Secrets
- Thin, even 3 mm slices so they cook through directly in the cream.
- A blend of heavy cream plus a splash of milk that thickens nicely around the squash.
- Five minutes of resting outside the oven before serving to set the creamy sauce.
Sliced into thin rounds just like potatoes, the butternut squash bakes directly in the oven in garlic-and-nutmeg-infused cream, with no parboiling needed.
The sharp savoriness of aged Comté beautifully balances the natural sweetness of the squash.
Step-by-step recipe check off as you go
Peel and slice the butternut squash
Preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Peel the butternut squash with the peeler, halve it, scoop out the seeds, and cut the flesh into thin 3 mm slices.
Rub the dish with garlic
Generously rub the bottom and sides of the baking dish with a halved garlic clove, then mince the rest of the garlic.
Assemble the layers
Arrange half of the butternut squash slices in the dish, season with salt and pepper, scatter the garlic and half of the Comté over top. Cover with the remaining squash.
Popotam's tipSave the more generous half of the Comté for the top to get a thick, golden crust.Pour the cream and bake
Whisk together the cream, milk and nutmeg, pour over the squash, and finish with the remaining Comté. Bake for 40 minutes at 190 °C (375 °F) until a knife tip slides through effortlessly.
And there you go, it's ready
Check off every step to pull the bubbling gratin from the oven.
Secrets to a gratin that never turns watery what makes all the difference
Storage and make-ahead
It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and reheats for 15 minutes in the oven at 170 °C (340 °F).
Variations
- Alternate a layer of butternut squash with a layer of potatoes.
- Scatter a handful of chopped hazelnuts over the Comté during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Swap the Comté for Beaufort, Gruyère or fresh goat cheese.
Frequently asked questions
Faut-il précuire la butternut à l'eau ?
Non : précuite à l'eau, elle se gorge d'humidité et détrempe le gratin. Émincée finement, elle cuit très bien au four.
Comment éplucher facilement la butternut ?
Coupe d'abord les deux extrémités pour la poser bien à plat sur la planche, puis descends avec un bon économe.
Peut-on utiliser un potimarron ?
Oui, et tu peux même garder sa peau : le gratin sera encore plus rapide à préparer.
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