Noodles, Baked

A two-line finishing instruction rather than a standalone dish: Ranhofer assumes you have already made No. 2970 and are simply gratinating it. Everything hinges on that cross-reference.

• You need No. 2970 firstThis entry has no ingredients of its own. Track down Noodles à la Lauer in the same section and prepare it in full; only then does this page apply. Any well-buttered, lightly sauced boiled egg noodle will take the same treatment.
• "A hot oven"Ranhofer gives no temperature; a hot oven in period usage is conventionally rendered today as somewhere around 425-450F. Since the noodles beneath are already cooked, you are only browning the crust: 10-15 minutes near the top of the oven, or finish under a broiler.
• Au gratin means the crust, not the dishAu gratin refers to the crust -- the word points to the browned surface rather than to any particular vessel, though by this date it was also used loosely of the whole preparation. The "baking dish" is any shallow buttered earthenware or metal dish; depth matters, because a thin layer gives more crust per serving, which is the point.
• Bread-crumbsDry, fine crumbs from stale bread, not the coarse commercial kind and not panko. Sift them if they are uneven, or the coarse pieces scorch before the rest colours.
• ParmesanGenuine aged grating cheese, grated fine. Pre-grated tubs contain anti-caking starch and brown poorly; the crust turns pale and gritty.
• Pour on melted butterThe butter is what carries the browning. Sprinkle it evenly over the whole surface rather than pooling it in one spot, or you get scattered dark patches with dry crumbs between them. Two to three tablespoons for a dish serving four or five.
• Smooth nicelyLoose noodle ends standing proud of the surface will carbonise in a hot oven. Level the top firmly with the back of a spoon before crumbing.
• YieldNo quantity is given here or implied. Judge from No. 2970; the gratin coating is enough for whatever surface area your dish presents.