Witlof Braised in White Wine

Chicory has many names of which I only knew this as Belgium endive.  Common names for varieties include endive, raddicchio, Belgian endive, French endive, red endive, sugarloaf or witlof.  In case you weren’t already confused enough, Belgian endive is also known as French endive witloof in Dutch, witloof in the United States, chicory in the UK, as witlof in Australia, endive in France, and chicon in parts of northern France.  It has a small head of cream-colored, bitter leaves. It is grown completely underground or indoors in the absence of sunlight in order to prevent the leaves from turning green and opening up.  Exposure to light turns witlof green and bitter so store it in a brown paper bag in the crisper.  It’s an excellent source of vitamins A and C, and a good source of dietary fiber.

Serves 4 (as a side dish for roast meats)
recipe from Australian Good Taste
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40g butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 large witlof, halved lengthways
160ml (2/3 cup) dry white wine
fresh parsley, chopped

Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic.  Add the witlof, cut-side down.  Cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add the wine and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until tender.  Transfer to a serving dish.  Pour over the wine mixture and sprinkle with parsley to serve.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  I have never had braised endive (always ate it fresh) so was curious as to taste.  I wasn’t too impressed with the amount of wine as I felt it overpowered the delicate flavor of the endive.  Next time I’ll reduce the amount by half and mix with water.  I did add a bit more butter at the end of the cooking to soften the taste somewhat which seemed to help.  When preparing the endive, pull off any discolored leaves and trim the root end.  Don’t wash, just wipe with a damp paper towel.