Endive gratin an exception to the diet
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By Jane Black
Washington Post
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No matter what Francine cooked, her food always tasted better. If it was vegetable soup, it was richer and creamier than any I'd had. If it was rabbit, it was tender and juicy. For weeks into a six-month stint working in the French Alps some years ago, I took for granted that as a native, our cook Francine was genetically capable of dishing out great food, just as French women innately know how to fashionably tie silk scarves.
Then I started to pack on the pounds.
At 21, I should have been just as genetically capable of staying slim as Francine was of effortlessly producing a feast. But as summer turned into fall, most of my clothes no longer fit, and I was forced to wear a pair of brown corduroy overalls to the office. Every day.
Even back then, I was interested in cooking. So I decided to investigate. That soup? Francine insisted it was just a puree of vegetables. But I stood with her while she made it. At the last minute, in went a stick of butter. (Note that in France, one stick can weigh 250 grams — more than two American sticks of butter.)
The rabbit? Full of butter, too.
I decided to cut back, with one exception: Francine's endive gratin. If it was on the menu, I ate it. After all, overalls were, technically, still in fashion.
The slight bitterness of the endive cuts the richness of the cream and cheese. But it remains a sinful, and sinfully easy to make, winter favorite for dinner parties alongside roast pork or beef tenderloin.
This French side dish is typically rich but always a crowd pleaser: an elegant, less-starchy complement to roasted meat. It can be made one day in advance; reheat, covered with aluminum foil, in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
ENDIVE GRATIN
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-inch oval gratin dish with the butter. Place the endive halves cut side down in a large saute pan. Add the broth, lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes, until the endives are fairly tender but not cooked through. Use a slotted spatula to transfer the endive halves to drain in a colander. Pat dry with paper towels, then nestle half of the endive halves in a "V" pattern in the gratin dish.
Sprinkle endives with half of the Gruyere cheese. Use the remaining drained endive halves to form a second layer atop the cheese. Pour the cream over the top and sprinkle with the nutmeg and black pepper to taste.
Distribute the remaining cheese evenly over the top and bake for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly and the cream has almost evaporated. Serve hot.
Makes 6-8 servings.
