Endives wrapped in ham, served in a cheese sauce. This is a very French way of cooking Endives, and interestingly our very first meal we prepared in France.
This is a wonderful rustic French dish, perfect as a main course along with a green salad with mustard vinaigrette.
INGREDIENTS Serves 4
70 g unsalted butter
30 g sugar
3 tablespoons sea salt
8 large yellow Belgian endive, trimmed
8 thinly sliced Black Forest ham
Juice of a lemon
For the bechamel
30 g unsalted butter
70 g all-purpose flour
500 ml whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
250 g Gruyère cheese, shredded
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160C
Melt 30 g of butter in a heatproof gratin dish, over a low heat. Add the endive spears and cook, turning them occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Add 3 tablespoons of water and the juice of half a lemon cover the endive with a piece of parchment paper, and bake the endives in the oven until fully cooked. They’re done when you pierce one with the tip of a sharp paring knife, and it meets no resistance.
Wrap each endive with slices of ham. Arrange the endive in a shallow baking dish that holds them snugly; you don’t want any space between the endive.
Turn the oven up to 200C
To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until golden. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Continue whisking and add the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking. Continue whisking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg and pepper.
Pour the béchamel over the endive and spread to cover them evenly. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.
Serve warm.
Original recipe Simon Hopkinson
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