Recipe: Croissants Filled with Scrambled Eggs, Tomatoes and Dilled Havarti

the appetizer:

Cheese, Glorious Cheese! by Paula Lambert celebrates fine cheesemaking with recipes like Chilled Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone, Croissants Filled with Scrambled Eggs, Tomatoes and Dilled Havarti, and Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Queso Fresco.

Cookbook

Croissants Filled with Scrambled Eggs,
Tomatoes and Dilled Havarti

Serves 4

Croissants Filled with Scrambled Eggs, Tomatoes and Dilled Havarti

Scrambled eggs always remind me of the first time I spent the night at Julia Child's house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Early the next morning we came downstairs to her kitchen to prepare breakfast. Julia scrambled the eggs: She stirred them very, very slowly over the lowest imaginable heat for ages and ages. They were so creamy and delicious. I had never tasted eggs so good. If you cook your eggs Julia's way, they will always be very soft, very creamy, and very fluffy.

4 croissants, split in half horizontally
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Dilled Havarti
2 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into 12 slices, divided for separate use
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Scrambled Eggs

6 eggs
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Position the oven rack 3 inches beneath the heat source. Preheat the broiler on high.

Place the croissant halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Toast until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately cover one side of each of the croissants with the shredded cheese.

Place the tomato slices on the baking sheet and place under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, just to warm them. Place 2 tomato slices on the cheese on each croissant. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the Scrambled Eggs, crack the eggs into a small bowl, add the water, and whisk for about 1 minute until well beaten. Place a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the butter, and swirl until the butter melts. Pour in the beaten eggs; reduce the heat to low; and stir constantly, using a whisk or heat-resistant rubber spatula, until the eggs are cooked yet still quite creamy. Immediately sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper and stir well.

Spoon the eggs onto the other croissant halves and sprinkle with the dill. Flip the halves of the croissant topped with the shredded cheese and tomatoes onto the croissant halves topped with eggs. Gently press down on the croissants to redistribute the sandwich filling.

To serve, place the Croissants on individual serving plates, and cut the Croissants in half. Garnish with the remaining four slices of tomato.

Serve immediately.