A Guide to the Perfect Gratin

Homemade gratins have many advantages; they’re easy to prepare, they allow you to speed through meal prep and they’re a great way to use up leftovers. Learn more about this versatile and indulgent dish that adapts to all seasons and occasions.

The Basics

First you have to choose the main ingredients that will make up the heart of the gratin. Potatoes, various vegetables, pasta or cooked rice; the base must be selected in such a way as to harmonize well with the cheese and the seasonings that will complement it.

Vegetables (asparagus, cauliflower, squash, leeks) bring a nice diversity of textures and flavours. Just cut them finely to make them easier to cook. As for starchy foods (potatoes, pasta, cooked rice, gnocchi), they give more consistency to the dish. Finally, the addition of proteins (fish, seafood, poultry, leftover meat) transforms the gratin into a complete and nourishing meal.

The Filling

The choice of filling will make all the difference here. A milk or cream-based one is a quick and easy solution. Béchamel, made with butter, flour and milk, is popular for its unctuous texture and neutral taste that goes well with a variety of ingredients. It also helps create that beautiful golden crust we love to break into with a fork.

Egg and milk or cream mixtures provide a slightly firmer texture, but it’s still melty. Tomato sauce, on the other hand, brings colour and a tangy flavour that balances a gratin.

Adding Flavours

Enhance your flavours by playing with aromatic ingredients, such as fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano) and spices (pepper, paprika, nutmeg). You can also add a touch of acidity with a squeeze of lemon juice or condiments such as mustard. The main thing is to add just enough to give character to the dish, without masking the main ingredients.

The Gratin Finish

While grated cheese remains the essential  ingredient for a tasty crust, you can also sprinkle the gratin with breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned) for a guaranteed crispiness. Mixing cheese with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil offers a particularly tasty result as well. Chopped walnuts and almonds will give your dish an original touch, texture and pleasant fragrance.

Cheeses to Choose for...

… A Golden, Crispy Crust

• Parmesan
• Gruyère
• Emmental
• Comté
• Cheddar

Firm or semi-soft cheeses are ideal: they melt without liquifying, allowing the surface of the gratin to brown evenly. 

… A Melting, Stringy Texture

• Mozzarella
• Provolone
• Fontina

These cheeses, which melt easily and stretch into long threads, enrich the flavour experience. They can be combined with other more pronounced cheeses to enhance the taste. A trick is to mix them with a firm cheese such as Parmesan (which gratins better) to have both textures.

… Intense Flavour

• Blue
• Roquefort
• Gorgonzola

Blue-veined cheeses melt into a creamy texture, but they don’t form an attractive gratin crust. That’s why we suggest mixing them with cheeses that go better such as Gruyère or Emmental, incorporating them into a béchamel sauce or adding a very small amount to the gratin at the end of cooking.

… Creaminess

• Brie
• Camembert
• Reblochon

Soft cheeses run rather than crisp up, but they give a creamy, melty texture that still delivers. To take full advantage of them and prevent them from burning, it is better to place the slices inside the gratin rather than on the surface.

Varieties that Melt, but Don’t Go Well

Fresh cheeses such as ricotta, cottage cheese and goat cheese soften, but they do not colour. Avoid adding them to the surface of the gratin and combine them with varieties that melt better.

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