Gratin — 7 delicious homemade recipes

It means "to quickly bake a dish covered with sauce, usually under a hot grill... so that a light brown crust (gratin) forms on top; the dish can be sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese and dotted with small pieces of butter." In this one book of hers alone you'll find homemade gratin recipes from sweetbreads, from brains, from potatoes (the famous dauphinoise, with onion and anchovies, and ham, and sausage), from chicken, turkey and salmon, from leeks with pork, from chicory with smoked meats. There are dessert versions of this way of cooking lunches and dinners too.
Bechamel is the sauce most often used in gratins. It is very popular in France and Italy and is made from butter, flour and milk or cream. Besides salt, the essential spices are nutmeg and white pepper (which takes on new colors in this combination).
For meat gratins, the meat is first brought almost to doneness, then placed in a mold, layered with vegetables and sauce.
Vegetable gratins are most often cooked first in the oven, covered with a dressing (bechamel, milk, cream, broths, etc.) and foil. When ready, they are uncovered to develop a baked top and, if you like, a crunch.
Sweet gratin recipes use berries, fruit and nuts, with sabayon cream and airy meringue in place of cheese.