Endives have a couple of things going for them: they’re grown inside (mostly in the dark, so they stay white), so they’re fresh all year round; they have great form and nice crunchy texture; they are unusually bitter, but in a pleasant way. Cooked—especially with good stock—they are elegant and delicious. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: leeks (split and washed), romaine lettuce (quartered, the long way), or any root vegetable—especially carrots.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

　　4 Belgian endives, trimmed

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade (page 160 or 162), white or red wine, or water

　　Fresh lemon juice to taste

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the butter in a flameproof casserole or an ovenproof skillet with a lid over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the endives, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Add the stock, cover, and bring to a boil.

　　

Step 2

Put the dish in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until the endives are very tender and almost—but not quite—falling apart. (You can prepare the dish to this point, let sit for up to an hour, then reheat in the oven.) Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and serve.

　　

Braised Endives with Bacon or Ham

Step 3

Add 1/4 cup minced bacon or prosciutto along with the stock.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.