Buttered Belgian Endive

Buttered Belgian endive is one of those quiet French side dishes that turns a misunderstood vegetable into something you’ll crave. Raw endive is pleasantly bitter and crisp, but gentle buttery braising softens the bitterness into something mellow, almost sweet, while still keeping a little bite.

The technique is pure Parisian bistro: slice the heads on the bias, press them into buttered foil inside a lidded pan, and let them self-steam in a little water and lemon juice. The lemon is the detail you don’t want to skip. It keeps the leaves from turning gray and balances the last of the natural bitterness.

Seven minutes later, you have a tender, golden, buttery side that makes roast chicken, pan-seared fish, or even a simple omelette feel like a proper dinner.

Chef Tips

• Choose firm, tightly closed heads with pale-yellow tips. Green-tipped endive is older and tastes much more bitter.
• Don’t over-wash, endive doesn’t need much cleaning, and excess water dilutes the braise.
• Cut with a stainless steel knife. Carbon blades oxidize endive and turn the cut edges brown fast.
• Shake the pan occasionally instead of stirring, stirring breaks the delicate slices apart.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream in the last minute for a richer, restaurant-style finish.
• Sprinkle grated Gruyère or Parmesan over the top and pop under the broiler for a minute for a gratineed version.
• Add a splash of white wine in place of some of the water for more depth.
• Finish with toasted chopped walnuts or hazelnuts for crunch and texture.