History
Witloof, the Belgian endive, was developed in 19th-century Brussels and became a winter-vegetable signature across the Low Countries. The gratin pairs it with sliced ham and a thick béchamel under grilled cheese. Every Belgian household has a version; Antwerp kitchens hold to a sharp Gouda or Vieux Bruges for the topping.
Make it at home
Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy
Ingredients
- 8 medium Belgian endive heads
- 8 thin slices of cooked ham
- 50g butter, plus more for the dish
- 50g plain flour
- 500ml whole milk
- 150g grated aged Gouda or Belgian Vieux Bruges
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- Salt, white pepper, lemon juice
Method
- Trim the endive heads, slice the base to remove the bitter core.
- Simmer in salted water with a squeeze of lemon for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain and pat dry.
- Wrap each endive in a slice of ham.
- Make a béchamel: melt the butter, whisk in flour, cook 2 minutes, then whisk in the milk gradually.
- Simmer the sauce over 5 minutes until thick. Stir in 100g of the cheese, the mustard and nutmeg. Season.
- Arrange the ham-wrapped endive in a buttered baking dish. Pour over the sauce.
- Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 200C for 20 minutes until bubbling and gold.
Tip from the editors. Salt the endive cooking water heavily and add lemon; it cuts the bitterness without leaving sourness in the gratin.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.