Gratin

Avocado gratin

Gratin is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter.^[1][2][3] Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish.^[1]

Terminology

The etymology of gratin is from the French language in which the word "gratter" meaning to "to scrape" as of the "scrapings" of bread or cheese, and gratiné, from the transitive verb form of the word for crust or skin.^[4][5] The technique predates the current name which did not appear in English until 1846 (OED, s.v. "gratin").

In addition to the well-known potato dishes such as gratin dauphinois, cooking au gratin is a widely used cooking technique in the preparation of numerous dishes including many meat, fish, vegetable and pasta dishes, fennel, leeks, crabmeat, celeriac and aubergines (eggplant).^[1][6]

Gratin dish refers to the shallow oven-proof container traditionally used to prepare gratins.

The term le gratin signifies the "upper crust" of Parisian society,^[7] and, as gratin, has since been borrowed into English.^[8]

Preparations

Gratin dauphinois

Potatoes gratiné

Potatoes gratiné is one of the most common of gratins and is known by various names including gratin dauphinois (see below). In North America, the dish is referred to variously as scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin or au gratin potatoes. (Note that the term scalloped originally referred to a style of seafood dish rather than to one specifically based on the scallop).^[9] In French-speaking Canada, the dish is referred to as pommes de terre au gratin. Australians refer to it as scalloped potatoes or potato bake.

Gratin dauphinois

The name gratin dauphinois refers to the Dauphiné region of France, where this method of preparing potatoes is a specialty. The ingredients composing a typical gratin dauphinois are thinly sliced and layered potatoes and cream cooked in a buttered dish rubbed with garlic.^[1] Eggs may sometimes be mixed with milk and cream.^[1] Gratin savoyard, a variation found in the neighbouring Savoie region, consists of alternating layers of sliced potatoes, Beaufort cheese, and bits of butter, with bouillon as the liquid.^[10][1]

Other preparations

Seafood

Sole au gratin is a raw fish style of gratin, which often is covered with a mushroom covering. Many fish based gratins use a white gratin sauce and cheese, and achieve browning quickly.^[3] A mussels based recipe, Cozze gratinate is found in Italy.

Vegetable

Gratin Languedocien is a preparation made with eggplant and tomato, covered in breadcrumbs and oil, then browned.^[3] This dish is similar to the Italian dish known as melanzane alla parmigiana. Other vegetables commonly used in gratin dishes include cauliflower,^[11] spinach,^[12] and butternut squash.^[13]

A gratin with potatoes, onions, and preserved fish is a traditional Swedish dish, where it is known as Janssons frestelse ("Jansson's Temptation") and is similar to a French dish of potatoes with anchovies.^[14]

The use of sauces, béchamel sauce and mornay sauce being the most widely used examples, is very common in the preparation of gratinéed vegetable dishes, as well as many other gratin dishes.^[15]

See also

• Lyonnaise potatoes

References

External links