Endives with Ham Gratin: The Traditional and Gourmet Recipe

1️⃣Cooking endives:

1. Remove the first leaves of the endives if necessary and cut the base slightly.
2. Cook them in a large pan of boiling salted water for  20 minutes  at a simmer.
3. Drain thoroughly and  squeeze gently  to remove excess water.

💡Tip: Add a little lemon juice to the water to prevent them from turning black.

2️⃣Preparation of the béchamel sauce:

1. In a saucepan,  melt the butter  over low heat.
2. With flour  : Add the flour and mix until you get a lightly golden roux.
   With cornstarch  : Dilute it in 10 cl of cold milk before adding it to the melted butter.
3. Gradually pour in the milk while whisking and let it thicken over medium heat for  5 to 10 minutes .
4. Add  nutmeg, salt and pepper .
5. Off the heat, stir in the  cream cheese spread  (optional) for extra creaminess.

3️⃣Assembling the gratin:

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