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Croûte au fromage
Croûte au fromage: Valais and Vaud bread soaked in white wine under melted Gruyère
SwissCroûte au fromage is the après-ski supper of Valais and Vaud, served in mountain restaurants from Verbier to Zermatt in sizzling dishes: thick slices of stale bread sprinkled with white wine, rubbed with garlic, heaped with grated Gruyère and baked until bubbling, often with a fried egg on top. This recipe uses white wine, as it traditionally does; for an alcohol-free version, use the swap in the ingredient note. Gruyère is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian Swiss-style cheese. A common mistake is soaking the bread with too much wine, which makes it soggy. Chef's tip: toast the bread first, then sprinkle, so it stays crisp underneath and soft on top.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the croûtes
- 4 thick slices stale rustic bread
- 1 clove garlichalved
- ½ cup dry white wineor 80 ml vegetable stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 9 oz Gruyère-style cheesegrated; vegetarian
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch sweet paprika
- 4 eggsoptional, fried
- 3 ½ oz gherkins and pickled onionsto serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F (fan 400°F). Toast 4 thick slices stale rustic bread lightly and rub with 1 clove garlic.
Step 2: Lay in a baking dish and sprinkle each slice with ½ cup dry white wine. Common mistake: drenching it; soggy bread.
Step 3: Pile 9 oz Gruyère-style cheese on top and season with ¼ tsp black pepper and 1 pinch sweet paprika.
Step 4: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling golden.
15 minStep 5: Top with 4 eggs if you like and serve at once with 3 ½ oz gherkins and pickled onions.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does croûte au fromage take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
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