Belgium gave the world the endive, more or less by accident. In the nineteenth century, so the story goes, chicory roots stored in a dark cellar near Brussels sent up tight, pale shoots, and somebody had the good sense to eat them. Belgians still call them chicons in French and witloof, white leaf, in Dutch, and they treat them as a national vegetable, grown in the dark to keep them pale and only gently bitter.

Chicons au gratin is the way most of them are eaten at home. The endives are braised in butter until soft and sweet, each one is wrapped in a slice of cooked ham, and the rolls are laid in a dish under a thick béchamel with grated cheese and baked until the top is blistered and golden. It is the dish of grey evenings and grandmothers' kitchens, and it has the great virtue of making a slightly bitter vegetable taste like a reward.

The braised endives

Ingredients

• 8 medium Belgian endives
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Method

1. Remove any bruised outer leaves. Cut a very thin slice off the base of each endive, then use the tip of the small knife to cut out a small cone from the center of the base, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep. This is the most bitter part.
2. Melt the butter in the frying pan over medium heat. Lay in the endives side by side, sprinkle with the sugar and salt and cook for 5 minutes, turning them once. Add the water and lemon juice, cover with the lid, turn the heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them halfway.
3. Lift the endives into the colander set over the bowl and leave them to drain for at least 10 minutes. Then press each one gently between paper towels to squeeze out more liquid. Keep 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking juices for the sauce.

The cheese sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (55 g) butter
• 1/3 cup (45 g) all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) endive cooking juices
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) Gruyère cheese

Method

1. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, add the flour and stir with the wooden spoon for 2 minutes, keeping it moving so it does not brown.
2. Take the pan off the heat and pour in about a third of the warm milk, whisking hard until smooth. Add the rest of the milk in two more parts, whisking each time, then add the endive juices. Return the pan to medium heat.
3. Keep whisking, especially around the edges and bottom of the pan, until the sauce comes to a gentle boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, whisking often. Take it off the heat and stir in the nutmeg, salt, pepper and half of the cheese until melted.

Assembly and baking

Ingredients

• 8 thin slices (about 8 oz / 225 g) cooked ham
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and butter the baking dish. Lay a slice of ham flat, set a drained endive across one end, and roll it up snugly. Place it in the dish seam side down. Repeat with the rest, laying them side by side.
2. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the rolls, nudging it into the gaps with a spoon so that they are completely covered. Scatter the rest of the grated cheese over the top.
3. Bake on the middle shelf for 20 to 25 minutes. If the top is not browned enough, switch to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes and watch it closely.
4. Let the dish stand for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce settles.

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