Cooking endives (chicory) gratin with ham | conquering bitterness fear

[@aagguujjaa]

Kudos on trying something you didn`t like but gave it another chance. People need to do that more often.

[@Tintifax06]

I love that bitterness, but I also love your way of presenting it- great recipy, great story. Love your channel 😁

[@nicolethijs5428]

The most Belgian dish there is! You can eat it with mash patatoes but we always eat it with baguettes. Bitternes is much less these days. Its almost hard to find, witloof / endives or chicoree that still has that bitterness. Most witloof, are grown on waterbeds, these days. The better quality ones are grown in the soil. I live in Belgium in the area where we grow this a lot. So its something we make all time and you find this dish in loads of restaurants. Be warned although you can make this in advance and put it in the oven and grill it off later you are taking the chance its gets bad. The combination of the cheese, milk and the juices of the endives spoil it quit quick( it gets sour real fast)

[@nastyHarry]

Congratulations on how well your channel is doing! Last time I watch one of your videos you had less than 10k subscribers. I cant say I'm surprised though because I always thought your videos were of high quality

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks a lot

[@francoisehembert3243]

And called “chicon” in (French speaking part of) Belgium.
This dish is commonplace in Belgium.
I love the bitterness !
To remove the excess moisture my mom used a salad spinner (used gently 😄)
And lastly, instead of black pepper, I prepare the chicons with butter, stock, and some nutmeg.

[@thhseeking]

Plain fried in "du bon beurre" 😁

[@panuntukan]

For myself I usually cut each endive in two in length, to have it well braiséed inside. I try to obtain a light brown coloration (and this "caramel" taste), then I low down the heat and cover, and turn the endives upside down once in a while, delicately because they are cut, and more fragile. For my daughter, I put some fried bacon chunks on the ham before rolling the endive in it (and we call this variation "à l'alsacienne"). My daughter is crazy about this "smoky" taste. I prefer without, only with a premium ham, but I think you can try it. Maybe you will like it. Thank you Chef Stéphane ! Please go on with these "french family recipes", I am sure they are very appreciated also by your followers. I suggest you the "bavette à l'échalote". Also the story of this recipe is interesting, linked to the La Villette slaughterhouse.

[@mariescoco]

Love your channel. Thank you for helping me explore French cooking!

[@dselby5]

I was really happy to see this, it is one of my favorite dishes. An old Dutch friend of mine used to make it. I saw it on the menu several times is restaurants in Belgium. Thank you for making this. I’m really happy to have found your channel.

[@ello7222]

Stéphane, to reduce the bitterness significantly, you should cut out the stem cone-shaped. It's a difference like day and night.

[@WastrelWay]

Yes, he mentioned cutting out the stem, and then said he wasn't going to do it because 1) some people like the bitterness and 2) we should respect the vegetables as they are.

[@HickoryDickory86]

@@WastrelWay "we should respect the vegetables as they are" Well, vegetables don't grow already wrapped in ham and cooked, so…

[@philjordan1749]

"It's not that bad!" A ringing endorsement if ever I've heard one :)

[@larsio72]

Phil Jordan :-)

[@oceanbaby4521]

Beautiful recipe, and it looks like it it tastes even better! Thanks Stephan😋👩🏽‍🍳🍷♥️

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks for the feedback thinking back really the bitterness was really toned down but that bechamel sauce with the ham yum

[@gregb3576]

I love this guy! His asides set me off.

[@misottovoce]

Of course in Flemish, they are also called Witloof. The technique of raising them similar to growing white asparagus originated in Flanders. When I lived in Antwerp (Anvers) I learned from a Flemish woman that before you remove any leaves, with a thin short knife, you core out some of the core. Then you remove a few more leaves, because some may have fallen away. Some use a bechamel sauce but she chopped the leaves, sauteed them added lots of cream and made a reduction. This took at least 1/2 hour. This reduction was strained which by now had thickened. In the meantime, the chicory were soaking submerged in water with at least one lemon of juice and a little salt added. I use a heavy plate to submerge them. This definitely reduced bitterness. Braising them later to which a LITTLE sugar was added also balanced the flavours. Thank you for all your work...love your channel!

