noun
gratin
GRAT-n/ˈɡrætn/
A baked dish with a browned topping.
The potato gratin has a crisp golden crust.
Etymology
French gratin meant “crust” and came from a verb meaning “to scrape.” The crust over a dish gave its name to the baked dish with a browned topping.
In context
This is the kind of sauce you use in a gratin, which sounds fancy and French, but it's perfect for mac and cheese.
More examples
- She baked the vegetable gratin until it browned.
- A bubbling gratin came out of the oven.
- The menu offered a cauliflower gratin as a side dish.
Forms
gratin · gratins
Similar words
- casserole
- A casserole is a broad baked-dish category; a gratin is characterized by its browned top.