The endive is a humble vegetable here in France, where they most certainly do not call it Belgian. Grown undergrown, its white leaves crisp and slightly bitter, the endive comes into its own in the winter months. It may be braised, served au gratin with ham (a Burgundy specialty), or turned into a salad with a zingy sauce and a decidedly adult flavor. For example, this salad of endive with a roquefort dressing and walnuts crumbled on top.
Salade d’endives au roquefort / Salad of Belgian endive with roquefort
The endive is a versatile vegatalbe, and there are many variations on this salad. You can omit the cream and use olive oil instead. In which case you may choose to substitute balsamic vinegar for the lemon juice, and maybe even decide to add some julienne strips of cured country ham. Or substitute cubes of gruyère cheese for the roquefort. Use your imagination — that’s the fun of cooking — but please don’t omit the walnuts!
Well, I could very well be wrong. I just wouldn’t want to upset the delicate balance of Belgian-Burgundian diplomacy 😉
And I always thought that endives au gratin with ham was a BELGIAN specialty! (Seriously!)
Oh! I think you may be right. Could I possibly blame this lapse on election fever? I’ll check it out next time I go down to Burgundy. Meantime, thanks for pointing this out.