Ingredients
Savory Blueberry Compote
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1⁄2 cups white onion, small dice
- 1⁄4 cup minced garlic
- 1⁄4 cup fresh minced rosemary
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 6 3⁄4 cups frozen blueberries
Bechamel Sauce
- 6 cups whole milk
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
French Toast
- 48 slices of brioche bread, dried out overnight
- 16 eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces sugar
- 8 ounces blueberry powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces butter
Blueberry Smoked Salt
- 1⁄2 cup smoked sea salt
- 1 cup blueberry powder
Blueberry Croque Madame
- 48 slices French toast
- 48 slices French ham
- 72 slices Havarti cheese
- 9 cups savory blueberry compote
- 6 cups bechamel sauce
- 1⁄2 cup fresh minced chives
- 1⁄4 cup blueberry smoked salt
- 24 eggs
Instructions
Savory Blueberry Compote
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and sweat onion until translucent and soft, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add remaining ingredients except for the blueberries into the saucepan and bring to a simmer cooking over very low heat until the sauce begins to thicken, roughly 20 minutes.
- Add the frozen blueberries to the saucepan and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Transfer compote to a resealable container and cool to below 40°F. Store chilled until service.
Bechamel Sauce
- Warm milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat and set aside.
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat until bubbly.
- Stir in flour rapidly to make roux paste then slowly drizzle in warm milk to roux and whisk until fully incorporated and no clumps appear.
- Add bay leaf, mustard powder, garlic, nutmeg, and salt to the mixture and cook until thickened to nappe consistency, about 10 minutes.
- Strain through fine mesh strainer to smooth out sauce. Discard the bay leaves.
- Hold in an airtight storage container. Label, date, and store in the refrigerator for no longer than 7 days.
French Toast
- Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, blueberry powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl until fully incorporated to create the custard mix.
- Line sheet pans with dried brioche bread slices. Pour egg custard mix over bread slices until slices are covered.
- Soak brioche slices in custard mix overnight or until sufficiently soaked through. Using stale toast works best.
- On a flattop or griddle set to 350°F, melt butter then griddle each toast until fluffy, golden brown, and cooked through.
- Let French toast slices cool before assembling sandwiches.
Blueberry Smoked Salt
- Process salt and blueberry powder in a spice grinder, pulsing just enough to incorporate. Do not over-process into a fine dust.
- Pour mixture into an airtight shaker for storage.
Blueberry Croque Madame
- Spread blueberry compote on crown and heel of french toast bread ensuring it coats to edges of the toast.
- Layer with 1 slice of Havarti cheese, 2 slices of ham, another layer of Havarti cheese, then top with the final slice of French Toast to make a sandwich. Hold covered in the walk-in for one day if preparing a day ahead.
- For service, ladle bechamel sauce over sandwiches. and add another layer of cheese. Toast under broiler or salamander until cheese has melted and is bubbly.
- Top with a fried or sunny-side-up egg on top.
- Garnish with chives and blueberry smoked salt over eggs.
- Assemble in the following order:
-1 slice of French toast
-1 1/2 ounces blueberry compote
-1 slice of Havarti cheese
-2 slices of ham
-1 slice of Havarti cheese
-1 slice of French toast
-2 ounces of bechamel sauce
-1 slice of Havarti cheese
-1 fried egg
-Garnish: chives, blueberry smoked salt