Macaroni gratin (coquillettes) is the dish that divides adults between those who still eat it with nostalgia and those who snub it because it’s “too simple.” The latter are wrong. Made with the right techniques and two high-quality ingredients, this gratin is frankly unbeatable for a weeknight.
Ingredients :
- Coquillettes (Small Macaroni) — The shape really matters. The small curve of the coquillette holds the creamy mixture inside — penne or rigatoni don’t give the same result. 400 g for 4 people is the right proportion for the amount of mixture in this recipe.
- Grated Comté — Get a Comté aged at least 12 months, not the young vacuum-packed kind that melts into tasteless rubber. The aged one has that nutty, cellar aroma. Grate it yourself if you can — bagged Comté is often too fine and too dry to brown properly.
- Turkey Ham — We use turkey ham instead of classic ham, in thick slices rather than thin ones. Thick cubes resist the heat of the oven and maintain a real chew. Cut them into cubes of about 1 cm — neither too small so they disappear, nor too big so they unbalance the bites.
- Thick Crème Fraîche — Thick, not liquid. Liquid cream makes the mixture too runny and the gratin won’t hold its shape. Three tablespoons are enough — the eggs already do the binding work, the cream is only there for creaminess.
