Chef Juliette
Stuffed Onions
Oignons farcis teach the discipline of the shell: mild onions hollowed without weakness, filled with their own flesh and Duxelle, braised in butter and stock, then glazed until the tops bronze.
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Oxalis
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2186, Oxalis, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Oxalis au gratin brings a bright, sorrel-like root beneath a bronzed finish. Boil it tender, drain it dry, then trust close heat: dryness below makes the crust possible above.
Side Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Comfort Food
20 min
Active Time
30 min cook•50 min total
Yield4 servings
Oxalis au gratin (tart oxalis roots beneath a browned finish) teaches a useful rule: a boiled vegetable must be dry before it receives a gratin. Leave water clinging to the roots and the finish slides into a pale puddle; drain them properly and their lively acidity sits beautifully beneath the buttered crust.
The classical entry is brigade shorthand. It assumes a separate Gratins (No. 268) preparation and a salamander waiting above the range. Your honest equivalent is one shallow, broiler-safe dish beneath a fully heated household broiler. The separate station and holding pans were scaffolding, so they go. The salted boiling, thorough draining, and final gratin stay; those steps are the dish. One cook, one stove, one evening.
Expect tender roots with a bright, sorrel-like edge, their irregular shapes caught beneath an evenly bronzed top. The moment that matters comes between the pot and the gratin dish: dry the oxalis until no cooking water remains.
Oxalis in the French classical repertoire belongs to the cosmopolitan grand kitchens of Paris rather than a provincial French larder; the source tradition identifies it as a Mexican vegetable allied to sorrel and values chiefly its roots. Cooks folded the vegetable into familiar French grammar, boiling it in salted water before sending it à la crème, stuffed, or au gratin. Its purée was called Purée Brésilienne and handled like turnip purée, a reminder that classical garnish names were not always reliable maps of botanical origin.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
cultivated edible oxalis tubers
Quantity
About 6 cups (1.4 L / 900 g)
well scrubbed, trimmed, and sorted by size
water
Quantity
10 cups (2.4 L / 2.4 kg)
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 tablespoon (15 ml / 18 g)
unsalted butter
Quantity
1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g)
softened
Gratins
Quantity
1 prepared application Gratins (No. 268)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cultivated edible oxalis tuberswell scrubbed, trimmed, and sorted by size | About 6 cups (1.4 L / 900 g) |
| water | 10 cups (2.4 L / 2.4 kg) |
| fine sea salt | 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 18 g) |
| unsalted buttersoftened | 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) |
| Gratins | 1 prepared application Gratins (No. 268) |
Equipment Needed
- •Vegetable brush
- •4-quart (3.8 L) wide saucepan
- •Large colander
- •1½-quart (1.4 L) shallow broiler-safe gratin dish
Instructions
- 1
Clean the oxalis
Use only cultivated edible oxalis tubers sold for cooking. Scrub them thoroughly under running water, working into every crease, then trim away hairlike roots and bruised patches without peeling the thin skins. Sort them by size and halve only the largest tubers so the whole batch cooks evenly. Cleaning well is not brigade fuss here; earth lodged in a fold will survive the boiling pot.
Oxalis is a large plant family. Buy identified edible tubers from a produce specialist or grower, and never substitute ornamental or foraged roots based on the leaves alone. - 2
Boil until tender
Bring the water and salt to a full boil in a wide saucepan. Add the oxalis, let the water return to the boil, then adjust the heat so it remains lively without throwing the tubers against one another. Cook for 12 to 18 minutes, testing several sizes. A knife should enter with only faint resistance, while the roots still hold their shapes. Remove smaller pieces as they become ready rather than sacrificing them to the largest one.
- 3
Drain them dry
Drain the oxalis thoroughly, then return it to the empty warm saucepan over the lowest heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the roots gently until their surfaces look dry and no water gathers on the pan floor. If a few have split, place their broken sides downward in the gratin dish; if several are too soft, press them into a rough bottom layer and arrange the intact roots above. Ça se rattrape. What cannot remain is loose cooking water.
- 4
Arrange the roots
Heat the broiler fully and position a rack 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12 cm) below it. Butter a shallow 1½-quart (1.4 L) broiler-safe gratin dish, covering its base and sides. Arrange the dry oxalis snugly in one layer, placing any rough pieces underneath. The roots should fill the dish generously without being crushed.
- 5
Apply the gratin
Finish the arranged oxalis with the prepared Gratins (No. 268), following that preparation in its own entry and keeping it whole rather than rebuilding it here. Set the dish beneath the hot household broiler, the honest equivalent of the salamander, and watch continuously until the surface is evenly bronzed and the edge bubbles actively. If one patch colours too quickly, turn the dish; if the entire top darkens before the centre is hot, lower it one rack and continue gently. Ça se rattrape.
A broiler works quickly and unevenly. Stay beside it, because the distance from the heat matters more than the clock. - 6
Settle and serve
Let the oxalis rest for 5 minutes, just long enough for the finish to settle around the roots without losing its bubbling edge. Spoon it directly from the gratin dish, making certain each serving receives both tender oxalis and bronzed topping. Serve beside roast poultry, veal, or pork. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Look for edible oxalis tubers under the produce name oca. Choose firm roots without damp patches or shriveling; mixed colours are natural, but similar sizes make the boiling far easier to judge.
- •Oxalis varies in acidity. Taste one tuber after boiling: it should be pleasantly bright, not aggressively sour. The gratin rounds that edge, so don't bury the vegetable beneath extra seasoning before the referenced finish is applied.
- •The source also permits oxalis à la crème, stuffed, or worked into Purée Brésilienne by the turnip-purée method. Those are separate finishes, not additions to this gratin.
- •Let the main course choose the wine. With roast poultry or veal, a dry Mâcon or another restrained Chardonnay has enough freshness for the oxalis and enough body for the gratin.
Advance Preparation
- •The oxalis can be cleaned and sorted up to 6 hours ahead. Dry it well, cover it, and refrigerate until the water comes to the boil.
- •The roots can be boiled up to 4 hours ahead. Cool them in one layer, refrigerate once cold, then warm them in a moderate oven before applying Gratins (No. 268); a cold centre may remain cold while the top colours.
- •Leftovers keep for 2 days under refrigeration. Reheat them uncovered in a moderate oven until the centre is hot and the browned surface regains its sheen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 280g)
Calories
365 calories
Total Fat
17 g
Saturated Fat
10 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
50 mg
Sodium
600 mg
Total Carbohydrates
43 g
Dietary Fiber
3 g
Sugars
12 g
Protein
10 g
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