Equipment
Ingredients
Braised Endives
- 8 belgian endive, trimmed
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g granulated sugar
- 2 g kosher salt
Assembly
- 8 cooked ham, sliced
- 150 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
Bechamel Sauce
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 500 ml whole milk, cold
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 3 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
Trim the dry bottoms off each endive, then use a paring knife to carefully cut out the tough, cone-shaped core at the base to reduce bitterness. Leave the leaves intact so the head holds together.
Melt 15g of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the endives in a single layer. Add the white wine, lemon juice, sugar, and 2g of salt. Cover tightly and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the endives are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
Transfer the braised endives to a plate lined with multiple layers of paper towels. Allow them to cool slightly, then gently but firmly squeeze each one to extract as much remaining liquid as possible.
To make the sauce, melt 50g of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell dissipates but without letting the roux take on color.
Gradually whisk the cold milk into the hot roux in splashes, whisking vigorously after each addition to prevent lumps. Simmer for 5 minutes until heavily thickened, then stir in the nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat.
Wrap each squeezed, drained endive snugly in a slice of cooked ham. Arrange the wrapped parcels seam-side down in a single layer inside a gratin dish.
Pour the warm bechamel sauce evenly over the endives to completely coat them, ensuring no ham edges are left exposed to dry out. Sprinkle the grated gruyere cheese evenly across the top.
Bake uncovered at 200°C/400°F for 15 minutes until the sauce is vigorously bubbling around the edges of the dish.
Switch the oven setting to broil and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts into a beautifully browned, blistered crust. Watch closely to prevent burning.
Remove from the oven and let the gratin rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This allows the brutally hot sauce to stabilize and makes serving significantly easier.
Chef's Notes
- Using cold milk when making your bechamel sauce is the classic French technique for preventing lumps; the thermal shock slows the gelatinization of the starches just enough to allow you to whisk them out smoothly.
- Removing the small cone from the base of the endive is non-negotiable for palatability. That specific part holds almost all of the plant's intense, astringent sap.
- If you prefer a richer flavor profile, you can stir 50g of the gruyere directly into the finished hot bechamel before pouring it over the dish, officially transforming it into a Mornay sauce.
- A tiny pinch of sugar and the acid from the lemon juice during the braising stage help round out the natural bitterness of the chicory perfectly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a 180C oven until warmed through.
