Baked Endives with Ham Au Gratin

       INGREDIENTS

·          8 slices of ham

·          8 beautiful endives

·         1 cup grated cheese (gruyere or cheddar)

·         ¼ cup of butter

·         ½ cup of milk

·         ½ cup flour

·         Nutmeg

·         Salt and pepper


DIRECTIONS

Trim the endives: remove wilted leaves, and curly tips (which concentrate the bitterness) and the center of the foot by digging a cone inside, wash them quickly under water.

Cook them in a pot containing 3 liters of boiling salted water for 30 min or 9 minutes in a pressure cooker

Allow to cool.

Make the Bechamel:

in a saucepan, heat the butter, when foam, add the flour mix with a small whip sauce, when the dough is smooth, remove from heat, let cool a few minutes and pour slowly the hot milk in net, mix, and so on, until all the milk, put back on low heat, stirring to thicken.

Add a pinch of nutmeg, half the grated cheese, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly, cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F

Drain the endives by squeezing them between your hands. Squeeze again in a paper towel, until all of the juices are gone.  Wrap them each in a slice of ham and place them in the buttered baking dish, pour the white sauce, sprinkle the remaining grated cheese and bake 20 minutes, to warm and brown the top.

Serve hot in the baking dish.