belgian endive recipe

Cindy’s Belgian Endive

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 10-12 Belgian endives
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 cup Somerset Ridge Riesling Wine
  • 1 tsp sugar Optional

Instructions
 

  • Put a large, heavy frying pan, sauté pan, or pot over medium-low heat. (Whatever vessel you choose should have a tight-fitting lid.) When the pan is hot, add the butter.
  • While the butter melts, trim off and discard any browned bits from the ends of the endives and any bruised or browning exterior leaves.
  • When the butter is melted, lay the endives in a single layer in the pan.
  • Sprinkle them with the lemon juice and salt.
  • Pour the Somerset Ridge Riesling Wine down along the side of the pan (you don't want to wash off the salt you've just sprinkled on).
  • If you want to cut the bitterness in the final dish even further than the braising will do alone, sprinkle the endives with the sugar.
  • Cover the pan.
  • You want a nice, tight fit with the lid. If steam is escaping, lay a piece of foil over the pan and then put on the lid. Or, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the pan directly over the endives and then cover the pan (feel free to do this even with a tight-fitting lid; it helps the endives brown evenly).
  • Reduce the heat to low.
  • Let the endives cook, undisturbed, until they are very tender, about 30 minutes, or put the pan in a 375F oven (as long as it's oven-safe) and let them cook for 30 to 40 minutes instead of on the stove. (This method is also more likely to result in more evenly browned endives.)
  • Turn the endives over and cook them until they are browned all over.
  • (Note that if you added sugar in Step 6, you'll need to watch them quite carefully at this point, since the added sugar will make them brown more quickly.)
  • Serve them hot or warm.