Gratin of cloved onion

Gratins are easy and delicious dishes, and can be made from any number of ingredients. The only thing that makes a dish a gratin (or gratinee) is the fact that there is cheese or a crumb/butter mixture that is crisped under a broiler.

This simple gratin is mild in flavor but exceedingly rich from the addition of cream, egg yolk and clove. The combination of clove and onion adds an additional flavor layer to the already sweet and creamy onion.

Serve it anytime, but especially with simple roasts, steaks or chops.

Serves four.

Ingredients

4 to 5 large onions (choose a variety: Bermuda, Vidalia, Spanish) sliced thin
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground clove
2 sprigs thyme (leaves only)
1 teaspoon course salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
¾ cup heavy (double) cream
2 egg yolks
Gruyere cheese, freshly grated, as needed

Equipment

Four small gratin dishes, or one large dish

Method

Preheat broiler on high (make sure oven rack is at the highest point)

In a large sauté pan, place onions, clove, thyme leaves, salt and pepper in olive oil and sweat over low heat until tender. Continue to cook over low heat until the onions start to turn golden brown.

Remove mixture from pan and place equal amounts in gratin dishes.

In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and cream.

Pour the yolk/cream mixture into the onions until the onions are almost covered.

Sprinkle with gruyere cheese.

Place gratin dishes under broiler until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.

Serve immediately.

Tips

Onions are tricky to cut — they are very slippery. I’ve had my share of stitches on my fingers from chopping onions. You must use a very sharp knife to slice them. A dull knife is responsible for most kitchen cutting accidents. If your French (Chef’s) knife is dull, any kitchen/cooking store offers sharpening services. Get your knife sharpened if you don’t know how to do it yourself!

The egg in this gratin does NOT fully cook. Therefore, don’t serve this dish to young children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems. You can replace the raw egg yolk with pasteurized egg yolk — then it is fine to serve to everyone. Another trick is to soft boil the egg, let the yolks cool slightly and use them. Or, you can simply use thickened heavy cream, although the end result does lose some depth.

If you like the gratin method, why not try it with other vegetables? Try celery with parmesan topping, sweet potato with maple syrup and cream, or steamed broccoli with garlic and cheddar.

Serve this with a wonderful crisp white wine like a chenin blanc or a sauvignon blanc.

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