre

Name: "Mother Hen" Toast: Gallina De Madre
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H15M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H10M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H25M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: european
Ingredients: 8 thick-cut slices country bread; Extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; Bechamel, recipe follows; 16 slices shaved serrano ham; 8 eggs; 1/2 stick unsalted butter; 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; 1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Level: Intermediate
Total: 25 min

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Intermediate
Total: 25 min

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 thick-cut slices country bread

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bechamel, recipe follows

16 slices shaved serrano ham

8 eggs

Bechamel:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay bread out on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toast lightly. Spoon a dollop of bechamel onto each toast. Arrange 2 slices of ham on each slice of toast and nestle it into a nest shape so the egg will rest in the center. Crack egg and drop into nest on each toast. Bake in oven until eggs are just cooked but the yolk is still slightly runny, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Bechamel:

Yield: 2 cups

Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly to incorporate - you do not want any color. Gradually pour in the milk as you stir, and whisk out any lumps. As the mixture thickens up continue to stir until it reaches a boil - this ensures that the flour is cooked completely. Using a microplane or a fine grater, grate nutmeg into bechamel and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.