The endives’ slightly bitter taste is an elegant contrast to any topping. This recipe for baked endives paired with prosciutto is an impressive starter or side dish done in minutes with little effort. It is ideal for preparing ahead of time. Just put it in the oven when you need it.
In the US endives are called Belgian Endives and are used mostly raw for dips and in salads. In the UK they are known as Chicory and in Australia/New Zealand as Witloof. In the US “Chicory” is the name for the curly endive used as a salad.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 medium-sized Belgian endives
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp sugar
- 4 Tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
- 4 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp freshly chopped thyme
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 6 thin prosciutto slices
- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Cut endives lengthwise and sprinkle them with lemon juice to avoid oxidation.
Melt butter and sugar in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir to mix butter and sugar well until it is dissolved and starts to caramelize. Take care not to let it burn. Reduce the heat if necessary. If you do not have a frying pan large enough to accommodate endive halves without crowding them, do it in two batches using half of the butter and sugar quantity each time. As soon as the butter starts to bubble, place endives, cut side down in the pan and sauté them for about 3-5 minutes or until edges start looking golden. Set aside. If the butter starts to get too brown, reduce heat until you are able to process the remaining batch of endives.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange caramelized endive halves cut side up.
In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. The mixture should be slightly creamy. Add more cream if necessary to make it spreadable without being runny. Spoon mixture over endive halves. Arrange one prosciutto slice on top of each endive. Bake for about 15 minutes or until endives are soft but not falling apart.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle parsley on top.
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