Chicon au gratin

Ingredients

Endives

• 8Belgian endives, chicons
• 30 gbutter
• 1 tablespoonsugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• 100 mlwater

Ham

• 8 slicesof good cooked ham
• large enough to wrap

Béchamel

• 50 gbutter
• 50 gplain flour
• 600 mlwhole milk
• 150 ggrated Gruyère or Emmental
• 1 teaspoonDijon mustard
• grated nutmeg
• salt and white pepper

To finish

• 80 ggrated cheese, for the top
• a little butter

To serve

• boiled potatoes
• or crusty bread

Directions

1. Cut a cone out of the base with a knife. Take out about two centimetres of the core. Sugar and lemon in the cooking help further. Trim the base and cut out the core. Remove any damaged outer leaves. Melt the butter in a wide pan. Lay the endives in a single layer. Add the water, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Cover the pan with a tight lid.
2. Let them braise for about twenty-five minutes. Turn them once halfway through. They should be completely tender. Take the lid off for the last five minutes. Lift them out and drain them thoroughly. Press out as much water as you can. Wet endives make a watery gratin.
3. Let them cool a little before wrapping. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook that roux for two full minutes. Do not let the roux colour at all. Add the milk a little at a time.
4. Whisk each addition in fully before the next. The mixture goes thick and then loosens. Keep going until all the milk is in. Bring it up to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for five minutes, whisking. Finishing the sauce is done off the heat. Take the pan off the heat entirely.
5. Stir in the grated cheese until it melts. Adding cheese off the heat stops it stringing. Stir in the mustard and the nutmeg. Season it with salt and white pepper. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Add a little milk if it is too stiff. Wrap each drained endive in a slice of ham. Roll it up so the endive is enclosed. Butter a baking dish generously. Lay the wrapped endives in a single layer.
6. Set them all down seam side down. Pour the cheese sauce over them. Cover them completely with sauce. Scatter the extra cheese over the top. Baking it takes about twenty-five minutes. Heat the oven to 200C before baking. Bake it for about twenty-five minutes. The top should be golden and bubbling.
7. Put it under the grill briefly for more colour. Let it stand for five minutes out of the oven. It also stops it scalding the mouth. Serve two wrapped endives per person. Spoon plenty of sauce over each portion. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• Belgian endive is a chicory root forced to sprout in complete darkness, which is what keeps the shoots pale and mild rather than green and bitter.
• The traditional story of a farmer near Brussels finding pale shoots on roots left in a cellar in the eighteen thirties is told with varying details and is traditional rather than firmly documented.
• Squeezing the braised endives dry is the step that prevents a watery gratin.

Substitutions

• Any good melting cheese works, and Comte or a mild cheddar both suit it.
• The ham can be left out entirely for a vegetarian version.

Variations

• Some cooks add a little cream to the bechamel for richness.
• A version topped with breadcrumbs as well as cheese is made in some households.
• The same dish is made across the Netherlands and northern France.

History

Belgian endive was found near Brussels in the 1830s when chicory roots left in a dark cellar sprouted pale shoots.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chicon au gratin?

Chicon au gratin is a main from Belgium: endives wrapped in ham, baked under cheese béchamel. Belgian endive was found near Brussels in the 1830s when chicory roots left in a dark cellar sprouted pale shoots.

How long does Chicon au gratin take to make?

Chicon au gratin takes 30 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Chicon au gratin?

Yes, within limits. Any good melting cheese works, and Comte or a mild cheddar both suit it. The ham can be left out entirely for a vegetarian version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chicon au gratin?

Let them cool a little before wrapping. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook that roux for two full minutes. Do not let the roux colour at all. Add the milk a little at a time.