Cheesy Baked Semolina Rounds

📝 Ingredients

• 1 l semi-skimmed milk
• 250 g fine wheat semolina
• 2 eggs
• 40 g grated Parmesan
• 20 g unsalted butter (10 g for the semolina, 10 g melted for the top)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 brown onion + 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• 80 g grated Emmental
• Salt, black pepper, nutmeg

🍴 Utensils

• Large saucepan
• Whisk
• Baking tray + baking paper
• 6 cm glass or round cutter
• Sauté pan
• Baking dish

📖 Steps

1. Bring the milk to a simmer in the large saucepan over a medium heat with 10 g of the butter, 1 level tsp salt, some pepper and a generous pinch of grated nutmeg. Watch closely: milk boils over very quickly once it starts to rise.
2. Reduce to a low heat and pour in the semolina in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the semolina is very thick and comes away from the sides of the pan.
3. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, then the eggs one at a time, mixing briskly so they don't cook into lumps. The mixture should become smooth and glossy.
4. Immediately spread the semolina over the tray lined with baking paper in an even 1 cm thick layer, smoothing it with a wet spatula. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes, in the fridge if possible, until firm to the touch.
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce: fry the sliced onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over a medium heat until soft. Add the chopped garlic for 30 seconds, then the tomatoes and herbes de Provence. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat.
6. Preheat the oven to 210 °C. Cut the semolina into rounds with the glass, dipping it in cold water between each cut. Pour the sauce into the baking dish and scatter over the semolina trimmings, cut into small pieces.
7. Arrange the rounds on top, overlapping them like fish scales. Brush them with the 10 g of melted butter, then sprinkle Emmental evenly over the whole surface.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is nicely golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving: the rounds hold their shape better and no one burns themselves.