Honey Braised Endives

These honey-braised endives are the ultimate bittersweet side dish, a quiet triumph of contrast that cuts through the richness of roasted meats and hearty stews. They find their soulmate in a bowl of Carbonade flamande, the Flemish beef stew, where their gentle bitterness and sticky sweetness balance the deep, beer-soaked savory notes of the meat. The method is simple, yet it coaxes out a profound transformation. The endives are first steamed in the oven, a gentle bath that softens their bitter edge and tenderises their leaves until a knife glides through with no resistance. Then comes the alchemy: a turn in a hot pan with a glaze of balsamic vinegar and honey. The result is a vegetable that is tender at the core, with caramelized edges.

Honey Braised Endives

Course: braising

Cuisine: French

Keyword: braising, honey

Difficulty: easy

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 125kcal

Cost: $5

Equipment

1 Skillet
1 salad spinner
1 Kitchen tongs
1 Shallow dish

Ingredients

4 each endives
15 g balsamic vinegar
20 g wild flower honey
10 g olive oil
15 g butter

Instructions

Preparing Endives

Rinse the endives under water and remove the outer leaves. Drain and pat them dry.

Cooking Endives

Drizzle some honey and balsamic vinegar in a shallow dish.
Cut the endives lengthwise and arrange half of them cut side down. Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Top with the remaining endives and season again.
Add a drizzle of honey, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 35 minutes.
Remove the foil and drain the liquid. Add butter and put in the oven for 10 minutes more.

Caramelizing Endives

To sear-caramelize the endives beautifully, drizzle some honey in a skillet and arrange the cooked endive halves cut side down. Finish them in the oven set at 450ºF (235ºC) for 15-20 minutes or in your wood-fired oven.
Serve honey braised endives with this fantastic Flemish beef stew.