The Gratin
- There is something immensely satisfying about a gratin, a dish that has been baked at a very high temperature or grilled to acquire a crisp golden-brown crust but is soft and creamy inside. A gratin may be made with raw or cooked food and its crust is generally helped along by a topping of breadcrumbs or grated cheese, Parmesan in particular, and moistened with melted butter.
- Gratins are meant to be served in the dishes in which they are cooked. Really these dishes should be made of materials that can be used under the grill as well as the oven: copper, porcelain, earthenware or cast iron. Above all else a gratin dish must be shallow so that every serving has plenty of the crusty top - many gratin dishes have sloped sides for this very reason. Some gratin dishes can be used over direct heat which is useful for initial stages in the preparation of certain recipes. Sizes range from dishes suitable for individual servings up to those able to hold large joints of meat.
TO RINSE OR NOT TO RINSE
- The potato gratin is a versatile feast that can seem so different just by the cut of the potato. Wafer-thin to 1/2-inch thick slices, shreds, julienne and dice of varying thickness: all give different textured results. The versatility of a potato gratin knows no bounds and it can range from a modest dish cooked in water to the ultimate luxury of the Dauphinois which is cooked in butter and double cream.
- The potato's ability to absorb flavors makes the gratin the perfect vehicle for making a little of something luxurious or hard to come by go a long way. For example, a few wild mushrooms or a slice of truffle 'multiply' in a potato gratin.
- A vexed question, though, about the potato gratin is whether or not to rinse the raw potatoes of surface starch. Top chefs appear to be divided; some favor un-rinsed floury potatoes when the starch acts as a binding agent while others favor the lighter texture of rinsed waxy potatoes.
GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
- There are numerous 'definitive' recipes for this, the ultimate potato gratin. Some cooked theirs with cheese and eggs; other denies the use of either hut is controversial in using 4 cloves of garlic. Scalded milk as opposed to cream is another contentious point: once a chef suggests that the correct measure is 1/2 pint (275 ml) of thick cream to 11/z lb (700 g) potatoes but that the proportion of cream may he slightly diminished as the quantity of potatoes is increased. It is also important only to fill the dish to approximately 3 in (1.5 cm) from the top. A mandoline is the best implement for cutting the consistently wafer-thin slices necessary for a Dauphinois.
- Quantities given for these recipes are approximate; it is a dish that brings out the greed in the most reticent eater. It also depends whether the Dauphinois is to be served as an hors d'oeuvre with a salad as a 'light' meal or as an accompaniment to roast meat. It is very rich and filling.
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