Endive Gratin With Ham And Smoked Gruyere

5 from 1 vote

Endive Gratin With Ham And Smoked Gruyere

This endive and ham casserole is a spin on a French classic wildly popular here in Charleston, South Carolina related to our Huguenot history.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: servings as a side dish

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $0.67 per serving

Equipment

pretty casserole dish of 9 x 12-inches, 9 x 13-inches, an 11-inch oval, or another casserole with similar capacity

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
6 large heads Belgian endive cut down the middle lengthwise
2 cups ham julienned; NOTE * leftover ham is the best in this recipe
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
black pepper freshly ground
nutmeg freshly ground
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup ham stock homemade if you have it on hand; may substitute chicken stock
1 cup bread crumbs may substitute a classic herb-seasoned stuffing mix
½ cup smoked Gruyere cheese grated
2 tablespoons parsley fresh, chopped
1 large lemon cut into wedges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heavily butter the bottom and sides of a gratin or casserole with 3 tablespoons of the butter. Set aside.
Place the endive halves cut side down atop the butter. Arrange so the cut sides are all flat against the bottom of the gratin.
Tuck the julienned ham between the endive wherever possible leaving no visible bottom. Scatter whatever remains atop the endive. Sprinkle with Kosher salt, several grinds of black pepper, and several grinds of fresh nutmeg.
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and the chicken stock and pour evenly over the endive and ham.
In a large sauté pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. To the melted butter, add the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and the chopped parsley. Scatter the breadcrumb mixture over the gratin.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the crust is golden.
Allow to rest 10 minutes after pulling from the oven. Serve hot as a light main dish or elegant side dish with lemon wedges.

Notes

Please Note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not use table salt or iodized salt in any of the recipes you find on Not Entirely Average UNLESS specified otherwise.

To Make Ahead: Parts of this casserole may be made ahead. If looking to prep as much ahead as possible, complete "stages" of this recipe and follow the recipe card to assemble all before baking.

combine Kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh nutmeg in a bowl on the counter and cover with plastic film until ready to assemble the casserole
julienned the ham and place into a bowl to be refrigerated and cover with plastic film until ready to assemble the casserole
combine the bread crumbs, grated cheese, and chopped parsley and place in a bowl to be refrigerated and cover with plastic film until ready to assemble the casserole

To Freeze:

Allow the fully cooked casserole to cool, then wrap tightly in foil. The casserole may be refrigerated up to two days or frozen up to three months. To reheat, bake, uncovered, 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To thaw, place in refrigerator over night.

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