What Is Potato Gratin?
Potato Gratin is a comfort food brought to us from France, but found in other cultures under different names. It may not be the perfect diet food, but it does taste like home. It is a baked potato dish, usually served as an accompaniment to a meat dish.
Definition
Gratin is a French term for the crust formed by butter breadcrumbs over a baked dish. Potatoes gratinée include cheese in the gratin. The recipe is known in America as scalloped potatoes.
Ingredients
Potato Gratin varies slightly by region, however the basic preparations involves thinly sliced potatoes layered in a pan with milk or heavy cream and topped with butter, breadcrumbs and cheese.
Variations
Some potato gratin recipes include egg, which is whisked with hot milk then poured over the potatoes before baking. Others call for thinly sliced fennel, leeks or onions alongside the potatoes, and of course a wide variety of cheese can be used in potato gratin, from Gruyere to Parmesan.
Nutritional Information
Homemade potato gratin contains approximately 323 calories per serving (1 cup), of which 167 calories are from fat. That is 29 percent of your daily value of total fat and 19 percent of your daily value of cholesterol.
Sample Recipe
Slice 2 lbs. potatoes thinly. Butter a baking dish and layer the potatoes, adding salt and pepper to each layer. Add nutmeg and garlic to the top layer, then pour on 1 1/2 cups whipping cream and 1/4 cup milk. Top with dots of butter and cheese of your choice. Bake at 400 F for 45 minutes.
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