[@_araminta_]

Love them! They're called Chicorée (Cichorium intybus) in Germany, and I personally prefer them with a touch of bitterness. :) What we call "Endivien" (Cichorium endivia) over here is used as salad and looks totally different.

[@Rudderify]

Great recipe, as always. You need tons more subscribers and followers. Thanks for the knowledge!

[@DavidMaurand]

my (french) grandmother used to talk about on-deev and i never knew what she was talking about. now i'm going to make this... looks more like a celebration of my childhood cluelessness, but she would call it 'penance.' either way, it will be delicious.

[@Uneekname]

I love easy recipes :) I've never had endive before. I'm going to try it soon!

[@ellesinky8667]

You can also try and eat it raw in a salad: cut into 1-2 cm pieces (a bit like iceberg lettuce) with some diced Emmental and maybe some chopped walnuts and a light vinaigrette. Another classic!

[@donbrown1284]

Just what a cook wants to hear, "It's not that bad!"

[@dwaynewladyka577]

I think that looks great. Cheers!

[@olgaguadalupeortegadavalos1551]

CONGRATULATIONS !!!
It's a great recipe !!!

[@aliciaarden2019]

You always turn something pretty ordinary into a magic food. Such is your touch. 👏👏👏

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Thanks🙂

[@gunlovingliberal1706]

The green part is where the bitterness is. Buy endives as free of green as possible. That makes a world of difference. Wonderful recipe and great video. Thank you.

[@davidsouza7871]

Great video...presented in a way that it appears "doable" to make..thank you

[@alcogito8287]

I was shopping for vegetables when a tall good looking Dutch man next to me was stuffing his bag full of what we call Bengian endives. He took all there were, then turned to me and commented that they were half the price of the ones at a nearby store. I asked him how he cooked them and he described this exact recipe. I came back later and got some, checked for the exact recipe on Google, and made this. I thought they tasted OK (of course, with all that cheese and ham), but with so much steaming and cooking, the endives were rather soggy because I didn't know to squeeze them. I prefer a crunchier dish so I chopped up the uncooked ones and put them in a salad.

[@pietjepuk4203]

Itś called witloof in Dutch. Andijvie is green .

[@nicolethijs5428]

Pietje Puk maar zo heet het nu eenmaal in het engels.

[@pietjepuk4203]

@@nicolethijs5428 Hahaha , dat is waar.

[@JB-pk8vm]

@@pietjepuk4203 classic naam

[@FLAPDROL26]

Thrue selection the farmers succeeded to get rid of most of the bitterness the endives used to have. In such a riche sauce you need some contrasting taste. So for me the (hard to find) old fashion 'witlof' is the best!

[@johancoppens1528]

I braise the endive in duck fat. No stock or liquid added, the endives contain enough water to get the right amount of steam in the pan. Depending on the heat you can choose to caramelize the surfaces or not.

[@mariaungureanu3407]

I like the Chef french accent in english...Of course the recipe is delicious.

[@johnroquemore9128]

Nice to see another video, I enjoy your content, and learn a bit along the way.

[@bkm2797]

I could not help but giggle about your feelings about bitter. I too don't care for it, but you made it look like maybe one day I will give it a try. Always great to see what inspires you and I hope all is well. Thank you for the upload.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks for the comment actually it was not that bad at the end 🙂🙂

[@mariadrseelig9941]

After cooking the endive caramel ice it on each side, helps with bitterness. So basically you make mornay sauce.

[@NowTheseBoysCanCook]

omg you crack me up!

[@aminazacharya6751]

Thanks😇

[@Anglianpheuksudbury]

Love it, another great video , thanks gonna try this at the week end!! 😋

[@delyar]

Some puree and you have a perfect meal for cold weather

[@TeddyAura]

c'est le chicon. C'est une recette de Flandres.

[@tshampoo7762]

You make me laugh. Making something you detest. My Belgian mother always halved them and cut the ‘core’ out of the bottom to remove the bitterness before cooking. This is one of my favourite dishes. Thank you for making it.

[@EricValor]

This looks FANTASTIC! I remember the first time I had endive as a kid. I thought it was just baby Romaine lettuce but when I started chewing I exclaimed "Woah! There's something wrong with my lettuce!" My dad explained that it's something different called Endive and it's supposed to taste like that. I was a weird kid who liked spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc., and this was no different - just another nifty vegetable to eat. But wrapped in ham and covered in cheese sauce? I would have made that disappear without a trace!
I thought a bechamel with cheese was a mornay sauce..?

