Slowly cooking Belgian endives in a bit of butter and lemon juice yields these tender, luscious, almost sweet bundles of otherwise bitter leaves. It's alchemy at its finest.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 10 to 12 Belgian endives
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup water
Preparation:
- Melt butter over medium low heat in a large, heavy frying pan, saute pan, or pot with a tight fitting lid.
- Meanwhile, trim and discard any browned bits on the ends of the endives. When butter is melted, lay endives in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice and salt. Pour water down along the side of the pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook, undisturbed, until endives are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Another option is to heat an oven to 375°F and after starting the endives on the stove, covering them and transferring the pan to the oven for about half an hour.
- When endives are very tender, set lid ajar and cook until endives start to brown. Turn endives over and cook until they are browned on both sides.
Makes 4 servings Braised Belgian Endives.
