Jacques Pepins Gratin Of Eggs Food

JACQUES PEPIN'S GRATIN OF EGGS

Steps:

• Slice eggs and arrange them in one 4 to 6 cup gratin dish (or do individual gratins if you like).
• Melt butter in a saucepan and when hot, add onions; cook them over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2 or 3 minutes until they sizzle and have just started to brown.
• Add flour, mix well, and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add milk, salt, pepper; stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil then lower the heat and let sauce simmer gently for about a minute.
• Pour over the eggs in the gratin dish.
• Mix the sauce and eggs gently, sprinkle with grated Swiss cheese, and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Place under the broiler for another 4 or 5 minutes to brown the top.
• Serve immediately.
• Another option is to arrange the egg/sauce mixture on top of some thinly sliced smoked ham--.

GRATIN OF EGGS AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Place eggs in boiling water to cover. Bring water back to a boil and boil eggs very gently for 10 minutes. Drain, and cool in ice water until eggs are completely cold. Peel eggs, and cut each into 6 wedges. Arrange wedges in a 6- to 8-cup gratin dish.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet until hot but not smoking. Add onions and saute them for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and salt. Crush tomatoes and add them with their juice to the skillet. Bring mixture to a boil, and boil gently, covered, for 4 minutes. Add pepper.
• Pour onion and tomato mixture over eggs in the gratin dish, and sprinkle cheese on top. Place gratin dish in the oven for 10 minutes if the eggs and sauce are warm, or 20 minutes if they are cold. Then, run the dish under a hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top. Serve.

JACQUES'S CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Turn the cauliflower upside down, and cut all around the stem with a sharp knife, slicing off the tough leafy stems that are attached to it. Pick off any remaining leaf pieces that may still be attached. Do not cut the florets apart.
• Put the cauliflower, stem end down, into a large pot with an inch of watter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover tightly and bring to a rapid boil. Cook until you can pierce a floret with a sharp knife (about 8 minutes). Carefully lift the cauliflower out of the pot and place it in the gratin dish to cool slightly.
• Turn the cauliflower upside down, and slice all around the core, through the floret stems, so the head falls apart. Arrange the florets in a single layer round side up, then chop up the cooked core and scatter the pieces in the dish. Reserve the cooking water for the sauce.
• Pour 2 cups of milk, and 1/2 cup cooking water, and 1/2 cup cream into a saucepan and heat slowly. Do not boil!
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and whisk in the flour to make a loose paste. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly. Don't let it color more than a light beige.
• Remove the roux from the heat. Pour the milk mixture into the roux and whisk vigorously to blend. Return to the heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, and a pinch or two of nutmeg. Taste, adjust seasoning as needed to suit your taste. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The sauce should be thick, but pourable. If necessary, thin with a bit of milk or cooking liquid, stirring to blend well, and adjust the seasonings if needed.
• Season the florets with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and scatter 1/4 cup of the grated cheese over the top. Set the gratin on a cookie sheet, then ladle or pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
• Place the sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is browned, about 25 minutes.
• DO AHEAD NOTE: The assembled gratin can be made several hours ahead, and store, well wrapped in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 375F and allow 30 to 40 minutes for heating the gratin and browning the cheese.

EGG AND TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Poke the rounded end of each egg with a pushpin to help prevent cracking, and lower eggs into a saucepan of boiling water to cover. Bring the water back to a boil, then simmer the eggs very gently for 10 minutes. Drain and cool in ice water for at least 15 minutes, or until the centers of the eggs are completely cool.
• Peel the eggs and cut each into 6 wedges. Arrange the wedges in a 6-cup gratin dish or baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and sauté for about 2 minutes.
• Then add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Crush the tomatoes into pieces and add them along with their juices to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 4 minutes.
• Pour the onion-and-tomato mixture over the eggs in the gratin dish and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake 10 minutes.
• Heat the broiler and when the gratin is cooked, broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top.