Braised witlof with a beer and cheese sauce

SERVES 4

Witlof – sometimes spelled witloof and often called chicory or Belgian endive – is a lovely and unique bitter green vegetable. You will usually find it packaged in sets of two in the vegetable section of your supermarket or greengrocer. Occasionally red witlof is available, but there is really no difference in flavour.

20 g (¾ oz) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) milk

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) American-style pale ale

65 g (2½ oz/½ cup) grated gruyère cheese

sea salt and ground white pepper, for seasoning

8 small witlof (chicory/Belgian endive)

8 thick slices of ham, cut off the bone

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam, then gradually add the flour, stirring well as you add it. Let the mixture cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes to cook out the flour taste – make sure you don’t colour the roux by cooking it over too high a heat. Next, slowly whisk in the milk so that it combines well with the roux, then gradually whisk in the beer. If the sauce is too thick and you need to add more liquid, add equal amounts of beer and milk. You want the sauce to have a consistency a bit like thick pouring custard, and keep in mind that when you add the cheese the sauce will thicken a little more. When you’re happy with the sauce consistency, add the cheese and mix it in until it melts. Add sea salt and ground white pepper to taste.

Place the witlof in a saucepan of gently simmering salted water and simmer for 5–10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. You want it soft, but still with some bite or texture to it – make sure you don’t overcook the witlof or it will become mushy and not very pleasant. Using a slotted spoon, remove the witlof from the pan and drain away any excess water. (If you want a little more flavour in the witlof, you could simmer it in a light chicken stock, or even a mixture of half water and half pale ale.)

Arrange two slices of ham on each plate, then place a hot witlof on top of each slice of ham. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the witlof.

Enjoy with a glass of the beer that you used in the sauce.

Beer Notes

Good pale ales for this dish include Epic Pale Ale from New Zealand, Hargreaves Hill Pale, Little Creatures Pale Ale or Three Sheets Pale Ale from the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel