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    Home » Recipes » American

    Updated: Nov 4, 2023 by Marc Matsumoto · 5 Comments

    Green Tomato Gratin

    This Green Tomato Gratin features tart tender green tomatoes surrounded by a cheesy mornay sauce, topped with crisp herbed breadcrumbs. It makes a for a delicious side, but works equally well for brunch, topped with poached eggs and served with toast.
    Recipe Pin
    Tart tender green tomatoes are surrounded by a cheesy mornay sauce bubbling up from below in this Green Tomato Gratin. With a crisp panko and herb topping, this decadent side is addictively good.

    With the weather up in the 80's in Tokyo this week, it really feels like we've blown through spring and headed straight into summer. To reassure my senses that the withering heat of summer is still a few weeks off, I picked up some springy green tomatoes at the local vegetable stand for a Green Tomato Gratin. Whether it's peaches, papaya or mangoes, I have a penchant for unripe fruit, and green tomatoes are no exception.

    For me, unripe fruit isn't just a consequence of corporate farming, it's a unique ingredient with its own texture and unique flavor profile that can be delicious when properly prepared. Traditional Japanese ume are made using unripe apricots; the brining process not only preserves the fruit, it imparts a unique flavor cherished in Japanese cuisine. It's also a fun challenge to come up with with new ways of using a familiar ingredient in an unfamiliar form. I first made this green tomato gratin years ago when I still lived in New York, and and it's since become a favorite when these firm, verdant jewels of spring are available in markets.

    Green tomatoes for making a gratin.

    The rich mornay sauce provides the perfect contrast to the tart, fragrant green tomatoes. When baked in the oven, the two meld together, creating a well-balanced side dish with a crisp, flavorful topping, tart, juicy fruit, and rich, savory sauce that goes beautifully with grilled meat. It also makes for a delightfully decadent breakfast when served with some poached eggs and toast.

    It's not always easy to find green tomatoes in the market, but don't pass them up when you do. This easy recipe will have you seeking them out. Or maybe you can try your hand at growing them yourself. You'll be able to start enjoying the harvest that much sooner.

    A rich, cheese green tomato gratin with a crispy herb and panko topping.

    📖 Recipe

    Green Tomato Gratin

    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Yield 2 servings

    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 300 grams green tomatoes (sliced ¼" thick)

    breadcrumb topping

    • ½ cup panko
    • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon celery seeds
    • â…› teaspoon salt
    • ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    mornay sauce

    • 1 tablespoon cultured unsalted butter
    • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
    • ½ cups heavy cream
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 50 grams Comté cheese

    Instructions

    • Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 375 degrees F.
    • To make the topping, mix the panko, onion powder, celery seeds, salt and pepper until everything is evenly distributed, then drizzle on the olive oil and stir to combine.
    • To make the mornay sauce, put the butter and flour in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbly, but do not let the flour brown.
    • Turn the heat down, then whisk in the cream until the mixture is free of lumps and it starts to thicken.
    • Once the sauce thickens, add the salt and stir in the cheese a little bit at a time until it is all incorporated. The mornay sauce will be very thick, but this is okay since the the tomatoes will release a lot of water.
    • Arrange the sliced green tomatoes and mornay sauce in layers in an oven safe dish, then spread any remaining sauce on top of the green tomatoes.
    • Sprinkle the panko topping evenly over the top of the tomatoes and place the dish in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling, the tomatoes are tender, and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
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    Nutrition

    Calories 519kcalCarbohydrates 23gProtein 12gFat 44gSaturated Fat 23gPolyunsaturated Fat 3gMonounsaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0.2gCholesterol 107mgSodium 746mgPotassium 421mgFiber 2gSugar 9gVitamin A 2263IUVitamin C 36mgCalcium 271mgIron 2mg

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      Recipe Rating




    1. mike says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:02 am

      Awesome recipe--I'm always looking for things to do with green tomatoes. But after 10-15 mins. at 450 the tomatoes were still a bit crunchy for my taste (though with the sauce it almost doesn't matter), so I threw them back in the oven at a little lower temp to stew a bit more.

      Reply
    2. Thomas Abraham says

      June 13, 2012 at 1:23 pm

       Bookmarked! Another recipe I cant wait to try. <3 Fried green tomatoes, wish you would post the green tomato relish you spoke of.

      Reply
    3. Marc Matsumoto says

      May 02, 2009 at 5:43 pm

      Yep, just normal tomatoes that aren't yet ripe. That take of a very different character from ripe tomatoes. Firm, tart, and with a much more vegetal flavour.

      Reply
    4. Marc Matsumoto says

      April 28, 2009 at 5:01 pm

      The forecast here says it's going back down in temp tomorrow, so hopefully it will last for a while.

      I think it's an ordinary beefsteak tomato.

      Reply
    5. Marc Matsumoto says

      April 27, 2009 at 7:30 pm

      Flavour is more "green" than a red tomato. It's less sweet, more tart, not as wet and it cooks nicely because it is much firmer.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

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