Soumaintrain

Soumaintrain Cheese au Gratin on Toasted Country Bread

A simple Burgundian preparation that lets the rich, pungent flavor of Soumaintrain shine. The creamy cow's-milk cheese is melted over toasted bread and finished under the broiler for a golden, bubbling crust.

Prep

10 min

Cook

8 min

Total

18 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) Soumaintrain cheese, rind removed and sliced about 1 cm thick; a rustic, washed-rind Burgundy cheese — if unavailable, Époisses de Bourgogne is the closest substitute
• •8 g (½ Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, or null
• •4 g (1 tsp) whole grain Dijon mustard, optional, lightly spread on the bread, or null
• •4 slice (4 slices) country-style bread, such as a pain de campagne, about 1.5 cm thick, or null
• •2 ml (½ tsp) dry white wine, a Burgundian Chardonnay is traditional, or null
• •1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, or null
• •10 g (¼ cup) fresh chives, finely snipped, for garnish, or null

Steps

1. 1 Position an oven rack about 10 cm (4 inches) from the broiler element and preheat the broiler to high (around 240 °C / 460 °F).
2. 2 Lay the bread slices on a sheet pan and toast one side lightly under the broiler, 1–2 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. 3 Spread the toasted side of each slice with the softened butter and a thin layer of Dijon mustard, if using.
4. 4 Arrange the Soumaintrain slices over the bread, letting a little overlap. Drizzle ½ tsp of white wine over each portion and finish with a grind of black pepper.
5. 5 Return the pan to the broiler and cook for 4–6 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and spotted with golden-brown caramelization. The cheese should reach an internal temperature of about 70 °C (160 °F).
6. 6 Slide the toasts onto warm plates, scatter the snipped chives over the top, and serve immediately while the cheese is molten and runny.