I thought I’d share a few fun facts about endive along with a recipe that works well as a side dish or appetizer called Belgian Endive Crespelle.
There are many other easy and delicious ways to prepare Belgian Endive: braised, sautéed or oven roasted are just a few.
Belgian endive is a small cylindrical head of pale, tightly packed leaves. Endive, first cultivated by a Belgian in the 1830s, are principally grown in the French part of Flanders and Picardy. In fact, France is now the No. 1 producer of endive. It is also known as chicon, witloof (white leaf) or barbe-de-bouc (goat’s beard). Endive is raised under a covering of straw to deprive it of light so that it retains its white color. Once out of the dark, it turns green and develops a bitter flavor.
Whiteness is the key to freshness with endive; when buying it, avoid those with any green. Buy crisp, firmly packed heads of Belgian endive and store them wrapped in a paper towel inside a plastic bag for a day or two.
The peak season for Belgian endive is November through April. On a healthy note, endive is a great source of vitamin A.
Most of us think of endive as an ingredient in salads. While that works, there are many other easy and delicious ways to prepare it: braised, sautéed or oven roasted are just a few. The French and Belgians have many ways to prepare this winter vegetable. The most famous is probably as a gratin with or without ham. In Flanders, endive is often served as an entrée with crushed hard-boiled eggs and butter or in a salad with potatoes. I have another preparation idea – try Belgian Endive Crespelle.
Belgian Endive Crespelle
Serves 8
8 large Belgian endive, with ¼-inch cut off the end
2 oz. butter
1 C chicken stock
Salt and white pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 C whole cream
1 C ground parmesan or Gruyere
1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
8 thin slices of quality ham of your choice
8 thin crepes
Place the endive with butter, chicken stock and salt and pepper in an oven-proof dish. Cover with foil and place in a preheated 450 degree F oven. Bake for aproximately 45 minutes or until tender.
When the endive are ready, place in a colander to drain. Keep the liquid. Squeeze endive until dry. Set aside.
Put all cooking liquid in saucepan and reduce by half. Add cream, salt and pepper, cheese and nutmeg. Gently simmer until it thickens. Wrap endive in ham and then in the crepes. Place in oven-proof dish, pour sauce over them and bake for 15 minutes.
This is now ready to be served as an appetizer. To serve as an entreé, I would omit the crepes and bake in the oven with mashed potatoes. You can also replace the endive with leek, another excellent winter vegetable.
