Käseschnitte — Swiss Molten Cheese Toast

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices sturdy bread
• 2 cups grated gruyère or any alpine melter
• 3 tbsp white wine or stock
• 1 tsp dijon
• 2 eggs (optional crown)
• 1 clove garlic
• Black pepper, cornichons and pickled onions alongside

Method

1. Rub the bread with the cut garlic clove and toast it lightly — it must stand up to what's coming.
2. Stir the cheese with the wine and dijon into a thick paste.
3. Bury each slice edge-to-edge under the cheese mixture and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10–12 minutes until molten, bubbling, and bronzed in patches.
4. Optional but excellent: top each with a fried egg.
5. Serve with cornichons and pickled onions — the acid is load-bearing against this much cheese. Switzerland's answer to a rainy mountain lunch; works at sea level.