BELGIAN ENDIVE in its raw state is extremely bitter. But to some, it can be a delicious bitter when mixed into a salad dressed simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. Another common form of preparation is braising and now that the temperature has fallen sufficiently to warrant such mode d'emploi, I decided to make some yesterday. It didn't hurt that I had 8 big heads in the fridge just ripe for cooking.
It's always best to trim the outer leaves. I trim the base just ever so slightly with a paring knife and then split the endive in half lengthwise so you have two very nice looking spears.
This particular dish was contrived as a compliment to a leftover (roasted eggplant). Keeping that in mind, this is how I braised my endive.
8 Belgian Endive (rinsed under cold water, trimmed and sliced in half, lengthwise
2 tbs. unsalted butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup stock
1 tbs. tomato paste (or 2-3 tbs. leftover sauce that you have)
Melt 2 tbs. unsalted butter and 2 tbs. olive oil with a little bit of Kosher salt in a pan large enough to hold all the endive comfortably without crowding.
Saute the endive over moderate heat until the bottoms are nicely browned and the butter takes on the color of nutmeg. Add the chicken stock and the tomato paste (I used leftover tomato sauce with saffron) and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer and cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes. Take a look every so often to make sure the juices are covering all the endive. When finished, the endive should have taken on a dark hue and have formed a softened version of its harder self.
Remove from heat and let rest for about 15 minutes (covered).
Place a warm piece or two of eggplant on a plate and arrange a spear over each piece and drizzle on some sauce and serve immediately.
It's always best to trim the outer leaves. I trim the base just ever so slightly with a paring knife and then split the endive in half lengthwise so you have two very nice looking spears.
This particular dish was contrived as a compliment to a leftover (roasted eggplant). Keeping that in mind, this is how I braised my endive.
8 Belgian Endive (rinsed under cold water, trimmed and sliced in half, lengthwise
2 tbs. unsalted butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup stock
1 tbs. tomato paste (or 2-3 tbs. leftover sauce that you have)
Melt 2 tbs. unsalted butter and 2 tbs. olive oil with a little bit of Kosher salt in a pan large enough to hold all the endive comfortably without crowding.
Saute the endive over moderate heat until the bottoms are nicely browned and the butter takes on the color of nutmeg. Add the chicken stock and the tomato paste (I used leftover tomato sauce with saffron) and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer and cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes. Take a look every so often to make sure the juices are covering all the endive. When finished, the endive should have taken on a dark hue and have formed a softened version of its harder self.
Remove from heat and let rest for about 15 minutes (covered).
Place a warm piece or two of eggplant on a plate and arrange a spear over each piece and drizzle on some sauce and serve immediately.
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