Buttery Braised Endive

Serves 4 to 6

Endive is a slightly bitter lettuce, but bitter isn’t necessarily bad; just consider it a vegetable for grown-ups. Our palate senses sour, salty, bitter, sweet, and umami (for more on umami, see page 239). When these flavors come together in balance, we perceive a dish to be delicious. Most Americans think of lettuce as a vegetable to be eaten raw. Europeans, however, prepare lettuce soups, as well as sauteed and braised lettuce. Step out of the box (or the salad bowl) and give this French version a try.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 
plus more for the baking dish and parchment

4 to 6 Belgian endives, root ends intact, halved lengthwise

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup chicken stock (page 227) or low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 cup fresh or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs

Butter a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold the endive in a single layer. Cut a round of parchment paper the same diameter as a large skillet: fold a rectangular sheet of parchment paper in half lengthwise. Fold the paper in half, widthwise, so that it is in quarters. Then fold the paper again three more times, creating a slender triangle. Align the tip of the triangle with the center of the skillet. Cut off the back of the paper triangle where it meets the rim of the skillet and discard. Butter one side of the parchment round.

To cook the endive, place the halves, cut sides down, in the large skillet. Add the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low. Cover with the buttered parchment round, gently tucking and pressing it around the ingredients. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer until tender when pierced with the point of a knife, 20 to 25 minutes.

For the topping, preheat the broiler. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked endive, cut sides down, to the prepared baking dish. Combine the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the endive, and broil about 4 inches from the heat until golden and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Reprinted with permission from Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking by Virginia Willis, copyright © 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press.