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Best Gratin in San Francisco
“A browned crust forms as heat hits from above—the dish arrives golden and crackling, served right in its baking vessel.”
What the real thing tastes like
Gratin (French: [ɡʁatɛ̃]) is a culinary technique in which a dish is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, cheese, or egg. The term may be applied to any dish made using this method. Gratin is usually prepared in a shallow dish. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top, and it is often served in its baking dish. Popular potato-based gratins are referred to by a variety of names including scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin (or au gratin potatoes), and potato bake. The name "old rotten potatoes" is sometimes used humorously. A gratin dish is a shallow oven-proof container that is commonly used to prepare gratins and similar dishes.
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A gratin is the art of transformation—taking whatever sits in your shallow dish and crowning it with a burnished, crackling crust of breadcrumbs, cheese, or egg. The heat hits from above, browning and crisping until golden, and the whole thing arrives at your table still warm in its baking vessel, the crust catching light. It's a technique as much as a dish, one that has spawned countless variations, most famously potatoes in their many forms: scalloped, au gratin, baked.
Order it here when it has
- creates a distinctive browned crust
- versatile technique for many dishes
- served in its own baking dish
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