Gratinating

/ɡrætɪˈneɪtɪŋ/ verb, adjective

Definition

The process of browning and crisping the top of a dish; or describing something that is being prepared in this way.

Etymology

Present participle of 'gratinate,' combining the verb stem with the '-ing' suffix to indicate ongoing action or the process itself in cooking.

Kelly Says

The act of gratinating is one of the few cooking techniques that's named after the by-product (the scraped crust) rather than the main ingredient or the heat source—a quirk of culinary language.

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