[@andysbg77]

C'est magnifique!!

[@reneehorn5257]

Love endives, love the bitterness. Love them raw also

[@nicolethijs5428]

Try some endive salad with mayonnaise and serve it with french fries ( belgian fries, actually) and raw beef tartare with p& s and mayo. Devine! Or mix it with raw fennel slices and green apple cubes and a slightly sweet mayo based vinaigrette.

[@samtonning]

This is wonderful!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

🙂👍

[@andreah.5962]

I am going to try this!

[@panuntukan]

For the people who like bitterness, in northern Italy they cook the "radicchio" (a red chicory) and a brassicae called "brocolo fiolaro". In the Veneto (Padova, Venice, Vicenza...) region they appreciate also bitter tastes. Chef Stéphane has mentioned the Martini, but you have to know that almost every region in Italy has its proper traditional "amaro", a bitter digestive. The "Braulio" (northern Italy) is one of the most famous, also the "Amaro del Capo" (Southern Italy).

[@nicolethijs5428]

Thats far more bitter then our Belgian Endives.

[@MikeOBrien1945]

I think I’d brush the ham with just a little Dijon before rolling.

[@nicolethijs5428]

I would not do that you would loose the delicate flavour of theendives and the ham.

[@markcash2]

or mix some ground mustard into the bechamel sauce?

[@theoldgrowler3489]

Would a slightly sweet dark beer help in balancing the bitter?

[@vivianepilou2211]

First, this is NOT a french recipe but a belgian one!
Secondly, to prepare the chicons as we call endives in Belgium, you cut the end and carve a cone inside to remove the bitterness. Anc cooking the endives with the end diffuses the bitterness of course! Anyway, endives cultivated nowadays are by far not as bitter as they used to be. And why cut the top which is the most tender part of the endive. Similarly you threw away leaves which were perfect.
Lastly, although you know can buy endives all year long, this dish is a winter dish.
This was the first dish I ever cooked as a teenager and have been making this regularly over the last decades and nobody ever found the dish bitter.

[@thhseeking]

I've always known them as chicons. I was born in Wallonie, though :)

[@gc7956]

we say chicon too in Picardie

[@TheHungarianOak]

they are actually called Belgian endives in France. Endives were imporred from Belgium in the 19th century to the Parisian markets

[@Lars_erik]

Weird to me tho, because andijvie and endive are actually the same thing xD witlof is chicory…

[@thhseeking]

@@gc7956 Ch'ti! 😁

[@thhseeking]

@@Lars_erik the root, as I understand it, is chicory. My grandmother used to use it to make coffee during the war.

[@linus4394]

Yeaaah! Love such French classics!

[@TheArteditors]

Lol. Loved the ok after tasting lol

[@Cremantus]

We share the same nightmare... but well... maybe it is worth the try. Thumbs up!

[@markcash2]

Maybe you could make some Poulet Vallee d'Auge once apples and cider come in season?

[@anastasia10017]

I always have problems with knowing what to do with Asparagus -- other than steam it and put butter on it, what else can we do that is quick and easy ? maybe you can do a video showing several alternative recipes ? merci !!

[@davidk7262]

This is mostly referred to as chicory in the UK if you are looking for it in the supermarket.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Great I will change it in the title 🙂

[@davidk7262]

@@FrenchCookingAcademy Ah I wasn't expecting that. If you don't like the bitterness of the chicory I guess you could try it with gem lettuce or celery hearts. Great video as always!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Well it was that bad at the end it's just me I have an issue with spinach too 😁😁

[@nicolethijs5428]

Indeed, chickory is the better name. Its from the roots of this plant that chicoree is made.

[@nicolethijs5428]

You could also use braised leeks.

[@phiakate]

Chicory..UK

[@Zelahcooks]

I love bittttter foood 😝

[@arthrodea]

Conclusion: Draping anything bitter in enough cream, butter, cheese, and ham will make it delicious!

[@xdotsu]

and here I just thought this was something my ma just made. But cut out the stem a bit, it reduces the bitterness. That's what I was taught.

