Zucchini-Tomaten-Gratin (French-style zucchini and tomato gratin)
A French-style gratin where sliced zucchini is pre-cooked in cream on the stovetop until it softens and thickens the sauce, then layered with tomato and finished under a cheese crust in the oven. The cream base, thickened by the zucchini itself rather than flour, gives a genuinely rich result closer to a classic gratin dauphinois than a quick vegetable bake.
Prep25 min
Cook45 min
Oven200°C
Servings4
Christoph's French-style zucchini gratin, the cream thickened by the zucchini itself on the stovetop for a genuinely rich result.
Ingredients
Written for a 26 × 20 cm dish
Units
Temperature
Servings
Zucchini cream base
- 600 g zucchini, sliced 5 mm thick rounded
- 300 ml cream rounded
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
- to taste freshly grated nutmeg rounded
To assemble
- 300 g tomatoes, sliced 5 mm thick rounded
- 100 g grated hard cheese rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Combine the zucchini, cream, garlic, salt and nutmeg in a wide pan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook 15 minutes, stirring gently, until the zucchini has softened and the cream has thickened noticeably around it.
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Pour the zucchini and cream mixture into a baking dish, spreading evenly. Tuck the tomato slices in among the zucchini, standing them up slightly if possible.
- Scatter the cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake 20 minutes, until deeply golden brown and bubbling.
Notes
- Pre-cook the zucchini in the cream until it genuinely thickens, not just softens. This step is what gives the finished gratin its rich, cohesive sauce rather than a thin, separated liquid pooling at the bottom of the dish.
- Stir gently while pre-cooking, not vigorously, to keep the zucchini in recognisable slices rather than breaking it down to mush.
- Add the tomato only after the cream base is ready, rather than cooking it in the cream, so it keeps some shape and a fresher flavour against the rich sauce.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and reheats well, covered, in a moderate oven.
Ingredient substitutions
- Cream can be a mix of cream and milk for a slightly lighter result.
- Grated hard cheese can be any good melting cheese; a mix with a little goat’s cheese gives a sharper edge.
- A few fresh thyme leaves in the cream while it simmers is a good, simple addition.
From Christoph Mayer