Endive Gratin with Ham and Gruyere Cheese

by
  4.2 – 32 reviews  • Main Dish
Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 5 min
Cook: 1 hr 25 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 5 min
Cook: 1 hr 25 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  1. 8 endives, intact but cored
  2. 4 tablespoons butter
  3. 8 slices low-sodium ham
  4. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  5. 2 cups whole milk
  6. Freshly cracked black pepper, for seasoning
  7. 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  8. 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Special Equipment: Steaming basket
  2. Serving Suggestion: French baguette, sliced
  3. Preheat oven to 350 to 375 degrees F.
  4. In a large pot fitted with a steaming basket, bring 1-inch of water to a boil. Place the endives in the basket, cover, and let cook until very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander and let drain, pushing down on the endives with a clean kitchen towel until as much of the water as possible has been expelled. Do not mush the endives!
  5. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the foam has subsided, add the endives and cook, turning occasionally, until brown and caramelized on all surfaces. Remove from heat and wrap each endive in 1 slice of the ham. Set aside.
  6. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. When the foam has subsided whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, being careful not to brown the flour. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream. Bring to a boil whisking constantly, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Season with a generous amount of pepper and the nutmeg.
  7. Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch flameproof ceramic baking dish, then arrange the ham-wrapped endives on top in a single layer. Cover with the remaining sauce and the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler, transfer the pan to the top rack, and broil until the cheese has patches of golden goodness – about 2 minutes. Serve hot with generous amounts of sauce and baguette slices.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 8 servings
Calories 268
Total Fat 19 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Carbohydrates 8 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 16 g
Cholesterol 69 mg
Sodium 551 mg
Serving Size 1 of 8 servings
Calories 268
Total Fat 19 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Carbohydrates 8 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 16 g
Cholesterol 69 mg
Sodium 551 mg

Reviews

Priscilla Perez
Loved this recipe and have made it several times since seeing this episode air again on the Cooking channel. In the interest of time, I once sliced the endive and put them in to saute without boiling. That worked fine. I used it once with sliced turkey, also good. With ham, I added mustard to the white sauce. It’s a shame that this show didn’t last. In the reruns, it’s clear that Amy Finley brings something different and special in the kinds of recipes that she makes. It makes the other shows seem pretty ordinary and repetitious.
Danielle Lam
I loved this! I had no idea what to expect since I’ve never had endive or gruyere cheese but I love to try new things and this didn’t dissappoint! My mom loved it too! So did my 24 yr old step son and 13 yr old daughter! Thanks for the inspiration!
Brady Craig
I’m always looking for something a little different to make and thought this dish looked intriguing. I was not let down- this is a keeper and will definitely make again.
Amy Martinez
I didn’t like this dish. The cheese was too gooey and I feel that the recipe doesn’t have enough spice or flavor.The host seems bland. She doesn’t seem like a real cook. Most good cooks are medium or fat because they eat well. She’s too skinny. I don’t think she eats her food. I hope the show gets better.
Joshua Cook
Took a long time to prepare. Looked beautiful. YUCK! No one in my family liked.
Karen Thomas
We are low-carbers (5 plus years) and so I tweaked this just a bit – used Carbalose flour (2 heaping tablespoons) in place of flour and substituted 1.25 cups cream and .75 cup water for the 2 cups of milk. I also thought the bechamel a bit bland so I added 1/2 teaspoon of a Porter mustard. Otherwise I followed the directions and was quite pleased. Will put this in my “make it every now and then” repertoire. I was a bit hesitant because normally my husband doesn’t like bitter-tasting veggies, but after steaming and then browning til caramelized, the endives were mellow and delicious!
Stephanie Brooks
This was a good, but somewhat time consuming recipe. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone who likes endive. The endive can be bitter, but w/ the sauce and cheese-yummy! Thanks, Amy.
Beth Braun
Honestly: This recipe isnt all that great. Other than the taste of the ham & cheese the flavors just werent there for me. I made the recipe according to the directions. Didn’t add or delete anything. As far as the Endive goes, I personally dont like a real bland vegitable with mushy texture (such as cabbage and overcooked celery). Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Eddie Dodson
It was a nice combination of different flavors. I used a rosemary ham, which added extra depth.

I won’t add a separate comment about the mushroom salad there, so I’ll say here that it was delicious! It complemented the endive gratin beautifully. I’ve already thought of other ways to use the dressing. (My husband, the non-cook, made the dressing while I did the other. He scored!)

Thanks, Amy. I’ve missed your show for various reasons and am glad I caught it today. It’s a little bit of Julia. Looking forward to more from you.

Jesse Valdez
Dear Amy,

Thank you for showing a large audience how to make “chicon au gratin”, or endive gratin with ham and gruyere cheese as you appropriately called it.

I was very surprised and disappointed that you called it French. Just because people in France love to cook Belgian dishes and defenitely visa versa, doesn’t mean our both country’s traditions have to be mixed up.

I loved hwo you stoved the endives first, let them drain and finally caramelized them. We Belgians always stove it with butter on a low fire for around 60 minutes. We add some nutmeg and black pepper (no salt cause the cheese has enough salt already) while the endives are stoving, flipping them occasionally (keep the lid on). This way they caramelize and give some juices of the plant, which we add to the bechamel sauce.

We use twice as much sauce as you did, and mix in a little bit of plain bread crumbs with the top gruyere cheese before putting it in the oven, to give it a little more crunch.

But you can do it many many ways, there is no right or wrong of course, please just understand the roots of this dish are pure Belgian.

For more info on different dishes with Belgian endives i googled this site

http://www.sallys-place.com/food/cuisines/belgium.htm

For any questions or comments, feel free to email me at lievenvenken@hotmail.com

I wish everyone a Happy New Year,

Sincerely,

Lieven

 

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