Gratin d' endives et jambon.

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A strong influence from its neighbouring country, Belgium and in particular Flemish, is easily noticeable in many recipes from the Pas de Calais (northern France). The ham and chicory gratin is a great alternative for a tasty supper.

Serves 4

Prep and cooking time about 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of ham
  • 8 endives (chicory)
  • 100 g of grated gruyere cheese
  • 75 cl of milk
  • 80 g butter
  • 50 g flour
  • 50 g breadcrumbs
  • A good pinch of grated nutmeg
  • salt pepper

Method

Remove the withered leaves and the curly tip from the chicory (which concentrates a lot of bitterness). With a sharp knife, dig out the centre of the chicory’s base, rinse them under cold water, pat them dry with kitchen towel and cut them into two halves lengthways.

Heat 10 g of butter in a frying pan, arrange the first 8 endive halves, cut side down. Brown them over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, remove and keep warm. Return 10 g of butter to the pan, and cook the remaining 8 endive halves in the same way.

While your oven is preheating to 210 ° C or 190 ° C fan, prepare the béchamel sauce. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, remove from the heat, add the flour and mix well into a smooth paste. Add the milk in batches whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.

Put the saucepan back on the heat, and let the béchamel thicken over low-medium heat, stirring regularly. At the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and stir in half of the grated cheese.

In an ovenproof dish, wrap the endive halves two by two with a slice of ham, coat evenly with the béchamel, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes until the top browns. Serve hot with crusty bread and a side salad.

 My tips

To remove any hints of bitterness, caramelise the chicory by adding a teaspoon of sugar to the butter whilst frying them.

Add an extra depth to the taste with topping up the béchamel with a few cubes of Roquefort or similar blue cheese before adding the breadcrumbs and the gratin cheese.


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