Vegetable Marrow au Gratin

Ingredients

• 1 whole marrow cold boiled vegetable marrow (Must be cold and boiled but not over-boiled — it should hold its shape when sliced. Boil in advance and refrigerate until needed.)
• 1 to taste butter (Used to grease the pie dish and to melt into the sauce. Use as much as needed for both purposes.)
• 1 good lot mild cheese (Grated, for layering between the marrow slices. A mild cheddar or similar melting cheese works well.)
• 1 a little gravy (A small amount added to the melted butter to form the poured sauce. Use whatever mild, savoury gravy you have on hand.)
• 1 some finely powdered cheese (Stirred into the butter and gravy sauce. Grate very finely or use pre-powdered cheese so it dissolves smoothly into the liquid.)
• 1 to taste salt (Dusted over each layer of marrow before adding the grated cheese.)
• 1 to taste pepper (Dusted over each layer of marrow before adding the grated cheese.)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to a high temperature — around 220°C (425°F / Gas Mark 7). The original recipe calls for a 'fast oven', meaning a very hot oven that will brown the cheese topping quickly in ten minutes or so.
2. 2Take your cold boiled (not over-boiled) vegetable marrow and slice it into rounds or lengthways slices of roughly even thickness — about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. The marrow should be firm enough to hold its shape. If it is too soft it will collapse in the dish.
3. 3Take a pie dish and rub butter generously over the entire bottom surface. This prevents the marrow from sticking and adds richness to the base of the dish.
4. 4Arrange a single layer of marrow slices on the buttered bottom of the pie dish, placing them as evenly as you can. Dust salt and pepper lightly over the slices. Then grate a good amount of mild cheese over the top of this first layer, covering the slices well.
5. 5Place a second layer of marrow slices on top of the first cheesy layer. Again, dust salt and pepper over the slices before adding the cheese. Strew (sprinkle) grated mild cheese generously over this second layer as well.
6. 6Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and let it melt gently — do not let it brown. Once melted, stir in a little gravy, then add some finely powdered cheese. Stir everything together until combined and the cheese has dissolved into the liquid. You want enough sauce to half-cover the layers of marrow in the dish, so keep an eye on the quantity as you go.
7. 7Carefully pour the warm butter, gravy and cheese sauce around — not directly over — the layered marrow in the pie dish. You want the sauce to come up to about halfway up the sides of the marrow layers, so it keeps the dish moist during baking without swamping the cheese topping.
8. 8Place the pie dish in the preheated hot oven (around 220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7) and bake for approximately ten minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbling, golden and lightly browned. Keep a close eye on it — a fast oven works quickly and you do not want it to burn. Remove from the oven and serve immediately while hot.