Asparagus Gratin with Three Kinds of Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes

For the dried tomatoes

1. I wash and halve the cocktail tomatoes and season them on the cut surface with salt, pepper, sugar and the lemon zest. Then I place them with the cut surface facing down on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. In the oven preheated to 100 ° C (top / bottom heat) I let the tomatoes dry for about an hour.

For the asparagus gratin

1. I cut the peeled asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Then I drain some butter in a deep pan, add the asparagus pieces and let them brown lightly over medium heat.
2. Then I add the sugar, let it caramelize very slightly, remove with the juice of the lemon and the water and let the asparagus cook in the stock for about 5 minutes until al dente. I remove the peas from the pods and let them simmer in the stock for a minute along with the asparagus.
3. I pour the asparagus and peas over a sieve, I catch the asparagus stock in a saucepan. I put the vegetables in a baking dish, mix them with the diced cooked ham and sprinkle them with the chopped fresh herbs.
4. I reduce the asparagus stock well, then I add the milk and cream and let the sauce simmer a little more over low heat. Then I take it off the stove and beat the previously beaten egg yolks into the no longer boiling sauce. I pour the sauce over the casserole, which should be well covered but not float. If necessary, some sauce is discarded.
5. I cut the cheese into sticks, which I mix together and sprinkle over the casserole. Then everything is baked for about 20-30 minutes in the oven preheated to 180 ° C (top / bottom heat) until the cheese has run completely.

Complete

1. At the end I put the tray with the tomatoes in the oven again for one or two minutes so that the tomatoes are warmed up again. I sprinkle the casserole with some fresh chives and serve it with the tomatoes and z. B. with small new potatoes that I cooked in the oven with the asparagus gratin.