The above nutritional values are per portion, calculated for 3 portions. The nutritional values indicated per dish are only an indication. Since the nutritional value can vary greatly depending on the brand/product you use, it has a significant impact on the overall nutritional value of the dish. Everyone also eats different quantities, so it’s always best to calculate the nutritional value based on the ingredients you use and the portion size you eat. Don’t know how to calculate it yourself? You can read about it here.
Chicory Mac & Cheese
Chicory is a delicious vegetable that you can eat raw, cooked, fried, or even grilled. It has a completely different taste and texture with each preparation method. In this recipe, you can hardly taste the flavor of chicory itself, making it ideal for people who aren’t big fans of chicory’s taste.
The combination of chicory, ham, and cheese is well-known, and a dish that’s frequently enjoyed by many is halved chicory wrapped in ham and sprinkled with grated cheese. But you probably haven’t tried it like this before. This Witlof Mac & Cheese is inspired by a well-known American dish, macaroni and cheese. It’s so commonly eaten in America that it’s even sold (almost) ready-made. However, believe me, once you’ve tried this chicory version, you won’t want anything else!
Ingredients
For 3 servings:
- 9 heads of endive (hard core removed, cut into narrow strips)
- 250 grams of ham strips or cubes
- 150 grams of grated cheese of your choice (cheddar or Gouda works best)
- 100 ml of liquid, unsweetened heavy cream
- A knob of butter
- 1 tablespoon of almond flour
- 6 boiled eggs
Instructions
1. Briefly blanch the endive until it becomes translucent, then drain it in a sieve/colander.
Melt the butter in a skillet (or wok) and add the almond flour to create a kind of roux. Stir well to prevent the almond flour from burning.
Add the heavy cream and continue to stir with a whisk until you have a smooth sauce. Let the sauce simmer for a while, but keep in mind that it will thicken further when you add the cheese.
Now, add the ham and the blanched endive. Reduce the heat and stir until everything is heated through. Then, add the grated cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and you can create beautiful strings when lifting the spatula. If the sauce becomes too thin due to the moisture from the endive, you can add a small amount of carob bean gum (johannesbroodpitmeel) to thicken it.
Serve with the boiled eggs.