Endivie does not grow wild in nature, its natural form is chicory, which has green leaves and is quite bitter.
The discovery of the way of growing was made by Belgians, it dates from the time when Belgium was formed.
In 1830, during the Belgian revolution, a farmer from Schaerbeek, Jan Lammers, watched skirmishes near his farm, he decided to leave; to protect his products , he covered them with ground.Among his crops he had chicory, widely consumed in Belgium at the time.After a few weeks, when the farmer returned to his farm, he was surprised by the fact that chicory had grown with white leaves , and its taste was less bitter, this new chicory was called 'witloof' (White leaf in Flemish).Years later,Frans Bresiers, the head of the Belgian National Botanical Garden, made a few tests and grew the endive the way we know it today.Belgium is the country in the world where endives are eaten in greater quantity, Today I present you a very popular Belgian recipe, endices wrapped with ham and cheese bechamel ,really delicious!.
In 1830, during the Belgian revolution, a farmer from Schaerbeek, Jan Lammers, watched skirmishes near his farm, he decided to leave; to protect his products , he covered them with ground.Among his crops he had chicory, widely consumed in Belgium at the time.After a few weeks, when the farmer returned to his farm, he was surprised by the fact that chicory had grown with white leaves , and its taste was less bitter, this new chicory was called 'witloof' (White leaf in Flemish).Years later,Frans Bresiers, the head of the Belgian National Botanical Garden, made a few tests and grew the endive the way we know it today.Belgium is the country in the world where endives are eaten in greater quantity, Today I present you a very popular Belgian recipe, endices wrapped with ham and cheese bechamel ,really delicious!.
Ingredients:
- 8 endives.
- 8 ham slices.
- 400 ml milk.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- 4 tablespoons flour.
- 150 grams of butter.
- 300 grams grated cheese (better if gruyère).
- 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Salt.
- Pepper.
- Nutmeg.
Method:
1- Clean endives and take out the outer leaves, cut the base.
3- Melt 50 grams butter in a saucepan medium heat.
4- Add endives to the pan, add sugar, put the quantity of water you need to half cover the endives.
5- Cook covered at medium heat for 15 minutes. Five minutes after starting cooking add the garlic.
6- Stirr regularly , after 15 minutes endives will be slightly caramelized:
7- Place endives on an absorbent paper , let them dry for 30 minutes. (Keep the liquid of cooking the endives in the saucepan).
8- In another pan we prepare the bechamel sauce, melt 100 grams butter at high heat, add flour . Once butter is melted put aside and let the mix get slightly red.
9- Add milk little by little and stirr quickly with a wooden spoon.
10- Add 300 ml of the remaining cooking water (if you have less quantity add that quantity) keep stirring.
11- Set at low heat , add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
12- Add half of the cheese and let it melt , keep stirring until the mix becomes thick and creamy.
13- Roll up each endive in a ham slice, put the rolls in a oven proof plate.
14- Pour bechamel over the rolls.
15- Preheat oven at 210ºC and place the plate into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes , heat above and below.
16- After 10 minutes of cooking we add over the endives the remaining cheese , let cook in the oven for another 10 minutes.
17- Serve hot accompanied by fries or mashed potatoes.
My Comments to the Recipe
cheese bechamel is delicious , it provides softness to the endives, they can be a Little bitter but the taste is wonderfull thanks to all the ingredients of the plate.
Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:
Sources:
http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_ainsi-naquit-le-chicon?id=5568513
http://www.supertoinette.com/fiche-cuisine/251/naissance-et-culture-de-l-endive-ou-chicon.HTML
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