Potato-Fennel Gratin Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between scalloped and gratin potatoes? ›

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.

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

Ina Garten Is Ditching Mashed Potatoes for This 5-Ingredient, Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipe. The best part (well, besides all the cheese)? You can prep it a day in advance.

Why are they called funeral potatoes? Funeral potatoes get their unique name from being a crowd-pleasing casserole served as a side dish at after-funeral luncheons (particularly in the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).

Gratin (French: [ɡʁatɛ̃]) is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg or butter. The term may be applied to any dish made using this method.

You could use a mandoline slicer for this step, but I actually prefer to do it with a knife. Just be careful to slice the potatoes thinly and evenly so that they cook through at the same rate. Next, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium skillet, and then sprinkle in the flour and whisk to make a roux.

"It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape.

I don't recommend soaking the potatoes in water ahead of time for our potatoes au gratin (as some recipes call for). Soaking them will cause them to lose some of their starch, which helps to keep this dish creamy.

Some potatoes, like Yukon Gold, have more water in them. Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer. Try uncovering the dish in the oven for the last 10 minutes or so.

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.

Does Bobby Flay like ina garten? ›

The Pair Are Colleagues And Longtime Friends

Flay and Garten have been friends and colleagues for decades, so it's no surprise that Flay has such respect for her person and her cooking.

My scalloped potatoes are bland

They are also in need of serious seasoning to ensure deliciousness. Make sure your sauce is well-seasoned, but also, season each layer of potatoes with salt and pepper before adding the sauce, to make sure they are as flavorful as you want them!

Do I have to blanch my potatoes, to make scalloped potatoes ahead of time? A: The short answer I recommend is yes, almost always. If sliced and then placed into a pot of cold water, bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes till the slices have a rubbery consistency, this blanching will help stop the oxidation process.

Corey Williams is a food writer for MyRecipes and Allrecipes. She has a decade of journalism experience. If you're here, you'll probably be glad to know that yes, you can peel and cut potatoes the day before you plan to serve them — and that it's super easy!

1. : a brown crust formed on food that has been cooked au gratin. also : a dish so cooked. 2. : upper crust.

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.

While the precise origin is unknown, the name for scalloped potatoes is said to derive from an English word, collop, which means to slice thinly. On the other hand, historians have said the name comes from the type of dish it is served in such as the original, oysters with breadcrumbs.

A gratin dish is typically shallow and oval-shaped, with handles on each side for easy transport from the oven to the table. But it isn't your only option: "Even though a classic gratin dish is beautiful and useful, you can make a gratin in pretty much any dish that is ovenproof, such as glass, enamel, or earthenware.