Belgian endive packs a delightful hint of bitterness. Combine it with a spunky cheese and toasted walnuts–it’s magic. Team it with apples, bacon or smoked salmon, it’s irresistible.
This torpedo-shaped beauty is cream-colored, tinged with pale green or yellow at the tips. The color can indicate just how much bitterness is contained in its tightly packed leaves. It’s grown in the dark to keep it light in color. The whiter it is, the milder.
Along with escarole, radicchio and curly endive, Belgian endive (pronounced variously EN-dyv, ANH-deev and anh-DEEV) is a member of the chicory tribe.
In Belgium, it’s known by its Flemish name, witloof. In England, it’s called chicory. In France, it’s called endive. But no matter what you dub it, it’s delectable raw or cooked.
Belgian endive leaves make wonderful edible holders for appetizer-style dips and spreads. Use individual leaves instead of crackers, bread or chips. Whether you top it with cream cheese and smoked salmon, a spoonful of Parmesan walnut salad or minty tabbouleh (a bulgur wheat salad), Belgian endive has a crisp, crunchy texture and unique, snappy flavor.
Delicious and pragmatic too. Lift a leaf. The soft sides curl around the filling, taco style. Not one drop falls out of the handy wrapper.
Before filling, pull off and discard any wilted or brown leaves. Trim the base so that you can separate the head into individual leaves. Wipe leaves with a damp towel. Some chefs like to cut the base on the diagonal; others leave them blunt.
Fill leaves and arrange them with their pointed ends toward the outside edge of the platter. The tips form side-by-side Gothic arches, making for a dramatic, flowerlike presentation. If filled in advance, refrigerate, loosely covered with a damp paper towel, up to 1 1/2 hours.
Grilled, baked, sauteed or braised: When you cook Belgian endive, it develops a velvety, meltingly tender texture and a nutty taste. It can be a side dish or first course. Wrapped in bacon or combined with pork or chicken in a creamy casserole, it can become the main event.
Look for Belgian endive that is snow-white with just a little yellow at the tips of the leaves. (There is a red variety that is burgundy-tinged at the tips, but it’s not widely available.) If it has been exposed to light for more than a few hours, it will start to turn green (and may taste more bitter). After you get it home, immediately store it in the vegetable crisper, keeping it away from light, and consume within a few days.
Here are a few fast ways to use Belgian endive, some raw and some cooked.
– Appetizer spears with spunk: Make a creamy goat cheese spread scented with fresh parsley and green onions, then pipe it on the endive leaves using a pastry bag fitted with a large, star tip. Finely mince two sliced green onions (including one-third of the dark green tops) and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley; place in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add 5 ounces of soft, Montrachet-style goat cheese and 2 tablespoons whipping cream; process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pipe onto endive leaves. If desired, garnish with tiny slivers of red bell pepper.
– Canapes with Parmesan walnut salad. Combine one clove of finely minced garlic, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, and 2 tablespoons each lemon juice and olive oil. Add 1/4 pound Parmesan cheese (cut into 1/8-inch cubes), and 1/2 cup each finely chopped celery and finely chopped toasted walnuts. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dip wide end of each endive leaf into salad, scooping about 1 tablespoon of salad onto it. (This idea is adapted from “The Best of Gourmet 1996.”)
– Sausage, pear and endive entree: Place four small endive heads in a buttered 3-quart, ovenproof casserole. Top with 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths, and 1 cup chicken broth. Heat to boil on high heat. Cover; bake 15 minutes in 350-degree oven. Turn endive and bake 10 more minutes. Sprinkle one large pear (peeled, cored and cut in fourths) with 1 teaspoon lemon juice; add to mixture, along with 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley. Bake 15 minutes. Baste pears with pan juices, top with 1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and broil 6 to 8 inches below broiler element until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
– Grilled and thrilled: Prepare grill. Cut two large Belgian endive heads in half lengthwise. Brush with two teaspoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, cut side down, about six minutes. Turn and grill until just tender, about five more minutes. Serve as is or drizzle with a little vinaigrette and top with grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese.
– Clam dip dippers: Prepare your favorite clam dip. Use crisp endive leaves as edible scoops. Make sure the dip is a little soupy, adding a little clam juice as needed to thin it out.
CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC-GLAZED BELGIAN ENDIVE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, separated into rings
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 medium heads Belgian endive, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until done, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and oregano; cook until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer onion to plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add endive; cook until beginning to brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes.
3. Cover skillet and cook until endive softens, about 5 minutes. Return onion to skillet. Sprinkle with brown sugar; stir until sugar melts, about 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate.
4. Add vinegar to skillet; boil until slightly thickened, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add chicken to skillet; turn to coat with glaze. Arrange chicken on platter. Arrange vegetables around chicken. Drizzle with remaining glaze; sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 305 Fat ……….. 13 g Saturated fat .. 2.2 g
% calories from fat .. 39 Cholesterol .. 70 mg Sodium …….. 115 mg
Carbohydrates …… 17 g Protein ……. 29 g Fiber ………… 6 g
PORK CHOP CASSEROLE WITH BELGIAN ENDIVE
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: About 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
6 boneless pork loin chops, about 1/2-inch thick
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup flour or as needed
3 tablespoons butter
3 medium heads Belgian endive, cut in fourths lengthwise
1 tablespoon water
2 large shallots, peeled, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons grated
Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
1. Season chops with salt and pepper. Coat chops with flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops in single layer. Cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Turn; cook until second side is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Place chops in single layer in large gratin pan or baking pan. Do not clean skillet.
2. Place endive in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon water. Cover; simmer 20 minutes. Drain; season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add shallots to skillet in which pork browned; cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cream; cook over high heat 5 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of skillet to loosen any browned particles from pork.
4. Place drained endive between chops. Spoon cream sauce over all; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until pork tests done, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 410 Fat ………… 32 g Saturated fat .. 18 g
% calories from fat .. 70 Cholesterol .. 135 mg Sodium ……. 190 mg
Carbohydrates ……. 9 g Protein …….. 22 g Fiber ……… 2.2 g
