Many people find Belgian endives too bitter and need to acquire a taste for them. Belgian endives lose however some of their bitterness when braised, especially with a sprinkle of sugar. Cutting off the bottom of the trunk of the Belgian endives will also reduce their bitterness. Be sure though to cut off this end after braising the Belgian endives. If you cut them off beforehand the leaves of the Belgian endives will fall apart.
- 1 kilo Belgian endive either whole or cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tbsp olive oil or a little less butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 dash nutmeg
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or white sugar
- 60 ml water (start with a little water and add more if you need it).
Wash the Belgian endives. Remove outer leaves. Cut each Belgian endive in half lengthwise.
Pour the olive oil or the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the Belgian endives, salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes turning the Belgian endives over a couple times to get them brown.
Add the nutmeg, minced garlic and sugar. Continue to cook for another minute or so, turning them over once.
Add a little water and continue to cook over until the endives become tender (about 10 to 15 minutes more). Turn them over from time to time to get all sides sauteed but be gentle since endives have a tendency to fall apart (like onions) when cooked.
Mornay Sauce
A Mornay sauce is essentially a bechamel sauce with a combination of cheese melted in. Some know the bechamel sauce by its less elegant name of white sauce. Bechamel sauce definitely sounds better, even if it’s basically only milk, flour and butter with a little salt, pepper and nutmeg. That’s it!
Traditionalists add an egg yolk to give it more creamy consistency (and reduce the amount of flour used). Yet I don’t think it’s necessary. I also often use olive oil instead of butter to improve its health benefits and make it vegan if I’m going that way.
With a Mornay sauce, at the end you add a combination of grated cheese, usually made up of Gruyère, Emmental, and Parmesan, or any single cheese. White cheddar or other cheeses can be used if you are feeling less conventional. A Mornay sauce is a wonderful base for any Mac and Cheese dish!
Roux
- 100 ml olive oil or equivalent in butter
- 60 g all purpose flour (or non-gluten alternative)
Sauce
- 1000 ml milk low fat (or other if you prefer) – See notes
- 100 g cheese grated (Parmesan, Emmental and/or Gruyère)
- 1 pinch nutmeg freshly grated or ground
- white pepper or black pepper if you don’t care it’s not pure white
- 2 dashes salt to taste
- braised belgium endives
- mornay sauce
- 500 g smoked salmon
- 30 gram grated cheese
Roux
- Mix the olive oil and the flour together in a small bowl until you have a grainy paste. This paste is called a “roux” as it will help thicken a sauce as it cooks. Some people like it thicker than others and start with 1/1 olive oil to flour ratio. I use less flour here yet my sauce ends up thick enough, especially if you will add it to a dish that will bake further in the oven.
- Put a sauce pot over a medium flame. Add the roux mixture into the heated pot and stir. Continue until it starts boiling (small bubbles) (2-3 minutes).
Sauce
- Add cold milk (see notes) and whisk the ingredients together making sure it is smooth. Continue stirring from time to time until the milk begins to boil gently (small bubbles on the edges.
- Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
- Reduce heat to low flame and continue heating the mixture in the pot until you reach the thickness that you like. Remember it will thicken further when you add the cheese and even more if you use this sauce in a casserole that will cook more time in the oven.
- Remove the pot from the stove. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Adjust seasoning and use.
Notes
With a Béchemel sauce or any sauce made from a Béchemel sauce, it is essential to start with cold ingredients (butter and milk) and only add the milk when the roux is hot (slightly boiling). The combination of hot-cold is required to get a smooth consistency. This sauce can be made vegan, gluten-free or more rich if you like. If you use low fat or nonfat milk you might need to cook a little longer to get the thickness you like OR need to add a little more flour.
Baked Lof
Put the braised Belgian endives in a colander over a bowl and let drain excess liquid. Keep the liquid for later step.
Use a spatula to remove some of the excess liquid from the Belgian endives (with the little bits remaining) and add it to the Mornay sauce. Mix. Watch not to put too much liquid inside or else the Mornay sauce might become too thin.
Spoon some Mornay sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish so that it is about 2/3 covered. Place each Belgian endive close beside the others. Continue in this way until all Belgian endives are used.
Spread some sauce on top of each layer of rolled Belgian endives. Sprinkle a little of the extra grated cheese on top of each layer and sprinkle with fried smoked salmon. Keep any extra sauce to serve with the mashed potatoes at the table.
Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F). Place the casserole dish(es) in top half of the oven. Cook about 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Serve the casserole of chicons au gratin with mashed potatoes and any remaining Mornay sauce.