A Delicious creamy Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin

Sometimes you rediscover an old childhood favorite completely by accident. Recently, I was sitting in my office, surrounded by hundreds of old French cookbooks, thinking about what I was going to cook when one book beckoned me over. It had been a while since I last read Anne Willan’s comprehensive cookbook ‘The Country Cooking of France’. As I flipped through the pages, it felt like I was looking through a cherished family album of childhood dishes. I stopped on one, her version of the French family classic, endive and ham gratin. It evoked vivid memories of my own mother making this dish for me as a small child. Instantly I was transported back to our old kitchen painted a beautiful hue of orange with hand-painted Provencal blue tiles covering the floor. With eyes closed, I savored the wonderful smells of my French mother’s cooking.

Endive and ham gratin is the macaroni and cheese of France. I found myself licking my lips and instantly decided to make this creamy gratin for my son just like my mom did, with just a bit too much sauce and crispy cheese crusted on the sides. At first, Beau was skeptical and only tried one little spoonful. I left the table and returned to watch him sneaking more bites out of the gratin dish, especially the crispy, melted cheese parts I used to love. It felt as though life had gone full circle.

Endive is the perfect winter vegetable. It grows in dark rooms, devoid of light. When exposed to light, the yellow leaves turn green and begin to get a bitter taste. This is a good way to judge how long Belgian endive has been sitting on your grocery store’s shelves. Gruyere cheese is classic, but try mixing it up with different cheeses like a sharp white cheddar.

Make this wonderful gratin this weekend, and be sure to tag us at #PistouAndPastis, we love to see all your creations shared on social media.

𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗸𝗶𝘁.𝗰𝗼/𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗶𝘀/𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻-𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀-𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲-𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀
𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗸𝗶𝘁.𝗰𝗼/𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗶𝘀/𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻-𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀-𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲-𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻-𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀

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