Endives gratin with ham
======================= 2025-02-19 *


Inspired by: Endives au jambon


Comment: You need a good endive/ham ratio, so either use store-bought slices of ham and use 2 for each endive or go to the butcher and buy proper slices of ham, thick enough, to wrap whole endive. Make sure you have a large enough baking dish. As we will first braise the endives, use 1 or 2 pans depending on the number of endives to prepare. A 28 cm frying pan is suitable for 6 to 7 endives, maybe 8 small ones. If your endives are very large, you can cut them in half. A 28 cm skillet goes for 6-7 endives, maybe 8 small.


For 5 people

Ingredients:
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10 endives
2 slices of ham per endive or 1 if thick enough
2 or 4 garlic cloves (2 per pan)
1.5 dl (deciliter) of liquid per pan (good vegetable broth or chiocken broth)

Bechamel:
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60 g flour
60 g of butter + a little to butter the dish
0.9 l milk
200 g of grated good Gruyère
S + P + nutmeg


Preparation:
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Prepare the endives (remove the damaged leaves, cut the bottom of the trunk and rinse them).

Brown the endives in a little oil or butter for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices and add them to the pan. Season the endives with salt and pepper.
Add 1.5 dl of liquid per pan. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes, turning them once halfway through cooking. Check that it is cooked through with the tip of a knife. Remove the endives from the pan, reserve the residual liquid.

Prepare the bechamel (S + P + nutmeg). Include the endive cooking liquid in the bechamel sauce. Off the heat, add half of the Gruyère cheese and mix (this turns it into a Mornay sauce).

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Butter a gratin dish. Wrap the endives in a slice of ham (or 2 thinner slices). Place them side by side in the gratin dish. Cover with the bechamel, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère.

In the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes while it browns slightly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.