This Choko au Gratin - Gratin Sousout– is refreshing and wholesome. The mildly sweet flavour and the crunchy texture of the choko pair well with smoothness of the béchamel sauce and cheese to give you a delectable dish
- 3 young chokos
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 300 ml milk, heated
- 200 g grated Cheddar cheese, divided ( note 7)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
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Heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave and keep.
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In another pan, melt the butter on low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
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Once the butter is melted, add the flour and stir to incorporate both ingredients.
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Stir continuously over low heat to cook out the flour until it is a sandy colour and smells biscuity (3 minutes). This is known as a blond roux.
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Gradually add the heated milk, stirring continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon, incorporating each addition well by stirring out lumps before adding the next, until a smooth sauce forms (the mixture will thicken a lot at first; stir vigorously and as you add more milk, the mixture will loosen).
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Increase heat to medium and stir continuously, making sure to stir into the edges of the pan and across the base to prevent the béchamel from catching, until sauce starts to boil.
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Reduce the heat to low and stir the béchamel until a thick, smooth sauce forms (5 minutes).
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You may decide at this stage to mix in ¼ of the grated cheese if you so wish. This will give you a cheese sauce.
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Taste the béchamel and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and keep.
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If you are not going to use the sauce straight away, it is recommended to cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.
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Wash the chokos and slice them into quarters lengthwise.
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Place them in a steaming pot, sprinkle some salt on them and steam for about 15 minutes. they should still be firm and slightly crunchy.( Note 3)
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Once cooked, remove them from the steam and allow to cool.
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Once the sliced chokos have cooled down, gently peel off the skin by using a pairing knife and then remove the seed from the centre. You may, at times, be able to peel them by just gently lifting and peeling the skin with your fingers and only use a knife on the ‘crevices’. (note 2)
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Slice them thinly, approximately ½ cm thick, and place them neatly in a gratin dish or a ceramic bowl.
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Use a tablespoon and gently spoon the béchamel on top of the sliced choko, until fully covered. ( note 1)
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Spread the remaining grated cheese on top of the béchamel and place the dish under a grill, about 10cm from the heat source, until the cheese has browned, about 10 minutes. If you are using an oven, pre-heat to 200°C and baked for about 30 minutes or until the gratin is golden brown.
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Choko au gratin is a delectable and versatile dish that can be served as a side dish or as an accompaniment to a roast.
- For that extra crunch you may also sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the béchamel before topping the chokos with cheese.
- You may decide to remove the skin or leave it on. I always leave it on because it stops the choko from breaking up and I also find it easier to peel them once cooked.
- When the choko start to get old, the peel is often sticky. It is therefore recommended that you peel it under running water.
- You may decide to boil your chokos. I prefer to steam them because I lose less nutrients. If you prefer to boil, boil in slightly salted water in a medium size pot for about 15 minutes or until tender.
- If the choko is young, both the skin and seed may be eaten. In fact, the seed imparts that extra nutty flavour to the gratin.
- A gratin dish is a shallow oven-proof container used to prepare gratins and similar dishes.
- You can use gruyère or cheddar cheese or a mixture of both.