Endive and Prosciutto Gratin

Yield > 6
Ingredients :
ENDIVE
12 x firm Belgian endive heads
5 tbl butter divided
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 small lemon - (1
tbspn)
1/4 cup water
CHEESE SAUCE
2 tbl butter
3 tbl flour
2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly-grated nutmeg as
needed
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-
Reggiano
2 oz medium-grated Swiss cheese
ASSEMBLY
12 slc prosciutto - (1/3 lb) trimmed
of fat edges
3 tbl grated Swiss cheese
1 tbl butter cubed
Method :
• For the Endive: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the
bottoms of the endives and discard. Wash the whole endives
under running water and shake dry. Cut the endives in half
lengthwise.
• Smear 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a 9- by 13-inch
stove-to-oven casserole. Lay the endives in it so they cover the
bottom. Sprinkle with some of the salt and half the lemon
juice. Make another layer of endives, and add more salt and
lemon juice. Add the water. Cut the remaining butter into
small pieces and dot the top of the endives. Cover and simmer
over medium heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and boil rapidly
until the liquid is reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons, for about
another 10 minutes.
• Place a sheet of buttered wax paper over the pan, cover
with a lid and place in the oven. Reduce the heat to 325
degrees. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the casserole cover but
leave the wax paper and bake until the endives are golden,
about 20 to 30 minutes
• For the Cheese Sauce: Melt the butter in a heavybottomed,
medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, then
stir in the flour until smooth. Cook 2 to 3 minutes to get rid of
the raw flour taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Bring 2 cups of milk to boil in a small saucepan and add
the grated nutmeg, about 11 passes on the grater. Whisk the
heated milk into the roux, followed by the Parmigiano-
Reggiano and Swiss cheeses. As it thickens, cover and set
aside.
• For Assembly: Heat the broiler and set a rack in the
middle of the oven. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Add
half of the cheese sauce. Lay the prosciutto slices on a work
surface. Add 2 endive halves to a prosciutto slice, then roll the
slice up over the endives to form a bundle. Repeat with the
remaining endive halves and prosciutto slices.
• Neatly arrange the 12 prosciutto-endive wraps in the
baking dish. Cover the wraps with the remaining cheese sauce.
Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and dot with the butter. Set the
dish in the oven and broil until bubbling and the cheese has
browned a bit, 3 to 4 minutes. You'll want to do this just before
you serve dinner so that the dish is nice and hot.
• This recipe yields 6 servings.