Honey Roasted Endive

Last week I received a surprise package in the mail. I had no idea what it was but the box said to refrigerate immediately. So I opened it up and found…

A bouquet of endives!

Isn’t it cute? I never really thought about it before, but endives kind of look like flowers. Wrapped up with a bow they passed for a nice bouquet.

When I opened up the bouquet, I found that the roots were still attached, giving a glimpse into how endives are grown. Did you know that endives are one of the most difficult vegetables to grow? They’re actually grown twice – first in a field, then the roots of the plants are harvested and kept dormant inside cold storage. The roots are taken out of cold storage and placed in a precisely controlled environment of a forcing room, where they bloom and mature. That means the leaves have never been exposed to soil (you don’t even need to wash them) and they can be grown year-round, which they are here in California.

I’d never made endives before. You can eat them raw, but they have a reputation for being bitter, so I decided to cook them. Russ recommended roasting them, and I consulted the Flavor Bible to see which flavors would best compliment them. Honey and thyme were both on the list, and I found a roasted endive recipe that uses a simple sauce with these flavors. After roasting them for over 20 minutes at 350°F, the endives became soft and began to brown. However, I found them to still taste a bit bitter. I put them in the fridge overnight, and the flavor significantly mellowed and the bitterness went away. I think next time I will try roasting them at a higher temperature and that will give more of a roasted flavor (and hopefully reduce the bitterness more).

Here are a lot more endive recipes. Thanks Discover Endive for the Valentine surprise!

Have you ever tried endives before?

RECIPE:

Honey Roasted Endive

Adapted from Saveur

6 medium-size Belgian endives
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. chopped thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Slice endives in half lengthwise and remove as much of the bitter core as you can. Place endive halves into a baking dish.

2. Combine butter, olive oil, honey, thyme, salt and pepper in a small pan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. When mixture starts bubbling, remove from heat and pour evenly over endives in dish.

3. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until endives have softened and turned brown around the edges.

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11 Comments on Honey Roasted Endive

Jennifer | Mother Thyme
February 16, 2012 at 12:20 pm (13 years ago)

What a delicious way to serve Endive! Look forward to trying this.
Reply
- Stephanie
  February 16, 2012 at 3:25 pm (13 years ago)
  
  @Jennifer – thanks! I hope you enjoy it.
Jennifer (Delicieux)
February 17, 2012 at 1:47 am (13 years ago)

A bouquet of endives, how adorable!!! I love the sound of roasting them in honey too. I’ve never thought to roast them.
Jennifer (Delicieux) recently posted Blogging 101 – Getting Started
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Roxana GreenGirl { A little bit of everything}
February 18, 2012 at 4:20 pm (13 years ago)

until recently I didn’t know how endive roots look like. I saw a picture on another blog few days ago.
The endive bouquet is such a cute idea and roasting them with honey must be delish!
Roxana GreenGirl { A little bit of everything} recently posted Heart to heart and an Egg-land best Giveaway
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Living The Sweet Life
February 19, 2012 at 11:32 am (13 years ago)

That’s a lovely valentines day bouquet 😉 – – if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is. This is such a great recipe – I love roasted vegetables, but have never tried endives … I think this is a must!!
Living The Sweet Life recently posted Nona’s Italian Wedding Zuppa
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- Stephanie
  February 20, 2012 at 8:23 am (13 years ago)
  
  @Living the Sweet Life – isn’t it sweet? I love roasted veggies too. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Debs @ The Spanish Wok
February 28, 2012 at 12:38 am (13 years ago)

A boquet of endive. What a lovely idea and it looks so pretty too.

Love the idea of roasting them in honey. Will have to try this soon.
Debs @ The Spanish Wok recently posted Cancer Fighting Foods
Reply
- Stephanie
  February 28, 2012 at 7:04 am (13 years ago)
  
  @Debs – thanks, hope you enjoy it!