Whether savoury or sweet, a gratin is great on a cold autumn day.
I am enjoying this damp autumn. Returning from a wet and chilly walk along the beach with the dogs last weekend, I released from the oven a tummy-warming potato gratin. Before leaving the house I had put it in to cook alongside a roast rib of beef seasoned with salt, pepper and mustard.
There is something about a walk in the autumn air that seems to bring on a whole new level of hunger. The smell of a gratin cooking can drive you to distraction, which is why I suggest leaving the house for the hour it takes to bake. This way you have something to look forward to on your return.
For the best results, use a proper oval gratin dish with shaped handles. It needs to be shallow enough to allow an even spread of heat from the base up and around the sides and an even evaporation of sauce so that a crispy golden crust forms – and the crust really is the best part.
I cook both savoury and sweet gratins. Large florets of blanched cauliflower cooked under a blanket of a velvety cheese sauce and given a touch of intrigue by the addition of a couple of anchovies make a gratin that is a good accompaniment to a rich, old-fashioned casserole.
Most fruit will work for a dessert gratin: oranges, plums and blueberries can be used fresh, but I have also cooked rhubarb or poached a few gooseberries before pouring the sweet egg sabayon over the top. Egg gratins cook quickly under the grill, so need to be watched closely as the colour changes to a rich golden brown.
With so many variations available, gratins are easy to get right and they make a glorious treat. This dish, rich with butter and cream, is just the thing for a winter supper or an elegant Saturday-night-with-friends occasion. Serve it with a green salad. Herbes de provence, a robust blend of bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and savory, is generally available as prepared mix.
Gratin of Rabbit and Fennel
4 saddles of rabbit
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of herbes de provence
grated zest of 1 orange
the Sauce
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp chives, chopped
250g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tbsp cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
If you have bought whole rabbits, remove the legs and trim the saddles. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut down either side of the backbone and lift off the 2 fillets. Trim off the membranes by sliding the tip of a sharp knife under them and running it down the length of the fillet. Freeze the legs for future use. Cut the fennel bulbs into eighths, top to bottom. Heat the butter in the frying pan until it is foaming, then add the fillets, seasoning generously with salt, pepper and the herbes de -provence. After 5 minutes, remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside, then add the fennel slices and orange zest to the pan. Cook until the fennel softens – about 3-4 minutes – season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl. Slice the rabbit into long diagonal strips, mix lightly with the fennel and keep it warm.
To make the sauce, put the yolks, lemon juice, vinegar and chives into a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the ingredients, and as the mixture warms, begin to add small amounts of butter. When all the butter has been added, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.
Preheat the grill and place the warm rabbit and fennel mixture in a shallow serving dish. Ladle the sauce over the top and slide the dish under the grill. Cook until golden brown – this happens quickly – then serve hot.
Feeds 4.
There is nothing in this simple dish to detract from the natural beauty of the fruit. The last of the blood oranges are still around, and their delicate flavour of raspberries and orange ensures a delicious dessert. Substitute navel oranges, berryfruits or poached quinces if you wish.
Blood Orange Gratin
4 blood oranges
6 egg yolks
6 tbsp caster sugar
icing sugar to dust
Remove the peel and pith from the oranges and cut each into 4 or 5 thin slices. Do this over a bowl so that you capture all the juice. Choose a shallow, heat-resistant dish that will double as a serving dish, and arrange the orange slices over the bottom. Preheat the grill until very hot. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with a whisk. Add a couple of tablespoons of orange juice and continue to beat until it is thick and creamy – about 5-10 minutes. Pour this sauce over the oranges, place the dish under the grill and cook until golden brown – this -usually happens quickly. Serve dusted with a little icing sugar.
Serves 4.
This seemingly rustic dish, known to some as potatoes dauphinoise, has many imitators. Some of the recipes start out with the potatoes in the saucepan with the milk and cream. They are then roughly tipped into an ovenproof dish to be quickly and unceremoniously baked. Making the dish this way shows a failure to understand the simple beauty that is gratin. You will need a big glass of chardonnay to go with this.
Gratin Potatoes
1kg potatoes – a waxy type like Desiree
150ml milk
150ml cream
2 garlic cloves
2 sprigs thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line an 8cm square baking tin or a shallow ovenproof dish with greaseproof paper. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices 2mm thick. In a saucepan heat the milk and cream. Chop the garlic and add to the saucepan with the thyme and salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes in the dish, overlapping the slices and lightly seasoning each layer. About halfway through the process, pour over half the heated milk mixture, then continue layering with the remaining slices. Once completed, pour the remaining -half of the liquid mix over the potatoes, -sprinkle liberally with the parmesan cheese, then bake in the oven until the potatoes are tender and the top golden brown – about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and serve it straight from the dish.