Baked Belgian Endive highlights French cooking made easy

You may have seen these strange vegetables while shopping at your neighborhood supermarket and never given a thought to buying some. Perhaps you didn't know what to do with them or what they tasted like. For whatever reason, it is now time you purchase some on your next visit. We are talking about Belgian Endives.

Those of you who are familiar with endives most likely have enjoyed them in salads; however, did you know that they are very good cooked? The traditional French method of preparing Belgian Endives is to bake them with Gruyere. If you haven't tried them this way, you are missing out. They are first sauteed to a golden color, then white wine or chicken broth is added, along with garlic and parsley. Finally, a generous amount of grated Gruyere is added and the whole pan is then transferred to a 400 preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. And the best part of it is that it's in keeping with our theme of keeping things simple. This makes a great side dish or as an entree at lunch time. Here's what we need:

2 large Belgian Endives (1 per person)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of white wine or chicken stock
1 cup of Grated Gruyere or sharp Swiss
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400. Gently wash the endive whole and them slice them in halves lengthwise. In a large frying that you can fit in your oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat on your stove top. Sautee the endives cut side down and turn over after about 3 minutes. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes or until they become a light golden color.

Now you may add the garlic and sautee an additional minute or so. Add the wine or chicken stock, gently stir, and add some salt and pepper. Careful with the salt because Gruyere has a rich flavor and you may not need much salt. Right before you transfer the pan to the oven, add the parsley and the Gruyere over the endives.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or so, until the cheese has melted and has browned nicely and there is caramelizing. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes uncovered. Serve nice and warm as a side dish or an entree of its own. Enjoy these! They are really good. Everyone who has had them this way love them.