Stephan
(This recipe page is still a work in progress, it needs some more step-by-step editing work)
There are many things you can do with chicory, but my favourite remains this family recipe oven dish with ham and cheese. It’s quite a filling meal, and easy to make if you know what to do. And that’s what this recipe is here for! A slightly adapted from my favourite meal from my mother ❤️
| Ingredient | Amount (4 servings) |
|---|---|
| Chicory | 8 heads (12 if very small) |
| Sliced Cooked Ham (e.g. shoulder/gammon) | 8 slices (16 if very thin) |
| Grated yellow cheese: Gouda/Emmental/Gruyere | 200 g |
| Butter | 40 g |
| Flour | 50 g (just over 3/8 cup) |
| Chicken broth (water + cube) | 400 ml |
Clean the chicory heads:
- Take off any browned leaves
- Wash
- Cut in half lengthwise
- Cut out the hard part at the stem: V-shape cut
Boil in ample water for 15 minutes
Pour out the water, and fill with cold water to cool off
Repeat if needed until they are cooled down enough to handle
Gather back the approximate shape of 8 heads
Squeeze out all the excess water from each head
Wrap a slice of ham around each head
Put the head in an oven dish, don’t stack
Spread half the grated cheese, 100 g, over the chicory
Heat the 400 ml chicken broth, or boil 400 ml water and dissolve the broth cube
In the saucepan, make the roux:
- Melt all the 40 g of butter down, don’t let it brown
- Add all the 50 g of flour, stir very briefly
- Quickly add a bit of broth and whisk until smooth, repeat until all the broth is added
Pour the roux from the saucepan evenly over the chicory & cheese
Sprinkle the other half of the cheese, 100 g, over the top
Bake in the oven for ± 15 minutes. It is done when the cheese on top is golden brown.
Serve on plates with a side of mashed potatoes; after scooping out two chicory rolls per plate, pour out the remaining cheese sauce over the chicory and the mashed potatoes.