Endive Gratin

For the filling:
5 large endives
5 slices of Ham (old fashioned off the bone style if possible)

For the Cheese Sauce:
2 oz. (56g) butter
2 oz. (56g) flour
20 oz.(565 ml) milk
1/2 level teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 - 6 oz. grated aged gouda cheese (Gruyere or aged chedder are also ok)

Preheat your oven to 350 °F

(Scale this up or down to fit that dish that you will be using.)

Steam the endives until they are fork tender. Generally, about 20 minutes but this will depend on their size and your steaming setup. Remove from the heat and place a plate or other object on them with a weight and allow them to fully drain and cool. Once they are cool, wrap each with a slice of ham and place in your dish. If you don't feel they are fully drained you can squeeze them to remove the remaining water.

I make the sauce in the microwave but you can also do it over the stovetop. Place the butter and the flour in a microwave safe glass jug or bowl and heat for 1 minute. Mix together and heat for a further 2 minutes. Take the milk and warm it to nearly boiling and add to the flour and butter mixture. Whisk until fully combined. Add the salt, nutmeg and black pepper and cook until thick in the microwave. Stop every minute or so to stir. Once thick add the cheese and mix thoroughly.

Pour over the ham wrapped endives and place into the oven. You can add additional cheese on the top if you like. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until it is bubbly and the top is nice and golden. You can also finish it under the broiler to get a more browned top.

Serve with mashed potato or duchess potatoes.