Cheesy Eggs in a Hole

📝 Ingredients

• 2 slices wholemeal sandwich bread (about 30 g each)
• 2 eggs (medium)
• 20 g grated Emmental
• 1 tsp softened unsalted butter (about 5 g)
• 5 g fresh chives (about 1 tbsp once chopped)
• 6 cherry tomatoes (about 80 g)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Air fryer
• 6 cm glass or round cutter
• Baking paper
• Small bowl
• Paring knife

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C for 3 min. Meanwhile, cut a 6 cm circle out of the centre of each slice of bread with a glass or cutter, pressing firmly and twisting slightly for a clean cut. Keep the circles.
2. Thinly butter one side of the slices and circles. Place a piece of baking paper in the bottom of the basket, then the slices and circles buttered side down, without overlapping. Press the bread down around the holes so it sits flat against the paper.
3. Crack one egg into the small bowl, checking there are no bits of shell, then gently slide it into the hole in one slice. Repeat with the second egg: using a bowl stops the yolk from breaking.
4. Season the eggs with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the Emmental over the bread around the yolk without covering it: under the cheese, the yolk would cook faster and lose its runniness.
5. Cook for 6 to 7 min at 180 °C. Check from 6 min: the white should be set and opaque, the yolk still glossy and wobbly when you gently shake the basket, and the cheese melted and golden.
6. While they cook, wash the cherry tomatoes, halve them and season with a pinch of salt. Finely snip the chives at the last minute so they keep all their flavour and bright green colour.
7. Lift the slices out using the baking paper, sprinkle with chives and serve straight away, with the toasted bread circles for dipping into the yolk and the cherry tomatoes on the side.