Squash gratin

 

🥒 Squash Gratin

A creamy, golden French-style gratin—simple enough for a weeknight but delicious enough to serve as a main vegetable dish.

Ingredients — 4 servings

  • 1 kg squash or zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 200 ml heavy cream
  • 100 ml milk
  • 100 g grated Gruyère, Emmental, or cheddar
  • 30 g Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • Salt and black pepper
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • Butter for the baking dish

Method

  1. Heat oven to 190°C.
  2. Lightly salt the sliced squash and leave for 10–15 minutes. Pat dry. This helps prevent a watery gratin.
  3. Sauté the onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes, then add garlic for 30 seconds.
  4. Butter a baking dish. Arrange half the squash, scatter over half the onion, and season with pepper, thyme and a little nutmeg. Repeat.
  5. Mix the cream and milk and pour evenly over the vegetables.
  6. Cover with Gruyère/Emmental and Parmesan.
  7. Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until bubbling and deeply golden.
  8. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Excellent additions:

  • thinly sliced potatoes for a heartier gratin
  • crumbled feta or goat cheese
  • a little Dijon mustard in the cream
  • toasted breadcrumbs on top
  • fresh thyme or parsley

Chef's trick: For a particularly rich, non-watery gratin, briefly sauté or roast the squash before assembling it.

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