Endives au jambon (Belgian endive gratin with ham)

 Endives au jambon is a wonderfully simple and comforting dish of Belgian endive wrapped in ham and smothered with a smooth, creamy, cheesy sauce. It's one of those dishes that's so easy to eat, and perfect for a chilly day. 

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Gratins are the kind of dish that are perfect for cooler weather, whatever name they go by. The comforting mix of tender vegetables and a gently browned top of cheese or crumbs is so good.

Potato versions like Dauphinoise potatoes and scalloped potatoes are probably the most common, but other vegetables can also work well.  Like the British staple cauliflower cheese and things like squash or leek gratin.

This version with Belgian endive adds some ham into the mix and is typically served as more of a main dish, with simple sides like salad to balance out the richness. But however you serve it, it's is packed with tasty comfort factor.

What are Belgian endives?

Belgian endives are a member of the chicory family, a group of leafy vegetables. The chicory family comes in different colors and shapes, from the larger green escarole and frisee to smaller purple radicchio, but you'd call pretty much all of them bitter greens. 

Belgian endives are one of the smaller members of the family and also one of the least bitter. It looks a bit like a small, thin lettuce and has some of the same mix of crisper stem and leafier edges. In the UK, Belgian endives are typically called chicory.

The leaves are typically pale green but you also get a red form with gently purple/red edges. But note the red version is not the same as radicchio which is more bitter - radicchio is typically more round and has more colored leaves rather than central stem.

The reason Belgian endives are so pale is because they are grown largely without light. The plants are first grown in regular soil and harvested for the roots - the chicory used in some coffee. Then the trimmed down roots are replanted in sand in a dark location to force new growth. 

What is the origin of endives au jamon?

The name "Belgian endive" is because the process to grow in this way was first developed in Belgium in the 19th century. Using chicory root in coffee was already popular, then this process to regrow the base of the root with limited light was developed.

Known as "chicon" in Belgium, it's now a core vegetable there during it's season over the colder months. You'll find it used raw in salads as well as cooked in dishes like this, known as chicon au gratin in Belgium. You'll also find this dish in Northern France, both cooked at home and in bistros.

Which place the dish originates is a little unclear, since it uses a vegetable that originates in Belgium, and a sauce from France. But it's popular these days in both and prepared much the same way.

Preparing the endives

You need to pre-cook the Belgian endives before putting together the gratin or else they will be firm and crunchy. Instead, you want them in their cooked form which is wonderfully tender. They still have some bitterness, but it is balanced out once you combine with the ham and sauce.

To achieve that, you have two options on pre-cooking: boiling or braising. Generally, I get the sense the former is more common in France, and the latter in Belgium, but it no doubt varies. 

Both ways have their pros and cons. Braising is slightly quicker and leads to a more distinct endive flavor, though can be more bitter. You also need to watch them a little so they don't brown too much on any one side.

Boiling gives a milder flavor, but takes slightly longer and you have to gently squeeze them after to remove excess water which needs to be done carefully. Really, do as you prefer. You can prepare both ways ahead of time to cut down the final cooking time.

What sauce is in endive gratin?

Some recipes call for béchamel sauce, then top the dish with some cheese, while others use Mornay sauce, which is essentially béchamel with cheese added. Since I am never one to say no to cheese, I have opted for the Mornay sauce here. I still added a little extra cheese on top as it helps it brown better.

Béchamel sauce is generally considered one of the "mother sauces" of classic French cuisine. Otherwise known as white sauce, it's simple and versatile. You just melt butter, add flour and cook gently to form a roux. Then slowly blend in milk to make a smooth, thick and creamy sauce. You typically add a little salt, pepper and nutmeg to bring out the flavors.

Mornay sauce, as I say, starts the same then adds in some cheese, typically a hard Alpine cheese like Emmental or Gruyere.

Bring it all together

Once you have your prepared endive and sauce, this comes together in mere minutes. You simply wrap each endive in ham - a cooked, ideally non-smoked ham is best - then place in a baking dish and add the sauce.

You can either just pour over the top or also add a little layer underneath. I'd say it depends how tightly packed they are - if tight, add some under. If not, it will no doubt work it's way down anyway.

Top with a little cheese then bake in the oven until the top is gently brown. Serve while still warm, though if you make extra, you can also re-heat from cold the next day.

Endives au jambon, or Belgian endive gratin, is a wonderfully simple, comforting dish that's easy to prepare. For a vegetable that maybe doesn't get all that much love otherwise, it's a silky-smooth and tender star of the show here, with a little help from a creamy, cheesy sauce and ham, of course. Delicious, and so worth enjoying soon.

Try these other cheesy comfort foods:

• Creamy chard pesto baked orzo (a tasty vegetable-loaded baked pasta)
• Zucchini involtini (a little more summer-y but still wonderfully comforting with the herby ricotta filling)
• Bacon onion spaetzle (if you don't have spaetzle, any small pasta will work in this tasty combination)
• Gnocchi alla Romana (cheesy semolina gnocchi, that works as a main dish or side)
• Plus get more French recipes and lunch recipes in the archives.

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