Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Gratins



Gratins are part of the Haitian meal and is one of the legacies that the French have left behind.  One gratin that reign supreme is the famous "Macaroni Gratinée" that you find on every table.  We have selected some delicious gratins which can be made with Béchamel sauce or without by the simple removal of the sauce and just sprinkling cheese on top of your vegetable or roots before placing it in the oven.  Regardless of your chosen it will be no other than a scrumptious bite!

Bechamel Sauce

Servings: Makes 1 quart 

Ingredients: 


1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup  of flour2 cups milk 1small onion studded with 2 Or 3 cloves, optional 1 small bay leaf dash dried leaf thyme, crumbled salt and white pepper to taste nutmeg, to taste 


In a medium heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. When butter starts to foam, add the flour 
all at once, mixing well with a wooden spoon. cook over low heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly to incorporate and cook flour. Remove pan from heat and let stand, up to 15 minutes. 



Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, scald milk (heating it until just below boiling point).



Return saucepan with roux to medium-low heat. Add all of the scalded milk at once (to avoid the formation of lumps). Simmer, stirring gently with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Add studded onion, bay leaf and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring, over low heat, 15 to 20 minutes, until smooth and thickened. 


Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer. Add salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. 


Makes about 2 cups.  This sauce is used as a base for most gratin. 


Macaroni Gratinée

Ingredients

One box of Macaroni (Penne or Rigatoni )
Salt
Garlic
1tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsps of butter
2 tbsps of flour
1 chicken bouillon
2 cups of evaporated milk
1/2 cup of heavy cream (optional)
onions, green bell peppers (optional)
2 cups of grated Edam cheese mix with parmesan

Instructions

Boil your pasta in salted water until tender.  

Meanwhile, prepare a bechamel sauce by placing a saucepan on the stove with the butter over medium heat. Add your onions and stir until translucent, add the chicken bouillon.  Add your flour to the mixture, stir the mixture to avoid lump and gradually add the milk and cream.  Whisk your mixture thoroughly without stopping add a bit of water if necessary or additional milk.  

Add the bell peppers if you have decided to add the peppers, 1 cup of cheese and chunk of ham meat if you want to at that time.  

The pasta should be cooked, drain the pasta and add it to your creamy mixture and season to taste and stir.  Remove from fire and butter a pyrex pan and add the macaroni mixture which you will generously sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cut a  few pieces of butter and sporatically place it on top of the macaroni and bake in the oven at 350 F.

Note
This recipe can be made with the addition of small cubes of ham or ground beef.

Eggplant Gratin without Bechamel

(4 people) 

Ingredients 


4 eggplants
150 g of parmesan cheese
100 g of tomato paste
200 g tablespoon of tomato sauce
300 g grated cheese (gruyere or other)
2 shallots
2 garlic clove
olive oil
parsley

thyme
1 chicken cube (optional)

Instruction 


Peel the eggplants cut them into several pieces and boil in salt water or steam. 


When cooked, drain the eggplant from its water and finely mash the eggplants.

In a sautepan,  add the olive oil, finely crushed garlic and shallots. After 5 minutes add the tomato paste and sauce, chicken cube and parmesan.

Pour into a baking dish and add a layer of grated cheese. Bake until nicely browned, then serve hot.


Variation


That same recipe can be used by adding cooked ground meat at the button of the baking dish and the eggplant on top with cheese and bake.


Chayote (Mirliton) Gratin with codfish


Ingredients

4 Chayote
500 g of Salted Cod Fish without bones
1 oignon
2 garlic clove
bay leaf
30g of butter
15 cl of milk
pepper
breadcrumb
1-1/2 cup of cheese
salt
pepper
parsley

Place the codfish in a bowl and cover with water for 6 hours to desalt or overnight, you will have to change the water several times.

When ready, drain the codfish from the water it was resting in to place it in a saucepan with cold water and the bay leaf and boil.

It should cook for about 15 minutes.  Remove it from the stove and discard all skins or bones. Cut the codfish into small pieces with a wooden spoon and set aside.

wash the Chayote, peel, cut them into four pieces and remove the heart and place in a pot in cold water and salt and cook.

