Georges Auguste Escoffier on Gratins---

From his book, Le Guide Culinaire 1903

2182 The Gratins

This operation holds a sufficiently important place in culinary practice for an explanation to be given and if not the complete theory of it, at least the broad outlines.

The various kinds of gratins which come under this heading are:
1) the Complete Gratin
2) the Quick Gratin
3) the Light Gratin
4) Glazings; which are a form of the Quick Gratin.

The Complete Gratin: This is the original form of the method and the one that takes the longest. It is the most painstaking because firstly, the main ingredient whatever it is, is always raw and has to undergo a complete process of cooking. Secondly, the process of cooking has to keep in step with the reduction of the sauce which is the agent of the gratin and thirdly, the cooking and reduction of the sauce has to keep in step with the formation of the crust on the surface which is the actual gratin; this is brought about by the combination of the sauce, breadcrumbs and butter under the direct action of the heat.

To obtain this triple result, the item under preparation has to be submitted to a degree of heat in keeping with its nature and size.

The basis of a Complete Gratin is Sauce Duxelles—either meat or meatless according to circumstances. The food to be gratinated is laid in a dish which has been buttered and coated with a few tablespoons of the sauce then surrounded with slices of raw mushroom and a few whole cooked mushrooms placed on top. A little white wine is added, the whole is coated with more of the same sauce, then sprinkled with dry white breadcrumbs and melted butter. It should then be placed in the oven at the required temperature, and in accordance with the following observations:

1) The larger the item being cooked, the more sauce must be used and inversely, less sauce the smaller the item of food.

2.) When preparing Complete Gratins remember that if more sauce is used than necessary the food will be cooked and the gratin formed before the sauce has reached the right degree of reduction; it will then be necessary to continue reduction on top of the stove thus creating steam which will soften the crust of the gratin.

3.) If insufficient sauce is used it will have reduced too much before the food is cooked; more sauce will then have to he added thus destroying the evenness of the gratin.

4.) Finally, remember that the larger the item of food, the more moderate the temperature of the oven; on the other hand, the smaller it is, the hotter the oven.

When the dish is brought from the oven a few drops of lemon juice should he squeezed on top and a little chopped parsley sprinkled over.

The Quick Gratin.- This is the same as the Complete Gratin except that the main ingredient, be it meat, fish or vegetable is always cooked and reheated in advance so that all that is necessary is to bring about the formation of the gratin in the shortest
space of time.

The food only needs therefore to be covered with just sufficient sauce to completely cover it, sprinkled with dry white breadcrumbs and melted butter and placed in a very hot oven to finish like a complete Gratin.

The Light Gratin: This is applicable mainly to farinaceous foods such as macaroni, lasagnas, noodles and gnocchi and is formed by a combination of grated cheese, dry white breadcrumbs and butter. Here again the ultimate objective is the formation of a gratinated coating, uniform in colour and resulting from the melting of the cheese; for this a moderate heat is sufficient.

In this category of gratins can be included those which finalize the preparation of stuffed vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant and cucumber. In this case the gratin consists of the dry white breadcrumbs sprinkled with butter or oil; the item of food is then placed under either a fairly hot or moderate heat according to whether the vegetables are fully cooked, partly cooked or if they arc absolutely raw.

Glazings: There are two kinds of glazings—one produced by a sauce which has been well buttered, the other results from cheese sprinkled on top of a
sauce covering the food.

In the first kind it is essential to put the dish holding the food into another receptacle containing a little water which prevents the breakdown of the sauce by stopping it from boiling. The more plentifully buttered the sauce is, the greater the heat it must he placed under so that the glazing is almost instantaneous thus giving a light brown coating.

In the second kind, Sauce Mornay is used; the item of food is coated with the sauce, then sprinkled with grated cheese and melted butter. Finally, the dish is placed in a very hot oven or under the salamander so that a light brown crust is quickly formed from combination of the cheese and butter.