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| :''This article refers to a widely-used culinary technique. For the potato dish cooked in this way, see ]'' | |||
| ⚫ | ] gratin]] | ||
| '''Gratin''' refers to a preparation of thinly sliced potatoes or another ingredient and a cream sauce topped with a crust of ] ] and butter often sprinkled with ].<ref>The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition definition from Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gratin</ref> A French gratin is prepared using a ] with the sliced ingredients covered with ] or ], topped with buttered breadcrumbs and/ or grated cheese. The dish is then baked or broiled to form a golden crust and then served in its baking dish. | |||
| The term gratin is adapted from ] and the name is from the ] word "gratter" meaning to "to scrape" as of the "scrapings" of bread or cheese. The technique predates the current name which did not appear in English until 1846 ('']'', ''s.v.'' "gratin"; the French pronunciation, rather than "aw gratt'n", remains standard in English. The ''gratin'' signified the "upper crust" of Parisian society. Cooking '''''au gratin''''' is a technique rather than exclusively a preparation of potatoes (which is specifically a ''gratin dauphinois''): anything that can be sliced thin, layered with a cream sauce and baked is material for a gratin: fennel, leeks, crabmeat, celeriac, aubergines. | |||
| ⚫ | ]), served in a gratin dish]] | ||
| Gratin is also used to refer to a ] dish or ] used to prepare gratins. The foods prepared in this way are referred to as gratiné, from the transitive verb form of the word for crust. | |||
| <ref>''Gratin'' from Epicurious.com's Food Dictionary http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/search?query=gratin</ref> | |||
| A '''''gratin''''' is a dish cooked so that a crust forms<ref name=LeGuide>''Le Guide Culinaire'' by Auguste Escoffier, translated by H L Cracknell and R J Kaufmann, published by John Wiley & Sons, 1979</ref><ref name=Saulnier>''Le Répertoire de La Cuisine'' by Louis Saulnier, translated by E Brunet, published by Barron's Educational Series, 2003</ref><ref name=OED2>The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, published by Oxford University Press, 1933</ref><ref name =COD>The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, published by Oxford University Press, 2006</ref><ref name=Webster>{{Cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratin |title=gratin |accessdate=27 December 2008 |work=Merriam-Webster OnLine |publisher=Merriam-Webster Online}}</ref>, usually by sprinkling on top breadcrumbs (and, sometimes, grated cheese) and dotting with butter prior to baking<ref name=LeGuide /><ref name=Saulnier />. | |||
| ==Potato gratin== | |||
| Potatoes gratiné is one of the most common of gratins and is known by various names. In North America, the dish is referred to as ''scalloped potatoes''. (Note that the term scalloped originally referred to a seafood dish rather than to a ]) <ref>Rombauer, Irma S. and Marion Rombauer Becker (1931 ) ''The Joy of Cooking'', p 369. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill. ISBN 0-452-25665-8.</ref>. In French-speaking Canada, the dish is referred to as ''pommes de terre au gratin''. Australians often refer to it simply as a ''potato bake''. The dish may also be known as ''gratin dauphinois'', ''pommes de terre dauphinoises'' or ''potatoes dauphinoises''. | |||
| Alternative descriptions are ''au gratin'', ''gratiné'' (masculine) and ''gratinée'' (feminine), all being French adjectives used in English<ref name=COD />. | |||
| Potatoes and onions au gratin with anchovies are as traditional in Swedish cuisine as they are in French,<ref>Julia Child, ''Mastering the Art of French Cooking'' I, 1961:154f "Gratin de pommes de terre aux anchois"</ref> where the dish is known as ]. | |||
| The words are from the French ''gratter'' (earlier ''grater''), meaning "to grate"<ref name=OED2 /><ref name=COD /><ref>The Collins Robert French-English English-French Dictionary, Second Edition, published by HarperCollins, 1987</ref>, or "to scratch"<ref name=Webster />. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ] | |||
| The dish is often served in the container in which it was baked, called a "gratin pan" or "gratin dish"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/search?query=gratin |title=gratin; gratinée |accessdate=27 December 2008 |work=Epicurious Food Dictionary |publisher=Condé Nast |date=}}</ref>. | |||
| The name ''gratin dauphinois'' refers to the ] 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, milk (and/or cream or creme fraiche), cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Eggs may sometimes be mixed with the milk/cream. ''Gratin savoyard'' is a variation found in the neighbouring region. Unlike ''gratin dauphinois'', it is made without milk, cream or eggs. Instead, it consists of alternating layers of sliced potatoes and ] with bits of butter, and ] is poured over before baking.<ref>''Larousse Gastronomique'' (2001)</ref> | |||
| ==Alternative meaning== | |||
| The word "gratin" has been used to mean "upper crust" in the sense of the highest circle of the upper class<ref name=Webster />. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| ⚫ | * '']'' | ||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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Revision as of 08:39, 27 December 2008
- This article refers to a widely-used culinary technique. For the potato dish cooked in this way, see gratin dauphinois
A gratin is a dish cooked so that a crust forms, usually by sprinkling on top breadcrumbs (and, sometimes, grated cheese) and dotting with butter prior to baking.
Alternative descriptions are au gratin, gratiné (masculine) and gratinée (feminine), all being French adjectives used in English.
The words are from the French gratter (earlier grater), meaning "to grate", or "to scratch".
The dish is often served in the container in which it was baked, called a "gratin pan" or "gratin dish".
Alternative meaning
The word "gratin" has been used to mean "upper crust" in the sense of the highest circle of the upper class.
See also
References
- ^ Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier, translated by H L Cracknell and R J Kaufmann, published by John Wiley & Sons, 1979
- ^ Le Répertoire de La Cuisine by Louis Saulnier, translated by E Brunet, published by Barron's Educational Series, 2003
- ^ The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, published by Oxford University Press, 1933
- ^ The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, published by Oxford University Press, 2006
- ^ "gratin". Merriam-Webster OnLine. Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
- The Collins Robert French-English English-French Dictionary, Second Edition, published by HarperCollins, 1987
- "gratin; gratinée". Epicurious Food Dictionary. Condé Nast. Retrieved 27 December 2008.