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1
Heat the oven to 180 °C. In a bowl, crack the 12 eggs and whisk them with the crème fraîche, thyme, marjoram and chives until fully combined and lightly aerated. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be uniform and fragrant with fresh herbs.
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2
Fold the 1 cm Fontina cubes evenly through the egg mixture. They must be distributed throughout rather than gathered in one area — this is what creates molten pockets across the entire cross-section.
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3
Place a well-seasoned iron pan of appropriate diameter over medium heat. Add the clarified butter and allow it to melt and coat the base and lower sides fully without colouring.
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4
Pour the egg mixture into the pan in a single motion. Cook over medium heat without stirring for 5–7 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the frittata must be at least 2.5 cm deep in the pan, and the stove phase must run until the edges are clearly set and pulling away and the bottom is firm when the pan is tilted — the centre will still be liquid. A pan too wide or a heat too high will produce a thin, dry result from which the dish cannot recover.
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5
Transfer the pan to the 180 °C oven. Bake for 5–8 minutes until the top is puffed and barely golden and the centre retains a slight jiggle when the pan is moved. The frittata will continue to set off the heat; it must not be allowed to colour deeply or stiffen fully in the oven.
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6
Remove from the oven and rest in the pan for 3 minutes without cutting. The steam held within the frittata redistributes during this period; slicing before it has rested releases that steam and the frittata collapses. At rest, the interior should be set but creamy and the Fontina pockets firm to a pleasant chew.