Cookware · Hearths
Gratin dish
A wide, low baker: potatoes, cream, and cheese that want a crust more than a stew.
The journey
Gratin is a crust, not a casserole brand. The French dish is oval or rectangular, low enough that the top browns before the inside dries. Dauphinois, onions, seafood — the vessel is why the word exists.
A metal roasting pan browns too fast. A deep pot never crusts. The gratin dish is the middle depth.
In the kitchen
Butter the dish. Layer thinly. The liquid should come just below the last layer. Finish high in the oven.
The French volume reaches for this shape whenever a recipe wants a golden lid of its own.