Braised Endive with Prosciutto

This recipe is adapted from All About Braising by Molly Stevens. Endive is one of her favorite vegetables for braising. Adding prosciutto gives this dish a dramatic twist.

Serves 6

6 to 9 endive (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3 Tbls. unsalted butter
5 slices prosciutto
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 c. heavy cream

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a large gratin dish. Remove outer leaves of endive and cut off browned bottoms, cutting so that the leaves of endive remain intact. Then, cut each endive lengthwise in half.

Melt 2 Tbls. butter in skillet, add endive in a loose layer and cook until both sides are browned, turning with tongs (about 4 minutes). You may need to brown in two batches, depending on the amount of endive and size of pan. Transfer to gratin dish, arranging cut side up, in a snug single layer.

Cut prosciutto into wide strips. Add prosciutto to remaining butter in skillet and turn to coat. Tuck some of prosciutto between endive and the rest on the top. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that prosciutto is salty. Add stock to skillet and bring to a boil. Scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, and pour over endive.

Cover the dish tightly with foil. Braise for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil, baste with juices and braise uncovered for another 10 minutes, until pan juices have almost completely evaporated. Pour over cream, the smaller amount if you prefer a less rich taste, and bake for another 8 minutes until the cream thickens to a sauce-like consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variation: Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
Pair this dish with fried eggs to make a fabulous meal- any time of the day. Fry as many eggs as you like in olive oil, slide onto plates. Add 1 Tbls. balsamic vinegar to pan and let boil for one minute. Drizzle reduced vinegar over eggs and serve with braised endive.