The French have long conquered the world with their cuisine. Although this statement is a little and doubtful: the world has either submitted, or improved the recipes of French authors. However, the cuisine of this country is diligently studied, researched and put into the basis of many, many dishes by innumerable chefs from different countries. The French also distinguished themselves in experiments with a simple and beloved root crop by the whole planet, inventing potato gratin. People who are far from culinary masterpieces are left to understand: what is it, in fact, is it?

Let's define in terms

Such an attractive word does not mean anything exceptional. Gratin is, in our understanding, an ordinary casserole. The most important thing in it is getting an appetizing golden brown crust. The dish can be a dessert, or it can be savory. Moreover, no one will turn their tongue to call it a pie, since the dough is not included in such a casserole in the slightest amount. The color of the top crust also determines whether the resulting food can be attributed to gratins. If it is golden, it is definitely him. Brownish is also suitable with a slight stretch. But a pale or dark one speaks of the ineptness of the cook or non-observance of the rules. In order to achieve the ideal, gratin (from potatoes in pure form, with additives or from something else) is first baked in a not too preheated oven (about 180 degrees), and then "brought to mind" at 230, or even 250 o C.

Potato gratin exclusively from potatoes

How to diversify the original dish! But we'll start with the simplest and figure out how to make potato gratin. And only from it. To begin with, peeled and washed tubers in the amount of 1 kg are cut into rather thin circles. Two incomplete glasses of cream are warmed up, but not boiled. 200 grams of hard (favorite) cheese is rubbed, and two-thirds of the total amount is poured into the cream. When it melts and mixes with them, add a teaspoon of ground nutmeg and two crushed cloves of garlic. Having achieved complete homogeneity of the mass, the vessel is removed from the stove. A layer of potato circles is laid out in a baking sheet with high sides and poured with sauce. This alternation is repeated until the components run out. The mold is placed in the oven for half an hour (the fork should freely pierce the potato gratin). After which the temperature rises, and he himself is filled with the left cheese and returned to the oven for another 5 minutes. An already prepared dish is covered with spices and Provencal herbs.

If you combine potatoes with minced meat

Still, meat is a very attractive product in the eyes of the majority of the population. How is potato gratin made with minced meat? There is not much difference with the way it is cooked only from your favorite tubers. The potatoes are also cut thinly and laid out on a greased baking sheet. On top, it is laid with slices of garlic, on which a thin layer of minced meat is placed. Choose meat for it to your liking, but keep in mind - chicken can be dry in the final dish, it is better to mix it with pork. Minced meat is sprinkled with grated cheese. And such layers are repeated as many times as necessary. Cheese should be poured last. A sort of cake is put in the oven for half an hour. At this time, a sauce is prepared from an incomplete glass of milk, eggs, pepper and salt. If desired, spices and fresh herbs are added there. When the allotted time has expired, gratin from potatoes with minced meat is poured with dressing, again put into the oven for 10 minutes. Usually, 300 grams of minced meat and the same amount of cheese are taken per 600 grams of potatoes, but the ratio of the components can be varied to your liking.

Mushroom gratin

It harmonizes very well with the same mushrooms. However, the preparation of such a variation has its own nuances. If you want to build mushroom gratin from potatoes, the recipe advises the tubers (about 5) to be boiled first in their uniforms, and only then, chilled and peeled, cut them into circles. Then cut a small piece of bacon or fatty ham (grams per 100) into cubes, like an onion, and a quarter of a kilo of mushrooms into beautiful plates. First, bacon is fried in vegetable oil, then onions are added, last of all - mushrooms. When everything acquires a pleasant golden hue, pepper, salt and remove from the stove. Season with dill and gently pour in a glass of unsweetened yogurt with gentle stirring. A glass of cream with finely grated 200 grams of cheese is whipped separately. Grease the container in which the potato gratin will be baked, evenly put the circles of tubers, cover them with mushrooms and pour the sauce. Further - according to the standard: 20-30 minutes in a not very hot cabinet, then another fifteen - sprinkled with cheese in a very heated one.

An abundance of vegetables plus meat

If you have prepared such a dish and you have had time to get bored with potato gratin, the recipe can be supplemented with a variety of ingredients. Some chefs even swap the layers and prepare the ingredients in their own way. So, the same potato gratin with minced meat can be prepared from a fried meat component (half a kilo), mixed during the frying process with chopped onions and chopped loin and smoked sausage (100 g each). Further more interesting. A set of vegetables is placed in a baking dish: broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms - whatever you like, you can even frozen. The total weight of the set is again a pound. On top, 0.5 liters of cream is evenly poured and cheese is poured. Next comes the minced meat with appetizing additives, on it - chopped 6 potatoes, seasonings, again cream and again cheese (in the same quantities). Bake, and then go with a dish to hungry guests.

Chicken gratin

The basic principle by which gratin is made from potatoes with chicken is preserved: a layer of potatoes is a layer of fillets cut into long strips. And so - until the components run out. But the sauce is prepared differently. The onion is sauteed, a little flour is poured into the pan. When everything thickens slightly, a 200-gram pack of sour cream is poured in. The mass in the pan will become homogeneous - a glass of water, pepper, nutmeg and salt are added. This filling is used to fill the "pie" on a baking sheet, and grated cheese is poured on top. And then we are already going along the familiar path. The taste is new, but also wonderful!