Description
Ina Garten’s Provencal Zucchini Gratin elevates summer vegetables with French countryside charm. Fresh zucchini layered with herbs, cheese, and cream creates a mouthwatering side dish that brings Mediterranean flavors straight to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables:
- 2.5 pounds small zucchini, sliced ½ inch thick crosswise
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced crosswise
Dairy and Cheese:
- 5 tablespoons (74 milliliters) unsalted butter, divided, plus extra for the dish
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) half-and-half
- 0.75 cup (84 grams) grated Gruyère cheese (2 ounces)
Seasonings and Dry Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.75 cup (60 grams) ground fresh bread crumbs from a boule, crusts removed
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and baking vessel: Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Generously coat an 8 × 10-inch (20 x 25 cm) oval ceramic baking dish with unsalted butter to prevent sticking.
- Sauté the aromatics: Melt of butter in a medium Dutch oven over gentle heat. Introduce chopped onions and cook slowly, stirring periodically, until they transform into a soft, translucent mixture without browning, approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Incorporate zucchini: Add sliced zucchini to the onion base and season with of kosher salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing vegetables to release their moisture and become tender.
- Reduce and concentrate flavors: Uncover the vegetable mixture and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to evaporate excess liquid and intensify the vegetable’s natural sweetness.
- Create creamy sauce: Dust the vegetable mixture with all-purpose flour, gently folding to distribute evenly. Incrementally pour half-and-half into the pot, raising the temperature to medium-high and stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
- Season and enhance: Remove from heat and fold in fresh thyme leaves, ground nutmeg, an additional teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to elevate the dish’s complexity.
- Assemble the gratin: Transfer the vegetable mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly to create a smooth surface.
- Add crispy topping: Combine breadcrumbs and grated Gruyère cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture uniformly over the zucchini base. Dot the top with small cubes of remaining of butter to encourage golden browning.
- Bake to perfection: Place the gratin in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, monitoring until the surface turns a rich, golden brown and the edges become delightfully bubbly.
- Rest and serve: Allow the gratin to settle for 10 minutes after removing from the oven, which helps the sauce stabilize and flavors meld. Serve immediately while still warm for optimal taste and texture.
Notes
- Sitting time matters for perfect texture and flavor melding, allowing the gratin to settle and become more cohesive before serving.
- Slowly incorporate half-and-half to create a velvety, smooth sauce that coats the zucchini without becoming watery or thin.
- Maintain zucchini’s integrity by cooking just until tender, avoiding overcooking that leads to mushy, waterlogged results.
- Select young, small zucchini for optimal taste and moisture control, preventing excess liquid from ruining the dish’s consistency.
- Room temperature ingredients help blend flavors more effectively and ensure even cooking throughout the gratin.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (based on 4 servings)
- Calories: 242 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 20mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg