A lovely rich gratin balanced out by the slight bitterness of the endives. Serve it with roast chicken or pork, or on its own with a side salad and some crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
With thanks to Rebecca Woollard for this delicious recipe.
- 50g unsalted butter, plus extra for frying
- Olive oil, for frying
- 6 green endives (chicory), stalk trimmed and halved lengthways
- 60g plain flour
- 500ml milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Juice ½ lemon
- 25g dried breadcrumbs
- 70g Parmesan cheese (or vegetarian alternative), coarsely grated
Serves 4 - 6
1. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan on the boiling plate with a drizzle of oil. When the butter sizzles, add half the endives, cut side down, and fry for 3-4 minutes, until the underside is caramelised. Turn and fry for 2 minutes more, then transfer to a gratin dish. Repeat with the remaining halves.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the 50g butter on the simmering plate, and stir in the flour to form a thick paste. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until the flour smells biscuity, then add the thyme sprigs and begin to pour in the milk, stirring constantly – the mixture will immediately seize into a sticky mass, then will gradually thin out as you add more milk.
3. Once you’ve added all the milk, keep stirring until the sauce thickens to a consistency that will thickly coat the back of a spoon, and stay apart for a second if you drag the spoon through it. Stir through the mustard and lemon juice, then season to taste and pour over the endives in the dish.
4. Mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan and scatter all over the top of the endives. Transfer to the grid shelf on the base of the roasting oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp and the sauce is bubbling up underneath. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
