Endive and Ham Gratin
- Savory
- French
- Comforting
- Oven
Belgian endives wrapped in ham and baked under a golden Gruyère sauce, a comforting French gratin with a bubbling, browned top.
- Total
- 75 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 45 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Making a roux · Whisking
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Trim the base of the Belgian endives, remove any bruised outer leaves, and cut each one in half lengthways.
~10 min
-
Arrange the Belgian endives cut side down in a large baking dish, season with the salt and black pepper, and bake until they are tender and lightly golden at the edges, about 25 minutes.
~25 min
Baking cut side down drives off moisture and lets the flat faces caramelise, concentrating sweetness and preventing a watery gratin.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the Belgian endives bake, make the sauce: melt the butter in an ovenproof saucepan in the oven for 3 minutes, whisk in the flour, and return to the oven for 2 minutes to cook the roux.
~3 min
Cooking the flour in the butter briefly removes its raw, pasty taste so the finished sauce tastes clean and nutty.
Making a roux Cook the flour in melted butter until it smells nutty and no raw taste remains, then add milk gradually while whisking; lumps mean the liquid went in too fast.
-
While step 2 cooks
Whisk the milk into the roux in a steady stream, add the nutmeg, and bake uncovered for 12 minutes, whisking once halfway, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in half of the Gruyère until melted.
~12 min
Adding milk gradually and whisking keeps the starch granules evenly separated, so the sauce thickens smoothly instead of turning lumpy.
Making a roux Cook the flour in melted butter until it smells nutty and no raw taste remains, then add milk gradually while whisking; lumps mean the liquid went in too fast.
Whisking Whisk in a steady stream and scrape the corners of the pan; the sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a finger-drawn line holds.
-
Wrap each baked Belgian endive half in a slice of ham and lay them back in the baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top and scatter with the remaining Gruyère.
~5 min
Squeeze the baked endives gently with tongs before wrapping so excess moisture stays out of the dish; a dry gratin browns better and does not turn watery.
-
Bake until the sauce bubbles and the Gruyère is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the gratin stand for 10 minutes before serving.
~30 min
Resting lets the sauce set slightly so portions hold together and the cheese firms up instead of running off the spoon.
