What makes a gratin a gratin?

What makes a gratin a gratin?

A gratin is always baked and/or broiled in a shallow dish. The topping is traditionally cheese or breadcrumbs, and they should get crispy under the broiler. “Gratin” is derived from the French verb gratiner—to broil. Gratter (to scratch or scrape) is a close verb, and definitely suggestive of a gratin’s crispy crust.

What is the difference between au gratin and gratin?

The most common difference is that scalloped potatoes are cooked in cream and au gratin potatoes are baked with cheese. These Au Gratin potatoes are covered with a cheese sauce and shredded cheese on top and baked in the oven.

What is le gratin?

Gratin (French pronunciation: ​[ɡʁatɛ̃]) is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg or butter. Gratin is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind.

Which is better au gratin or scalloped potatoes?

The difference comes down to cheese. Scalloped potatoes are much simpler. Most recipes call for the potatoes to be baked in a basic cream sauce (usually a mix of milk and heavy cream), and that’s it. Potatoes au gratin are a bit more decadent.

Does gratin mean cheese?

The word gratin actually derives from the french word grater or gratter, meaning “to grate.” It would be tempting, then, to think that gratin refers to grated cheese. There are those who insist, then, that gratin always refers to a topping of breadcrumbs and/or cheese that is browned and crisped, forming a nice crust.

Why is it called gratin dauphinois?

Gratin dauphinois is a French dish of sliced potatoes baked in milk or cream, using the gratin technique, from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France. There are many variants of the name of the dish, including pommes de terre dauphinoise, potatoes à la dauphinoise and gratin de pommes à la dauphinoise.

How to make pommes Dauphinoise in the oven?

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×13 inch oven-proof dish and set aside. Heat the cream, milk, garlic, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced slightly. Turn off the heat.

How do you make a gratin dauphinois with potatoes?

Season again and repeat the process until you have use all of the sliced potatoes. when finished pour all the cream over making sure the cream just about cover the top of potatoes layers. (you can also pour the cream mix bits a time between each layer.

What kind of cheese is in a gratin dauphinois?

It consists of sliced potatoes that are baked in milk or cream, in a buttered dish. While my recipe calls for (two kinds of) cheese, purists often insist that a true Gratin Dauphinois must not include cheese.

What kind of potatoes are used in Pommes Dauphinoise?

This is a real “stick to the ribs” kind of potato side dish. For this French classic, you should use a multi-purpose kind of potato that is not too floury or too waxy. The starchiness of the potato slices helps bind the layers together creating a gratin that holds its shape when served.