Henry Harris shares recipe for vegetarian endive au gratin

Traditional ingredients and preparation

The dish traditionally uses comté cheese and wraps each endive head in cooked ham. Some cooks substitute dark, crisp-fried mushrooms and emmental for a savoury vegetarian alternative. The milk mixture infuses with bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, and parsley stalks before cooling.

Cooking steps and oven settings

Preparation takes ten minutes followed by one hour of infusion time. Mushrooms cook in melted butter until their juices evaporate on a gentle heat. The oven must reach 180C or 350F before adding the gratin to bake.

Serving suggestions and portions

The finished meal serves four people as a main comfort dish. A chilled beaujolais wine and a salad pair well with the hot gratin. Black pepper and nutmeg season the final bechamel sauce before baking.