Tomato and Gruyère Toasts Recipe

As it is Valentine's day today (and Happy Valentine to all lovers out there) I thought I might just sneak in one final Valentine's day recipe.


This is what's known as a savoury dish. It's a course served after dessert and before coffee to allow the remains of the wine to be used up. As it's name suggests it's a savoury course often made with cheese.

I think it's a shame that savoury dishes have disappeared from the modern menu (in France cheese is often served after dessert for the same purpose) so I am presenting this cordon bleu recipe to you in the hope of reviving the savoury this Valentine's day.

Tomato and Gruyère Toasts Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 egg, lightly beaten

300ml (1 1/4 cups) milk

3 slices of white bread

50g (2 oz) butter

1 tsp Dijon mustard

90g (3 oz) Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced

3 tomatoes

1 sprig of rosemary

salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

In a bowl, beat together the egg, milk, salt and black pepper. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut each slice into three. Soak these bread pieces in the egg and milk mixture.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the bread and fry slowly until a brown crust is formed on the base. Turn the bread over and fry until browned on the other side. 

Remove the bread from the pan and spread a very thin layer of Dijon mustard over the top. Transfer the bread to a baking dish and arrange the slices of Gruyère cheese on top. 

Blanch the tomatoes and peel. Remove the upper core from the tomatoes and squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices and arrange on top of the cheese. Season lightly then strip the rosemary leaves from their stems and scatter over the top.

Place a small knob of butter on each toast then place under a hot grill (broiler) and cook until the cheese begins to bubble. Serve immediately.

For a Complete Valentine's Day meal, you can choose from the recipes presented on this blog:

Starters:

Sole à l'Indienne (Fish)
Eggs Mimosa (Eggs)

Main Courses:
Pork Tenderloin with Prunes (Pork)
Sea Trout en Gelée with Mayonnaise Nantua (Fish)

Desserts:

Orange Soufflé Nantaise
Apple Mousse Gâtinaise

Other Recipes:
Chocolate Truffles (to serve with coffee)

Tomato and Gruyère Toasts

For hundreds more Valentine's day recipes, and a brief introduction to Valentine's day please visit the Celtnet Valentine's day recipes and Food page.