The dish of my childhood. My grandmother made it every Sunday from November to March, and the kitchen windows always fogged up.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 8 Belgian endives
- 8 thin slices of cooked ham
- 40 g butter, 40 g flour, 500 ml milk
- 150 g grated Gruyère (or young Gouda)
- Nutmeg, salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar
Method
- Cut a small cone out of the base of each endive — that is where most of the bitterness hides.
- Braise the endives in a covered pan with a knob of butter, the sugar and a splash of water for 20 minutes. Drain them well and squeeze gently; watery endives ruin the sauce.
- Make a béchamel, season with nutmeg and stir in two thirds of the cheese.
- Wrap each endive in ham, lay them in a buttered dish, pour over the sauce and scatter the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 200 °C for 25 minutes until bubbling and brown.
Serve with mashed potatoes. Nothing else is required, though a cold Belgian beer does not hurt.