The Intrigue of Endive

Endive is delicious! I see endive or chicory in the store a lot and in the past I would pass right by it. You know, the white elongated bulb looking things that you don’t know what to do with? Sure we have all seen on the food TV where they use the leaves as scoops to hold a variety of scoopable party foods, but it isn’t exactly main meal stuff, or even side dish stuff. I am guessing it is partly because, somewhere along the line, we have forgotten that produce like endive, romaine and other leafy goodness (lettuces, too) can be braised. We have to think beyond the salad bowl and see a bigger picture for these lovely leaves. Braising leafy produce is classic and a great path to WOW moments. Perhaps you have heard of the classic Choisy Garniture where Boston or romaine lettuce is braised or simmered in chicken stock with a little bacon, onion and carrot. A delicious and simple side dish!

So What To Do with Endive?

You can certainly braised it, too. With a bit of ham and a cheese sauce it can be taken to the next level!

Endive
chicory with Ham and Cheese
chicory with Ham and Cheese
Endive with Ham and Cheese
Braised Endive with Ham
Serves 4
A delicious endive dish
Write a review
Print
662 calories
43 g
134 g
37 g
45 g
22 g
1289 g
1802 g
14 g
1 g
14 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1289g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 662
Calories from Fat 330
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 37g
58%
Saturated Fat 22g
108%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Cholesterol 134mg
45%
Sodium 1802mg
75%
Total Carbohydrates 43g
14%
Dietary Fiber 24g
98%
Sugars 14g
Protein 45g
Vitamin A
366%
Vitamin C
85%
Calcium
131%
Iron
41%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
For The Cheese Sauce
  1. 3 tbsp Butter
  2. 3 tbsp Flour
  3. 3 cups milk
  4. ¼ pound whole mushrooms, quartered.
  5. 2 ½ cups gruyere, divided
  6. salt and pepper
For The Endive
  1. 6 endive, cleaned and trimmed
  2. 3 cups vegetable stock or water
  3. 6-12 slices of black forest ham or your favorite ham
For The Cheese Sauce
  1. In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. When it stops foaming add the flour and whisk thoroughly.
  2. In another sauce pan warm the milk to a simmer and remove from heat.
  3. Whisk the flour and butter until it is golden and sandy looking. Slowly add the milk to the butter and flour whisking constantly.
  4. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. The béchamel will thicken. Add mushrooms and continue cooking another 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups of cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Set aside
For The Endive
  1. Place the endive in a saute pan and pour in enough stock or water to cover the endive by 3 quarters.
  2. Bring the stock to a simmer and simmer endive for 15-20 minutes or until the endive yield to a knife.
  3. Remove the endive from the braising liquid and drain them well. Let cool.
  4. When cool, wrap each endive in in 1 or 2 slices of ham.
  5. Place the wrapped endive in a 9×9 baking pan.
  6. Cover with cheese sauce and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
  7. Top with the remaining cheese, turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese is brown.
  8. Serve hot!
beta
calories
662
fat
37g
protein
45g
carbs
43g
more
The Culinary Exchange https://www.theculinaryexchange.com/

There is a lot you can do here to bring this dish to the next level. Changing the types of ham and using any number of different cheeses can bring new experiences to this dish – Spanish ham and manchego for a Spanish touch? The braised endive could be wrapped in pasta sheets and the béchamel could be changed to a tomato sauce. What about wrapping it in Sausage, breading it and baking – a play on the Scotch egg?

Of course, there is a ton of other stuff you can do with chicory, too! Don’t forget to grill it!

Keep Innovating!

How do you prepare your chicory? Have you braised or grilled it before? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.

The Culinary Exchange can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+.

Come On! Follow Along!

email newsletter sign up

DELICIOUSNESS DELIVERED!

Sign up for The Culinary Exchange's Newsletter for delicious recipes, kitchen tips, and cool kitchen gadget reviews delivered right to your inbox!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This