Once the chayotes are cooked, removed them from the fire and mash them and set aside.

In a sauce pan add the butter, crushed garlic and diced onions until translucent.  Next add teh codfish and sautee the fish for 5 minutes and than add the chayote mixture and stir.

Add the milk and half of the cheeze with chopped parsley and diced green bell pepper and allow the mixture to cook until all the water has evaporated.

Meanwhile grease a Pyrex in which you will add the mixture covered with cheeze, breadcrumbs and dots of butter and bake in the overn at 350 degree.

Notes:
The codfish can be replaced by shrimp



Breadfruit Gratin


Ingredients 

1 breadfruit (half enough for 4 people)
2 cloves of garlic
2 cups of grated cheese (edam, gruyere or parmesan or a mix)
Butter
Salt and pepper 
1 red and green bell peppers diced
parsley, diced
2 scallions diced
1 can of evaporated milk
1 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoon of Flour
1 onion diced
A little nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

Peel and cut the bread fruit into small cubes, remove the heart and boil in salt water about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare a bechamel sauce with the milk, heavy cream, sugar and half of the cheese.  

Once cooked , mash your fruit bread and add the pepper, onions and stir in gradually the bechamel sauce by beating the mixture vigorously to avoid lump and to have a smooth mixture.  add the herbs, salt, pepper a little bit more of grated cheese .

Place everything in a dish that supports baking and sprinkle the rest of the pack of grated cheese on top. Sprinkle a little milk, butter and bake.

bake in oven at 350 

Blends easily with all meat.

Gratin Dauphinois



Ingredients:
2 pounds of potatoes
1 clove garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheese
Béchamel Sauce
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick. Place in cold water. Drain when ready to use add them on a pot of salted water and the clove of garlic and cook for 10 minutes they should still be crunchy.
2) Rub the baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter.
3) Drain the potatoes and dry them in a towel. Spread them in the  baking dish in several layers and add the salt, pepper, on top and the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top, dots of butter and place in the preheated oven.
4)  Bake for several minutes, until the top is a golden brown.

Hachis Parmentier

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef 
2 onions 
2 garlic cloves
1 green and bell pepper diced
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 bunch of parsley 
1 chicken bouillion cube
olive oil 
Thyme
1 pound of potato to puree
50g of grated cheese
75g of butter
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
salt
pepper
nutmeg


For the mince, in a saucepan add the olive oil, garlic and onions, when transluscent add the tomato paste and sauce cook for 2 minutes and add the chicken bouillon, meat, thyme, chopped parsley and cover to cook by stirring the mixture to prevent lump.

Meanwhile, peel and cook the potatoes in salted water with the addition of 1 clove of garlic.  When cooked remove from heat and add milk and cream with a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of nutmeg and mash finely. 


For the upper crust, place a layer of mashed potato at the bottom of a buttered dish, then the layers of mince and mashed. Finish with grated cheese at 350 degrees.

Variation

The same recipe can be used as the classic parmetier instead of using potato one uses cornmeal which has been cooked firmly.

Corn Gratin





Plantain Gratin


(for 4 people)
Ingredients

7 not too ripe plantains
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
green onions ( scallions)
For the béchamel :
3/4 of a liter of milk
chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons flour
50 g of butter
100 g grated cheese

Instructions
Cut the bananas in half crosswise and boil in salted water for 5 minutes ( Bananas should be firm but tender).

Sauté finely chopped onion and crushed garlic in the butter until the blonde color, add chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Add in the flour and mix immediately.

Off the heat, add the milk gradually . Bring to a boil , stirring constantly . The sauce will thicken . Add half the grated cheese at the end of cooking. Butter a baking dish , spread a layer of sauce, place a layer of sliced ​​bananas beforehand and fill the pan and ending with the sauce.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese , brown in the oven.

Notes:
This gratin is to serve hot as an accompaniment to meats such as leg of lamb, goat, or pork. 

