Which sounds fancier: Potatoes—or au gratin potatoes? One is something you eat with bacon and sour cream in front of the TV, the other is something you order from a waiter wearing a waistcoat to go with your filet mignon.
Tacking a French phrase onto anything makes it sound 10x classier. That’s just a fact.
But is preparing something “au gratin” (pronounced "oh grat-an") something one can only do if they’ve been to culinary school?
What Does “Au Gratin” Mean?
Parmesan-Crusted Potato Gratin
Credit: Jennifer Causey
A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover’s Companion.
The term “au gratin” or “gratinée” just refers to anything prepared in that manner.
So, no, making a fancy schmancy-sounding dish like Baked Scallops Au Gratin doesn’t require any special set of skills. All it really takes is some breadcrumbs, butter, and an oven.
mr-Sheet Pan Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas Image
Credit: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
Scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes have a lot in common. The main thing that separates the starchy dishes is how dairy fits into the equation.
Scalloped potatoes are usually baked in a casserole dish with heavy cream, milk, and aromatic herbs.
Potatoes au gratin, meanwhile, rely on cheese for its signature creaminess—you’ll usually find lots of grated Cheddar sprinkled between each layer.
Of course, there are other differences: As a general rule of thumb, Potatoes au gratin is topped with breadcrumbs; meanwhile, scalloped potatoescaninvolve breadcrumbs, but the crunchy topper is less of an iconic signature of the dish.
Also, though both dishes call for potatoes cut into rounds, scalloped potato rounds are generally a bit thicker.
A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term au gratin
au gratin
Potatoes gratiné is one of the most common gratins and is known by various names, including "gratin potatoes" and "Gratin de pommes de terre." Slices of boiled potato are put in a buttered fireproof dish, sprinkled with cheese, and browned in the oven or under the grill (broiler).
The phrase au gratin literally means "by grating" in French, or "with a crust," from the verb gratter, "to scrape, scratch, or grate." Definitions of au gratin. adjective. cooked while covered with browned breadcrumbs (and sometimes cheese)
The difference comes down to cheese. Scalloped potato recipes are usually baked in a basic cream sauce until soft and tender, with no cheese topping. Potatoes au gratin are a bit more decadent. They are made with lots of cheese sprinkled in between the layers of potatoes and also on top of the casserole.
Gratis comes from the Latin word for "favor;" so in English a party favor is a small item given gratis to everyone attending a party. Gratis is used as both an adjective ("The drinks were gratis") and an adverb ("Drinks were served gratis").
A gratin is a dish containing vegetables or sometimes meat or fish. It is covered with cheese or cheese sauce and baked in the oven. ... fresh salmon with potato and cheese gratin.
Gratin dauphinois is a speciality of the Dauphiné region of France. The dish is typically made with thinly sliced and layered potatoes, and cream, cooked in a buttered dish rubbed with garlic. Some recipes add cheese and eggs. It is called potatoes au gratin in American English.
One serving of this creamy potato side dish will provide you with half your daily value of vitamin C, almost a quarter of your daily value of fiber, and some calcium and iron.
If you stored the sliced potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, but didn't drain them well and pat them dry before adding them to the baking dish, you may have added extra water to the dish. You could have also used the wrong kind of potato, as some waxy potatoes can release more water than starchier potatoes.
A gratin is a dish that is topped with cheese, or bread crumbs mixed with bits of butter, then heated in the oven or under the grill until brown and crisp. The terms au gratin or gratinée refer to any dish prepared in such a manner.
High heat will cause the milk to curdle. Use milk or cream with higher fat content. Whole milk, half-and-half, or cream and full-fat cheeses are necessary. Skim milk and reduced-fat products will not be your friend in this dish.
A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term au gratin or gratinée just refers to anything prepared in that manner.
This "gratin style potatoes" as North Americans call it has been a traditional French dish since the 18th century even though its origins date back to the 16th century and the appearance of the tuber in Europe.
Break 'au gratin' down into sounds: [OH] + [GRAT] + [AN] - say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them. Record yourself saying 'au gratin' in full sentences, then watch yourself and listen. You'll be able to mark your mistakes quite easily.
Le gratin. As cooks may already know, gratin is the generic French term for preparations (often involving vegetables and some sort of binding sauce) cooked in a baking dish in the oven until the surface browns and becomes crusty.
Potatoes dauphinoise, on the other hand, is named not after a person (or a sea mammal), but after the Dauphiné region itself where the local cuisine is known, among other things, for featuring a wide variety of gratin-style dishes.
Both are baked in the oven, but a gratin is a special form of a casserole. When cooking it, you will layer the ingredients instead of just adding them all together. In most cases, a gratin is also served as a side dish, not a main, and it has a signature crust that has to be, well, gratinated.
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