Vegetable Gratin
By Pamela Lee, from the May 2000 Newsletter
I am
an admitted food nut who has to build extra shelves to house a burgeoning cookbook
collection, so I am much amused when an old-fashioned staple finds itself right
in step with the latest food trend. Last July, Fine Cooking magazine
ran an interesting article on Vegetable Gratins. Though I didn't make any of
their recipes, I was sufficiently intrigued to purchase a shallow ceramic oval
dish that I found at a good price. Equipped with this handsome vessel, I decided
to learn about gratins, only to find I'd already made (and eaten) quite a few,
under other, older names. Though roasted red peppers or Parmigiano reggiano
were not part of my Midwestern childhood fare, macaroni-and-cheese and scalloped
potatoes were. And it turns out that they are both gratins.
James Peterson, in his book, Vegetables, explains: "…gratins and casseroles are really the same except that gratin is the French name (literally means 'crust') and is usually baked in a traditional oval baking dish, whereas a lot of casseroles are baked in a simple glass baking dish."
The classic gratin pan is a heavy-bottomed, oval earthenware dish called a tian, but Pyrex baking pans or Corningware casserole dishes work very well. If you are feeding a crowd, a large, shallow roasting pan or a sheet pan at least an inch deep will hold a large gratin.
Vegetable gratins are made by baking vegetables in a bit of liquid, uncovered, in a shallow baking dish until the vegetables are sweetly roasted and the top turns crusty. These tasty casseroles are very forgiving dishes—one can invent and ad lib, using whatever vegetable is on hand. As with any dish, the fresher the ingredients, the better the result. But the long, slow, oven roasting of a gratin can improve the flavor of root vegetables that have been stored just a bit too long. Milk, broth, a savory white or tomato sauce, coconut milk, water, or even beer works for the baking liquid. Cheese can be used between layers of vegetables, on top the dish, or not at all. Breadcrumbs do make a crusty top, but the bread is not necessary at all. Proper oven roasting will provide the perfect crust.
Another quality of gratins that have pushed them to the top of my regular dish list is that they taste wonderful as leftovers. Like many soups, gratins may even taste better the second day—after the flavors have cooled and had a chance to meld and marry.
After baking and eating my way through recipes and inventions, I find I am in complete agreement with the Fine Cooking gratin author: "…the only way you can really ruin one of these is by undercooking it. The longer the gratin is in the oven, the more its flavors develop."
A gratin is done when it is well-browned and crusty, the vegetables have shrunk and are tender when pierced with a fork, and when everything has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, bubbling with a delicious aroma. As with many recipes, one is supposed to let the gratin sit 15 minutes before serving…. Perhaps you'll have better luck than I do at following those instructions.
This Roasted Pepper Gratin recipe has become a staple in my house. It is so elegantly delicious, especially when cooked until the ingredients really caramelize. It lends itself to variations. For instance: add chevre at the very end of baking; substitute fresh basil and chopped parsley instead of the thyme, and top with freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano. The leftovers are satisfying on their own, or are great when added to another dish. One night I sautéed sea scallops with olive oil and garlic, then added the chopped-up leftover Roasted Pepper Gratin. The combination was sumptuous! The original recipe had the shallots and tomatoes stuffed into halved shells of bell peppers. I prefer the vegetables served gratin-style, slicing the peppers into strips. Here is my adaptation of the original; I doubled the amounts of most of the vegetables. Bake in a 7"x11" oval tian, or a 6"x 10" Pyrex dish.
Roasted
Peppers with Shallots and Tomato Gratin
3 or 4 large sweet red peppers
2 1/2 - 3 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
2 cups shallots
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Cut red peppers in half lengthwise, removing and discarding the ribs, seeds, and stem. Cut peppers into lengthwise strips, about 1-inch wide. Cut tomatoes in half; slice the shallots in halves or quarters, depending on the size of the shallot.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter or oil the baking pan. In a heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. Add thyme, sugar, salt, and pepper; toss until well mixed. Remove from the heat and gently fold in tomatoes.
Arrange pepper slices across the bottom of the baking pan, or decoratively around the edges. Gently empty the skillet vegetables and cooking liquid into the baking pan and distribute evenly. Brush the top with the remaining olive oil.
Roast for 40-65 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, lightly browned, and the top is crusty and caramelized. Serve warm.
Gratin
Dauphinois
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 lbs. large red or white waxy potatoes
1 cup milk combined with 1 cup heavy cream, or 2 cups half-and-half
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated Swiss Gruyere cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter a gratin or baking dish. Crush the chopped garlic into a fine paste with the side of a chef's knife. Peel the potatoes and slice into 3/16-inch rounds. Don't wash the rounds-the starch on their surface helps thicken the gratin.
Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir the crushed garlic into the milk mixture. Arrange the potatoes in layers in the gratin dish, sprinkling each layer with cheese, the milk-and-cream mixture, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Save a fourth of the grated cheese for sprinkling over the top of the gratin.
Bake for about 1 hour or until the top of the gratin is golden brown and the potatoes are fork tender.
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