[@froufroudeluxe]

A Belgian staple! Hespenrolletjes

[@alanvonau278]

White asparagus ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus#White_asparagus ) can probably be substituted for endives in this recipe.

[@thhseeking]

Chicons :P Cooked in butter :)

[@SkyWolfSkydive]

If you caramelize your endives in a skillet with a little sugar before you wrap with ham there will be no bitterness

[@oldfrend]

like me and bitter melon growing up in an asian house. no matter what my mother did nothing could get me to choke down that bitter green nastiness.

[@Xipe666]

I was going to say, isn't that a Mournay... but apparently a proper Mournay also has eggs (which I didn't know).

[@sophiaxox698]

Hi, can i use a different kind of meat.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

sure why not

[@shahmatjf2]

Salut! Est-ce que ça se sert en entrée ou comme accompagnement de plat principal?

[@ellesinky8667]

Traditionnellement en plat principal, 1 endive au gratin par personne (ou 1,5 pour les gourmands) accompagnée de quelques pommes de terre à l'eau ou de riz.

[@shahmatjf2]

@@ellesinky8667 Merci!

[@lorib5398]

How long to steam endive? 35 or 45 min?

[@nicolethijs5428]

Lori B that is far too long, I guess. I never steam them but braise them and that hardly takes 10 to 15 minutes depending on big they are.

[@dennisbougie8322]

I don’t eat pork. Is there another meat that would work? Maybe pastrami?

[@ayseguldemir8800]

Smoked turkey

[@86910able]

Het valt me op dat hij vaker Nederlandse woorden gebruikt in zijn recepten. Ik heb er een paar van genoteerd: Witlof, soeplepel, koffiefilter, oma(soep), peper. Allemaal accentloos uitgesproken. Heeft hij Nederlandse familie?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

geen familie maar well 6 jaar in nederland gewoond

[@Lars_erik]

A good tip if you don’t like the bitterness, cut out the hard core ;)

[@liamhayes1011]

This is 'chicons au gratin' and it's Belgian!

[@JS-xn9qd]

I put sugar while cooking them, the sweetness of the sugar completely kills the bitterness.

[@Brollyssweetface]

How much sugar do you put in the broth?

[@panuntukan]

I don't put no chicken stock nor lemon juice, only a small amount of water after endives are brown. When it is covered, the endives themselves will release a lot of water.

[@mariatamer1838]

Helllo Stephan...

[@BillGreenAZ]

I'm thinking hearts of romaine could be prepared similarly in place of the endives.

[@Milly5216]

Bill Green idk if that would be the best substitute i think leeks would fit more texture wise

[@BillGreenAZ]

@@Milly5216 Have you ever had braised hearts of romaine? It's quite good even if it is a different texture.

[@ritazustrupa7783]

I thought this recipe is from Belgian cuisine.

[@Vortexdr]

Ehh chicory is a hell of a lot better than brussel sprouts which are truly the devils seed not nearly as bitter as brussel sprouts either. But yeah this is the way my mom prepared them when growing up in Germany always wrapped with ham and emmentaler

[@Ramseds87]

Congrats! You overcame a childhood trauma. :)

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

🙂👍

[@bambouzal]

This is a CHICON

[@NatasjavanDijknah]

Cooking them for... 35 minutes? :O That is what makes them so bitter, imo.
I just blanche them for a few minutes and then roll them in the ham.

[@NatasjavanDijknah]

I hated them too when I was a kid, but making them my way I've come to apriciate them. I also made a version with goat cheese (first roll) and luxurious Italian ham (second roll). That tastes even better.

[@nicolethijs5428]

Not cooking them for 35 min. But gently brasing them( stoven) . Thats totally different and its not that that makes them bitter. They are naturally lightly bitter.

[@seantynan1]

I can sense your slight disdain for this horrendous vegetable.
I wonder could I do the same with my nemesis... the Cabbage?

[@pattizayas1051]

lol

[@vygotsky17]

You need only pronounce it the French way :-)

[@janjansens8724]

endives are as french as jacques brel...

[@royarguello8509]

Its On Deevs. Don't cater. Say it correctly

[@flo9160]

Frérot parle en français on comprend walou!!!

[@brendaboccara8854]

Why do you demonstrate a recipe that you don't know how to cook? lol