Croûte au fromage is a standard consolation meals discovered all through Switzerland. The kind of cheese, bread, and wine used to assemble essentially the most fundamental model of this dish, which is successfully tacky toast—can differ relying on which area you occur to be having fun with it in. Photographer Simon Bajada, who visited and interviewed a number of Alpine cheesemakers, makes use of a splash of Fendant—a crisp and mineral white wine from Valais—in his recipe, however be at liberty to swap in any dry white wine.
The bones of the essential croûte au fromage recipe are easy and adaptable; be at liberty to decide on your personal journey by tucking a slice of ham below the cheese earlier than baking, or by topping the gentle and gooey toast with a sunny-side egg. Different conventional choices embody crispy lardons and sautéed mushrooms. As with fondue and raclette, tangy pickles and chilled white wine are basic accompaniments that brighten and improve the in any other case fatty dish.
Featured in “In Switzerland’s Valais Region, Restaurants Serve the Apex of Cheesy Goodness.”
Croûte au Fromage
Switzerland’s much-loved and endlessly adaptable tacky toast.
Yield: serves 1
Time:
quarter-hour
Elements
- 1 1¼-inch. thick slice crusty sourdough bread, evenly toasted
- 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Fendant or different dry white wine, plus extra for serving
- 6–7 oz. raclette cheese, coarsely grated or sliced ½-inch. thick
- Pickled cocktail onions and cornichons, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven (with certainly one of its racks positioned within the heart) to 450°F.
- To an 8-inch ceramic baking dish or forged iron skillet, add the toast. Sprinkle the floor of the bread with the wine, then pile on the cheese. Switch to the oven and prepare dinner till the cheese has melted over the sides of the toast to disclose the crust, about 8 minutes. Take away from the ove, cool barely, then serve with cocktail onions, cornichons, and a glass of Fendant, if desired.
