serves
4
prep
15 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 6 witlof (endive / chicory)
- 80 g butter
- 1 loaf brioche, cut into cubes
- 1½-3 tbsp flour
- 300 ml milk
- 300 ml thick (double) cream
- 3 tsp French mustard
- 200 g Comte cheese
- Bunch fresh thyme
- 200 g Santigo cheese (or other blue cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200℃ (400℉/Gas Mark 6).
- Halve the endives and cook 3 at a time in a hot frying pan with a knob of butter (about 15 g). Cook for 3-4 minutes until charred, and then put in a large roasting tin.
- Toast cubes of brioche in a pan with about 20 g of butter. When toasted, place in the roasting tin with the endive and mix together.
- Melt 2 knobs of butter (30 g) in a new pan. Add about 2 tbsp of flour and heat up to thicken. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Turn down the heat and gradually whisk the milk into the roux.
- Add the cream, and simmer over a low heat for 2 minutes. Add mustard and stir.
- Grate the Comte cheese and add to the pan (keeping a little aside for the top).
- Take the pan off the heat, add a splash more milk and whisk. Season to taste.
- Sprinkle fresh thyme over the top of the endives and brioche.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the top and grate and/or crumble more Comte and the Santigo over the top.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
