Chicory With Lemon Flemish Style Food

CHICORY WITH LEMON FLEMISH STYLE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the chicory, cutting out part of the bitter base. Rinse, dry thoroughly and cut lengthwise in half (if the heads are very fat, cut lengthwise into quarters).
• 2. Divide the butter in half between 2 frying pans or very wide, shallow saucepans with tightly fitting lids and heat until it foams.
• 3. Add the chicory pieces, spreading them out in a single layer in the hot butter, and fry over a moderately high heat until lightly browned. Turn carefully and brown the other side.
• 4. Add half the stock to each cooking receptacle, cover tightly and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• 5. Mix the sugar with the strained juice of the 2 lemons, remove the lids and sprinkle the sweetened lemon juice all over the chicory. Turn up the heat a little to reduce the lemon juice and liquid and caramelize slightly, loosening the chicory gently with a non-stick spatula if they show signs of sticking.
• 6. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground white pepper and serve.

CHICORY SALAD WITH MEYER LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• Whisk together sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, caraway seeds, and salt until combined. Gradually whisk in oil.
• Place chicories in a large bowl, and toss with vinaigrette until evenly coated. Add nuts, and toss to combine. Vinaigrette can be refrigerated 1 day; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before dressing salad.

CHICORY/WITLOF WITH GRUYERE AND HAM

Steps:

• Clean chicory heads, remove outer leaves and cut off about 1 cm from the thick end of the chicory.
• Fill a large pot with water and add lemon, butter and salt, add chicory and boil for about 20-30 minutes or until tender (cooking time depends on the size of the chicories) Once cooked, drain really well (or all the excess water will leak out later and make your cheese sauce very very thin).
• Take 2 slices of ham and arrange them slightly overlapping on a cutting board, using tongs, place a chicory in the middle, sprinkle a small amount of the grated gruyere on and roll it up. (when I make this as a main course I personally use 3 slices of ham for each chicory, but that's just personal preference).
• Place the ham rolled chicory in an ovenproof dish.
• To make the cheese sauce:.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan, take off the heat and add the flour, using a whisk to blend it into a smooth paste with the cream and then add the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Return the sauce to the heat to cook and thicken, whisking constantly. Don't worry if it looks overly thick, no matter how much water you get out of the chicory there will still be some left in there somewhere to make your sauce a little bit thinner.
• Lastly, add the rest of the grated Gruyere to the sauce (and Sbrinz cheese if you are using that too) stir, and then pour the sauce over the ham rolled chicorys.
• Put into a preheated oven at 220 C (425 F) for 10-20 minutes and serve hot.
• Serve with any pasta type that will coat with the sauce well.
• NOTE: I sometimes replace the cream with a soya product that we have here called "soya cusine" if you are watching your intake of dairy products, cholesterol etc then this is a healthier option and doesn't effect the taste of the dish at all.

GREEN BEANS, FLEMISH STYLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook, uncovered, until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the shallots and cook 1 minute longer until the sugar carmelizes. Be careful not to let it burn.
• Add the water. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the vinegar and add it to the shallots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Add the green beans to the shallots, mix well, and heat through. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.