Contrary to popular belief, gratin is not a specific dish, but rather a special cooking method. It is believed that for the first time using the o-gratin method, potatoes were cooked.
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What is gratin?
The word "gratin" from French translates as "baked" or "casserole." This method involves baking dishes to a delicious crisp. It is noteworthy that it can be prepared from both sweet and unsweetened ingredients. In the case of the former, the composition must necessarily include heavy cream and butter, and cheese is usually added to unsweetened dishes.
The French consider the classic, "source" version of this dish, gratin dofinua (gratin dofinua) - baked potato with fat cream and cheese. However, now au gratin dishes are prepared from a wide variety of ingredients: poultry, fish, vegetables, cereals, berries and fruits. Invariably, one is a golden brown.
Dish history
Gratin, and in particular - gratin dofinua, was born thanks to the work of French culinary specialists. The modern name of the dish comes from the name of the area in the south-east of France - Dauphiné. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the first mention of gratin in the history of French cuisine dates back to this part of the country. In 1788, one of the supreme rulers, Dauphine, ordered that a dinner for city employees of the Gap County be sure to have a dish of potatoes prepared using the o-gratin method.
The decree of the authorities was justified by the threat of global hunger of the population associated with the approaching French Revolution. The rulers of France understood that it was urgent to find a product that in small quantities could satisfy the physiological need for food. Potatoes at that time for decades existed on the territory of the country, in some places it was even grown. But most of the population treated this strange earthen tuber ambiguously, sometimes even dismissively.
A special role in the dislike of the plant was played by the fact that many people were poisoned because of its terrestrial fruits. Uninformed citizens did not know that only tubers should be eaten, and the top contains a large amount of solanine, an extremely toxic and poisonous substance that causes digestive upsets, nausea, vomiting, disorientation in space, and in severe cases, death. The task of scientists of that time was to educate the population about the rules of germination and eating the product.
Representatives of the royal families and noble rulers began by all means to promote the cultivation of potatoes and its inclusion in the diet. Many scientists and botanists of the 18th century wrote treatises on the benefits and nutritional value of this product, on its unsurpassed ability to satisfy hunger. The heiress to the throne, Marie Antoinette, went even further - she began to weave potato flowers into her hair to show that potatoes are not only satisfying and tasty, but also fashionable.
Thus, gratin, like the rest of the potato dishes, was initially aimed at the poorest sections of society, so that they simply would not die of hunger in the most difficult part of history. Since the end of the French Revolution, gratin was most often found in various bistros and eateries. Gradually, step by step, gratin gained such popularity that the menu of the most elite restaurants in France can no longer do without it, and the recipe itself has scattered around the world.
Classic Gratin Recipe
According to experienced French chefs, gratin dofinua should be prepared from old rather than young potatoes. In the first, there are many times more starch, which is necessary for the preparation of this dish, because the creamy sauce thickens precisely thanks to it. In addition, in no case should not be neglected the main spice - nutmeg, and it is very desirable that it be freshly grated.
Ingredients for making Gratin Dofinua:
- late ripe potatoes - 0.5 kg;
- fat cream (35%) - 70 g;
- milk 3.2% - 200 ml;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- nutmeg - a pinch;
- salt, black pepper - to taste;
- butter - to lubricate the mold;
- Parmesan - to taste.
How to cook
- Peel the potatoes and rinse them thoroughly. Dry with paper towels.
- Cut the tubers into very thin circles - a maximum of 3-4 mm. It is advisable to use a vegetable peeler for this purpose, because manually thin slices will have to be cut for more than one hour, and they will not work out so even anyway. Be careful, at this stage, in no case should you soak the mugs and rinse them so as not to wash the starch that is valuable to us.
- In a small saucepan, combine milk, cream and a large pinch of nutmeg. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes under the lid.
- Take care of chopped potatoes at this time. Lubricate the glass mold liberally with butter, lay out the first layer of potatoes. Spread on it a little chopped garlic, salt. Do this with each new layer of potato until it runs out.
- Pour the potatoes with cream sauce. Cover the mold with foil and place in the oven, preheated to 170 degrees, for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, remove the foil from the mold, put on the surface of the dish several small pieces of butter and lightly sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake another 15-20 minutes until a delicious crust forms.
- Before serving, check the readiness of the potatoes with a knife - the inner layers of the dish should not crunch when cut.
- Serve a delicious French dish hot, garnished with fresh herbs if desired.
Other O-Gratin recipes
Chicken gratin with vegetables
Ingredients
- chicken fillet - 0.5 kg;
- zucchini - 1 pc;
- leeks - 70 g;
- dried Provence herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil) - a pinch;
- nutmeg - a pinch.
- grated cheese - 100 g;
- salt, black pepper - to taste.
How to cook
- Rinse the chicken fillet and chop it into minced meat using a blender or meat grinder, salt and pepper.
- Wash the zucchini and cut into circles. If the vegetable is young, then the peel does not need to be removed.
- Lubricate the mold with oil, put the minced meat on the bottom. Sprinkle leek with rings and sprinkle with Provencal herbs. Top with zucchini sliced into rings, salt it and sprinkle with grated cheese and season with nutmeg.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
Apple gratin
Ingredients
- apples - 1 kg;
- brown sugar - 70 g;
- walnuts - 50 g;
- butter - 50 g;
- cream (22% - 35%) - 200 ml;
- cinnamon, nutmeg - a pinch.
How to cook
- Peel the apples, remove the core and grate on a coarse grater. If the apples are sour, sweeten them with sugar.
- Grind nuts with a blender or in a bag, rolling them well with a rolling pin. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and cream.
- Lubricate the mold with butter. Put grated apples in a thin layer, pour cream with walnut. Sprinkle generously with sugar, preferably brown.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 190 degrees until the surface of the dish is browned.
- Baked apple gratin needs to be completely cooled to room temperature, because the branded crust will appear only after cooling.