gaidgin Recipe ∽ Belgian Endive au Gratin

Belgian endive (called 'witloof' in Dutch or 'chicon' in Belgian French) has an ivory-white head with pale yellow-edged, closely wrapped leaves, a mildly bitter flavor, and tender juicy texture.

Ingredients

• 8 heads Belgian endive, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
• 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or amount to taste
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 slices deli-style ham
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Cooking Directions

1. Lightly grease a baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the endives into the water. Cover, and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Place the butter into a saucepan, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and golden brown. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until well blended. Cook gently over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Preheat an oven broiler to low.
5. Drain the endives. Wrap each endive with a slice of ham, and place into the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the endives. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese and parsley.
6. Cook the endives under preheated broiler until cheese is golden brown and sauce bubbles, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

• calories206.6
• carbohydrateContent20.4 g
• cholesterolContent28.7 mg
• fatContent10.1 g
• fiberContent16 g
• proteinContent12.8 g
• saturatedFatContent5.7 g
• sodiumContent210.4 mg
• sugarContent2.8 g