What I had for dinner:

Braised Endives in Cream Sauce

7 Mar 1995 22:14:11 -0500

Wonder where that idea came from! :-)

Two endives, quartered lengthwise, were braised slowly in a tightly covered pan with a little olive oil.

Meanwhile, 1 cup of salted milk, with 1 bay leaf, a little mace, and somewhat more white pepper, was heated to boiling over a heat diffuser.

A white roux (what an oxymoron!) made from 1 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of flour was cooked until barely beginning to turn yellow, then the bottom of the pan was rapidly cooled in cold water. The boiling milk was added all at once through a sieve, the mixture stirred for a minute off the heat, then heated to boiling with constant stirring. Finally, it was turned into a sinful indulgence with a tbsp of Devon clotted cream (should have used creme fraiche, but none was at hand).

The endives, slightly caramelized at the edges, were placed on a plate, sprinkled with slivers of ham, and covered with the sauce. < HR>