The zucchini gratin is a delicious and comforting dish that appeals to both young and old. Prepared with simple ingredients, this quintessential French cuisine is easy to make. In this article, discover a simple and tasty recipe to make your zucchini gratin successful.
Ingredients needed for the preparation of Zucchini Gratin
Here is the list of essential ingredients to make this delicious recipe:
- Zucchinis: about 4 to 5 depending on their size
- Fresh cream: about 25 cl; you can opt for light cream if you want to reduce the amount of fat
- Grated Gruyère: about 100 g; don’t hesitate to add more according to your liking
- Eggs: 2 eggs
- Butter: a knob of butter for cooking the zucchini
- Grated nutmeg: a small pinch to flavor your dish
- Salt: to season according to your taste
- Pepper: a few turns of the mill to enhance everything
Steps to Prepare Zucchini Gratin
Once the ingredients are gathered, follow these steps to prepare your gratin:
1. Preheating the oven to 180°C
First of all, preheat your oven to 180°C (thermostat 6). This temperature will allow for an even and golden cooking of your courgettes.
2. Cleaning and slicing the zucchinis into rounds
Wash the courgettes thoroughly before cutting them into slices about 0.5 cm thick so that they cook more quickly. There is no need to peel them as the green skin will add a nice colour to your dish.
3. Cooking zucchini in a pan with butter
Melt the butter in a large pan and then add the zucchini slices. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the vegetables become tender and slightly translucent. Salt and pepper according to your taste.
4. Mixing of the remaining ingredients and seasoning
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the fresh cream, grated nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then incorporate the cooked zucchini slices so that they are well coated with the preparation.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake
Lightly butter a gratin dish before spreading the zucchini and cream mixture in it. Finally, generously sprinkle with grated gruyere to achieve a beautiful golden and crispy crust.
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Cooking Zucchini Gratin
Place your dish in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the zucchinis are tender when pricked with a knife. To check the cooking, you can prick a slice of zucchini with the tip of a knife: it should be easily penetrated without resistance.
Tips and variants to customize your Zucchini Gratin
The zucchini gratin is a simple dish that lends itself very well to variations according to your tastes and desires:
1. Add more vegetables for an even more delicious Zucchini Gratin
Do not hesitate to incorporate other vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers or eggplants to bring different flavors and textures to your dish.
2. Use different kinds of cheese
The grated Gruyère can be replaced with Parmesan, Comté, or even Mozzarella depending on your preferences and the desired result: more melting, more creamy or crunchier.
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3. Add aromatic herbs
Finally, you can also sprinkle your gratin with thyme, oregano or basil for an even more tasty and fragrant touch. Feel free to experiment and create your own version of Zucchini Gratin!
Enjoy your meal and taste this delicious Zucchini Gratin!