Braised Belgium Endive Mornay Sauce

The Belgium endives are braised, then covered with a Mornay sauce and baked in the oven and then covered with Swiss Gruyere.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes         Cooking Time: 30 minutes           Serve: 3

Ingredient List:
6 Belgian endives
1 oz butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp sugar
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
Béchamel sauce:
2-½ tbsp butter
3-½ tbsp flour
2 cups cold milk
½ tsp salt
Ground white pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
5 oz grated Swiss Gruyere

Preparation

Prepare the endives: Rinse and dry the endives and remove any leaves that have darkened. Trim the ends slightly and using a small knife, remove the bitter core at the base of each head. Place in a large flat sauce pan. Season it with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of white pepper. Add butter that is cut into knobs, sugar, lemon juice and add 1 inch of water into the pan. The water should be half of the height of the endives when laid in the pan. Cover with parchment paper with a hole in the center and put the lid on. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the center close to the core is tender.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Remove excess moisture from the endives with absorbent paper and place in a baking dish.

Make the Béchamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the flour using a wooden spoon to create a smooth, loose paste. Stir over moderate heat, allowing the butter and flour to foam for approximately 2 minutes without changing color from a buttery yellow. Remove from heat.

When the bubbling stops, pour in all but half a cup of the hot milk whisking vigorously to blend thoroughly. Then, whisk more slowly over moderate high heat, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. When the sauce cools, allow it to simmer for 1 minute. Continue stirring with a whisk, and thinning out the sauce as necessary, with drops of milk. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Whisk in the salt, pepper and 3 to 4 gratings of nutmeg. Season to taste.

Finish: Pour the Béchamel sauce on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place the dish on an oven rack. Bake for 30 minutes. Cook on maximum heat or grill. Glaze the top until the cheese becomes nicely golden brown. Serve the Belgium endives gratin when it is hot rolled in ham..

 Note: Did you know?

Cooking au gratin is a technique rather than exclusively a preparation of anything that can be sliced thin, layered with a cream sauce and baked and is material for a gratin with fennel, leeks, crabmeat, celeriac, eggplant.