Baked Endive With Ham Recipes

BAKED ENDIVE WITH HAM

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over moderate heat. Add the endives; they will fit snugly side by side. Add 1 cup water and the lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with the sugar. Cover with a round of parchment paper to keep the endives bathed in steam. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, then turn the endives with tongs, re-cover with the parchment, and continue cooking until you can insert a knife easily, about 20 minutes longer. Set aside until cool.
• Gently squeeze each endive to remove excess moisture, then wrap each in a slice of ham. Place in a single layer in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Put the milk and bay leaf in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low. In another small saucepan, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Simmer until smooth and slightly thickened. (It will be thin.) Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Season with nutmeg and white pepper. Remove the bay leaf.
• Pour the sauce evenly over the wrapped endives. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese on top. Bake until hot throughout and bubbly, about 25 minutes, then place the dish under a broiler and broil until the surface is lightly browned. Let rest for 15 minutes, then serve.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay or another white wine with lush texture.

BRAISED ENDIVE WITH HAM AND GRUYèRE

Steps:

• To cook the endive, combine the butter, sugar, salt, and 10 1/2 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Add the endive, cover, and cook until very tender, about 45 minutes. A knife should be able to pierce through with no resistance. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the endive to paper towels. Reserve 1 1/4 cups cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the endive.
• Wrap each endive with slices of ham. Arrange the endive in a shallow baking dish that holds them snugly; you don't want any space between the endive.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until golden. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Continue whisking and add the milk, then the reserved endive cooking liquid in a slow, steady stream. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking. Continue whisking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg and pepper.
• Pour the béchamel over the endive and spread to cover them evenly. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. If you want the top more browned and crusty, broil for a minute or two after baking. Serve hot.

ENDIVES WITH HAM

Steps:

• Remove outer layer of leaves from endives. Trim bottoms, and carve a V shape in cut side to remove cores. Place endives cut side down in a single layer in a sauté pan. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter, sprinkle with lemon juice and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Add wine and about 1 cup water to barely cover endives. Cut a circle of parchment to fit into pan and place on endives. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat, and cool in liquid.
• Melt remaining butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in warm milk, beating constantly, about 10 minutes, until béchamel sauce is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly butter a baking dish to hold endives in a single layer. Drain endives, and pat dry on paper towel. Cut ham slices in half, and wrap endive halves in ham. Place seam side down in baking dish. Spoon béchamel over and around roll-ups. Sprinkle with cheese. Set aside until shortly before serving. Refrigerate dish if waiting more than 1 hour, but bring to room temperature before baking.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, until sauce is bubbling. Briefly place dish under broiler to lightly brown top. Serve hot.

BELGIAN ENDIVE WRAPPED IN HAM WITH CHEESE / LOF MET HAM EN KAAS

Steps:

• Cut of a thin slice of the bottom of the endive, with a small knife remove the bitter core of the endive.
• Cut large heads in half and don't forget to remove the core.
• Cook the endive in salted water and the lemon juice for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked.
• Drain and put them in a colander.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• When cool enough to handle, wrap each endive in a slice of ham, also the loose leaves, put them in a greased oven proof dish, add grated nutmeg, sprinkle the cheese on top and add some flecks of butter.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

BELGIAN ENDIVE AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the endives into the water. Cover, and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place the butter into a saucepan, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and golden brown. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until well blended. Cook gently over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Preheat an oven broiler to low.
• Drain the endives. Wrap each endive with a slice of ham, and place into the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the endives. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese and parsley.
• Cook the endives under preheated broiler until cheese is golden brown and sauce bubbles, about 10 minutes.

ROASTED BELGIAN ENDIVE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425.
• Discard any of the endive's bruised or wilted outer leaves. Cut away a thin slice from the root end to remove the usually discolored surface portion of the stem. Wash the endive under cold running water, then shake off the moisture.
• Cut each head of endive in half lengthwise. Make a cut in the root end, cutting half as deep as the root is thick and running the cut from the bottom to where the leaves join the root.
• Place the endive on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the endive is browned, and very tender, 50 to 60 minutes. (It's done when you can easily pierce the root end with a fork.) Serve hot or warm.