On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 02:02:42 GMT, Dawn >
wrote:

>Are these just different words for the same dish or is there something
>inherently different about the two?
>
>I've looked at recipes and they all seem to share common ingredients and
>baking methods, but my husband insists they are different.

From the Epicurious food dictionary:

"A gratin is any dish that is topped with cheese or bread crumbs
mixed with bits of butter, then heated in the oven or under the
broiler until brown and crispy. The terms au gratin or gratinée refer
to any dish prepared in such a manner."

Gratin refers to the method, not the ingredients.

From the same source:

"Scallop: To prepare a food (most notably potatoes) by layering slices
of it with cream or a creamy sauce in a casserole. Scalloped foods are
often topped with bread or cracker crumbs before being baked."

So you can easily have scalloped potatoes au gratin, If cheese is
added to the cream or white sauce, it becomes something a la mornay,
mornay being bechamel (white sauce) to which cheese has been added.