Rolled stuffed plantain

Ingredients

2 yellow plantains (or green)
100g minced pork (or beef)
1 small green and red bell peppers
onions
thyme
parsley
1 egg
3 Tbsp coconut milk
2 scallions
salt
pepper
2 tablespoon of olive oil
banana leaves (optional)

Instructions

For the mince, in a saucepan add the olive oil, garlic and onions, when transluscent add the tomato paste and sauce cook for 2 minutes and add the chicken bouillon, meat, thyme, chopped parsley and cover to cook by stirring the mixture to prevent lump.

Cut the plantain into 2 length. Remove the flesh with a spoon, being careful not to damage the skin. Grate the flesh in a bowl. Add the whole egg , cooked ground meat , chopped parsley and coconut milk.  Season with salt and pepper and mix. 

Fill half shells with the stuffing and wrap them in banana leaves (previously softened by passing over a flame ) or parchment paper. Close the ends with toothpicks. Bake with steam for 45 minutes.

Serve in slices , using toothpicks that were used to close packages .

Carrot Gratin in cream

Ingredients

200 g of carrots
parsley
Bechamel Sauce
cheese
salt

Instructions

Wash, peel and cut the carrots into slices.

Wash and chop the herbs.

Cook the sliced ​​carrots steamed.

Mix the carrots with the bechamel sauce.  Add the chopped herbs.

In a mini casserole, arrange the sliced ​​carrots, add the above preparation covered with cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Cautiflower Gratin

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower 



  • A background of homemade vegetable soup
  • A background of single cream
  • 1/2 tray of bacon
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups of cheese
  • Nutmeg (optional)
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • breadcrumb

  • Cook the cauliflower for 10 minutes in salted boiling water.

  • In a pan fry the bacon and onion.

  • In a saucepan add one teaspoon of butter, Mix the flour with a little milk.  Add the flour to the pan and the remaining milk and cream and 1 cup of water and chicken bouillon.

  • Stir and allow to thicken, add the spice and salt and pepper if needed.

  • In a buttered baking dish, put the cauliflower that has been slightly crumbled,
  • add bacon cooked with onion on top, pour the sauce and cover with cheese and breadcrumbs.

  • Bake in the preheat oven for 20 minutes or until browned and serve.




  • Leeks Gratin




  • Ingredients
  • 4 leeks
  • 1-1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup of heavy creme
  • 1 tablespoon of flour
  • 1 tablespoon of butter

  • grated cheese


  • salt
    pepper
    nutmeg (optional)

    Boil salted water in a large saucepan. Cut the ends of the leeks and green leaves that are damaged, cut them in half, wash them thoroughly in several changes of water. Plunge the leeks in boiling water, cook for about 10 minutes then drain. Preheat the oven. 350 F. 

    In a pan, melt over low heat 20 g of butter. Once it is melted, add the flour, whisk and pour over the cold milk and cream, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and stir continuously this preparation until thickened, then add the cream and cook very gently 10 min. 

    Grease a shallow baking dish. Place the leeks thoroughly drained and cut into long stretches. Drizzle with cream sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for ten minutes. Serve right out of the oven.


    Green Papaya Gratin

    Start by "bleeding" the green papaya by making 3-4 incisions in the length direction of the vegetable. A whitish liquid will come out as blood it is for this reason we say "bleed" the vegetable. 

    Normally when the papaya is used as a vegetable mix with meat, you do not rinse the milky liquid out allowing better cooking as it brings tenderness to the meat. 

    However for gratins you rinse the green papaya, peeled, cut it in half and remove seeds. If you scratch your hands because of whitish liquid, rinse again otherwise use a pair of disposable gloves (optional depending on the person).

    Ingredients


    1 large green papaya
    1 chicken bouillon cube (powdered form)
    1/2 cup milk
    1/4 cup of heavy cream
    1 tablespoon butter
    1 egg
    2 tablespoons of grated cheese
    2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
    salt

    Instructions

    Choose an almost ripe papaya, but still green. Than peel, cut into pieces and wash it after removing the seeds. Cook for 15 minutes in salted boiling water and vinegar. Drain thoroughly and mash.

    To this puree you will add the milk, cream, chicken bouillon, butter and beaten egg.

    Pour this mixture in a buttered baking dish and cover with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot!








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