April 22, 2007
Frisée au Gratin
Philippe, Tucson CSA
Adapted from Epicurean.com
This traditional Belgian dish is usually made with Belgian endive, but frisée or escarole can be used instead (they are all different incarnations of the same vegetable).
1 head of frisée
2 cups soft bread, crust removed, shredded
1 cup milk
1 cup ham, cut in little squares (optional)
2 hard-boiled eggs
2/3 cup light cream
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt, pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400°.
Boil salted water in a pot large enough to take a head of frisée. Boil until wilted. Drain, cool, and cut lengthwise in strips. Place strips side-by-side in a buttered gratin dish.
Put the soft bread in the milk. Mash the hard-boiled eggs with a fork. Mix together the eggs and the bread/milk mixture (add extra milk if necessary to obtain a creamy consistency). Add the ham, salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Mix well and pour over frisée strips.
Pour the cream over the frisée, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Add some little cubes of butter over the dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
This recipe is absolutely delicious!! For those with kids–it’s a great way to sneak in the greens–our 4 yr-old gobbled it up. We also tried it with the dandelion greens, but those remained a little bitter (I might not have cooked them enough). The frisee completely lost all bitterness and was delicious. I also preferred it without the nutmeg (though the rest of the family had no preference for with or without).