Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Emmental
- Savory
A golden gratin of hard-boiled eggs and tomatoes under melted emmental, baked until the cheese bubbles and browns. High in protein and comforting, with a savory tomato base.
- Total
- 46 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 31 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Seasoning in layers · Grilling
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Grate the emmental cheese and set it aside.
~5 min
-
Slice the tomatoes into 1 cm rounds. Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them in half lengthways.
~5 min
Pat the tomato slices dry with a clean cloth before layering so the gratin does not turn watery under the cheese.
-
Brush the baking dish with the olive oil. Layer the tomato slices in the dish, season with the salt and black pepper, and nestle the egg halves cut side up among them.
~4 min
Seasoning the tomatoes in the dish draws out their juices and builds flavor from the bottom up, while the cut-side-up eggs keep their yolks from drying out.
Seasoning in layers Season the tomatoes as you layer them rather than only on top, so every bite is seasoned. Taste a tomato slice to check the salt before the cheese goes on.
-
Scatter the grated emmental cheese evenly over the top.
~2 min
An even layer of cheese melts and browns uniformly, so no patch stays pale and rubbery while another burns.
-
Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown at the edges and the tomatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
~25 min
The dry oven heat drives off surface moisture so the cheese can brown, while the tomatoes soften and release their juices beneath it.
For a deeper golden top, finish the last 3 minutes under the grill, watching closely so the cheese browns without burning.
Grilling For the optional grill finish, keep the dish close to the element and stay by the oven. Pull it the moment the cheese turns deep gold, as it can scorch in seconds.
-
Let the gratin stand for 5 minutes before serving so the cheese sets slightly.
~5 min
Resting lets the melted cheese firm up and the juices settle, so portions hold together instead of sliding apart on the plate.
