Читать книгу A Long and Messy Business - Rowley Leigh - Страница 59

BAKED ENDIVES WITH HAM AND CHEESE

Smoked ham seems an especially good match for the

endives but other hams will do very well, including Parma

and other raw hams. Similarly, Parmesan works well too.

Serves four.

8 witloof endives (chicory)

80g (23⁄4oz) unsalted butter,

plus extra for greasing

juice of 2 lemons

½ large glass of dry white

wine (say 100ml/3½fl oz)

2 teaspoons golden caster

sugar

2 tablespoons plain flour

250ml (9fl oz) milk

a sprig of thyme

2 bay leaves

1 onion, peeled and sliced

3 cloves

grated nutmeg, for seasoning

125ml (4fl oz) double cream

8 slices of cooked smoked

ham

50g (13⁄4oz) Gruyère or

Emmenthal cheese, grated

salt and white pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4).

Remove the outside leaves of the endives. Butter a large

gratin dish and lay the endives on top. Dot with 50g (13⁄4oz)

of the butter and add the lemon juice, white wine, sugar

and a good seasoning of salt and freshly ground white

pepper. Cover with a sheet of buttered foil and bake in the

oven for 45 minutes.

Melt the remaining 30g (1oz) butter in a small

saucepan and add the flour, stirring to make a roux. Once

it is a sandy texture, moisten with a few tablespoons of the

milk to make a smooth paste, then very gradually pour in

the remainder, whisking constantly until the sauce forms.

Add the thyme, bay leaves, onion and cloves, then season

with salt, pepper and a hint of nutmeg and simmer on an

extremely gentle heat for 20 minutes. Strain the béchamel

sauce then return it to the saucepan.

Pour off the liquid from the endives into the warm

béchamel, whisk well, then add the cream. Bring to a

simmer and cook for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally

and reducing slightly.

Once the endives have cooled a little, wrap each one

in a slice of ham and return to the gratin dish. Cover

generously with the sauce and return to the oven for

10 minutes. Sprinkle over the cheese and brown under

a hot grill or in the oven at 200°C (400°F, Gas Mark 6).

Serve with a salad for a light lunch or supper, or on their

own as a starter.

WINE: Whites will have to full bodied whilst retaining

good acidity: an Alsace Sylvaner, a Trocken Riesling, a

Bordeaux blanc all suggest themselves. A serious

Beaujolais might be even better.

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