AI-generated image
Chicons braisés
Braised endives
Chicons braisés (gestoofde witloof): Belgian endives braised slowly in butter until golden and tender
Belgian endive, called chicon in Wallonia and witloof in Flanders, is grown in the dark around Brussels and eaten all winter, from November to March. Braised slowly in butter with a pinch of sugar and a squeeze of lemon, the pale heads turn golden, soft and gently caramelised, with only a whisper of their raw bitterness left. Serve them beside mashed potatoes and a fried egg, or as a side for a Sunday roast. The usual mistake is crowding the pan and boiling them in their own water, which leaves them grey and bitter. Chef's tip: lay the heads in a single layer and press a round of baking paper on top, so they steam gently and then brown in the butter once the juices cook off.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 Belgian endives (chicory heads)outer leaves trimmed, halved lengthways
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a wide lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Lay in the 8 Belgian endives (chicory heads) cut side down in one layer and cook for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
5 minStep 2: Sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, add 1 tbsp lemon juice and ½ cup water, press a round of baking paper on top and cover with the lid. Braise on a low heat for 25 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the core.
25 minStep 3: Remove the lid and paper, turn the heads and cook for 8–10 minutes more, turning once, until the liquid has gone and they are glossy and caramel-brown. Finish with 1 pinch ground nutmeg.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicons braisés take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
TashmijabiMashed potatoes with stretchy cheese
Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.
Georgian
Yorkshire puddings
In Yorkshire the pudding was once served first, on its own with gravy, to fill people up before the meat; today these puffed, crisp-edged cups sit beside the roast at Sunday lunch all over England. The batter is nothing but eggs, flour and milk, and the trick is in the heat: smoking-hot fat in the tin and a hot oven. Serve with onion gravy for a vegetarian roast. Chef's tip: rest the batter for at least 30 minutes, which helps the puddings rise tall and even.
British
Pineapple pachadiPineapple in yogurt and coconut
Sadya etiquette puts pachadi next to the kichadi, and pineapple is the festive favourite, especially in central Kerala around Kottayam and Thrissur, where it appears at Onam, weddings and Vishu. Ripe pineapple is simmered briefly with turmeric, chilli and a little sugar, then folded into a paste of coconut, green chilli and raw mustard seed and loosened with whisked curd. The result is sweet, tangy and gently pungent from the ground mustard, with a crackling coconut-oil tadka on top. Serve it cool alongside rice, sambar and thoran, or as a side with appam. The mistake to avoid is adding the yogurt to a hot pan: it splits into grainy curds, so take the pineapple off the heat and let it cool first. Chef's tip: grind the mustard seeds raw with the coconut, but only briefly; over-ground mustard turns bitter.
Indian