Endives au jambon — Belgian endive wrapped in ham and baked under béchamel — belongs to those winter dishes one is always glad to see again. A well-seasoned béchamel changes everything, and mustard has a natural place in it: it brings the acidity and depth that answer the character of the endive. With Moutarde de Meaux® Pommery® and its whole seeds, the sauce also gains a texture that makes itself noticed beneath the gratin.
Serves: 4 • Prep: 20 minutes • Cooking: 55 minutes • Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Moutarde de Meaux® Pommery®
8 medium Belgian endives
8 slices of cooked ham
50 g butter, plus a knob for the dish
50 g plain flour
600 ml whole milk
100 g grated Gruyère
1 teaspoon sugar
Nutmeg, salt, freshly ground pepper
Method
Prepare the endives. Remove the outer leaves and hollow out the base in a cone shape with a sharp knife, where the bitterness gathers. Simply wipe them clean rather than washing them.
Braise them. Melt 20 g of butter in a sauté pan, lay the endives side by side, sprinkle with the sugar and season with salt. Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, turning halfway, then drain them thoroughly, pressing gently.
The roux. In a saucepan, melt the remaining 30 g of butter, add the flour all at once and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat without letting it colour.
The béchamel. Pour in the cold milk in three additions, whisking hard between each, then let it thicken for 5 minutes over low heat. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
The mustard. Off the heat, stir in the Moutarde de Meaux® Pommery® and half the Gruyère. The sauce should not boil again, so the mustard keeps all its aroma.
Assemble. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wrap each endive in a slice of ham and pack them snugly into a buttered dish. Coat with the béchamel, then scatter over the remaining Gruyère.
Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes before serving — the gratin cuts all the more cleanly.
💡 Perfect pairing: A lamb's lettuce salad dressed with a vinaigrette made from Pommery® Dijon mustard brings the freshness that answers the generosity of the gratin.
Our tips for perfect endives au jambon
Hollow out the base. Two seconds with a knife on the cone at the base of the endive, and its flavour softens noticeably.
Drain unhurriedly. Endives hold a lot of water: ten minutes in a colander before wrapping them, and the gratin stays creamy.
The pinch of sugar. It does not sweeten the dish, it rounds off the bitterness during braising.
Mustard off the heat. As in any hot sauce, stir it in at the end to preserve its heat and aroma.
Our endive and ham gratin with Moutarde de Meaux® Pommery®
This endive and ham gratin recipe brings a staple of the French family repertoire back to life. The mustard béchamel gives it relief and naturally balances the character of the endive. Made at the gates of Meaux by the Chamois family, Moutarde de Meaux® Pommery® gives this French endive gratin its grainy texture and gentle heat. Explore our Pommery® old-fashioned mustards.
