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How to prepare endives
A very classic recipe, but which can easily fail due to two main errors: too much water in bottom of dish because endives give off a lot, and endives that are too bitter so that children hate it.
Here is a method which avoids these two problems.
Here is a method which avoids these two problems.
522 K 3.6/5 (258 reviews)784631
Last modified on: October 11th 2026
For 4 endives, you will need:
- 1
5 endives (head of chicory) - 2
Coarse salt - 3
Water - Total weight: 350 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation
20 min.
Resting
5 min.
Cooking
3 min.
All in all
30 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
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Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 10 min.
Trim a little from the base of 5 endives (head of chicory), remove and discard any untidy leaves, then wash endives.
Stage 2 - ⌛ 3 min.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Using a sharp knife, cut out a small cone from the base of the endive and discard it. The size of the cone depends on the size of the endive; generally, 1 or 1/2 centimeter is enough.
This is done to reduce the bitterness of the endive.
Tip: If the endives are medium or large, it’s best to cut them in half lengthwise; this helps them cook more evenly.
Your endives are now ready to be cooked or eaten raw.
Using a sharp knife, cut out a small cone from the base of the endive and discard it. The size of the cone depends on the size of the endive; generally, 1 or 1/2 centimeter is enough.
This is done to reduce the bitterness of the endive.
Tip: If the endives are medium or large, it’s best to cut them in half lengthwise; this helps them cook more evenly.
Your endives are now ready to be cooked or eaten raw.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 3 min.
Blanching Endives
If you plan to cook them and want to reduce their bitterness a little, you can blanch them.
Plunge the endives into boiling salted water for 2 or 3 minutes...
Stage 4 - ⌛ 5 min.
... remove them with a slotted spoon and plunge them into very cold water—ice-cold if possible.
You’ve just blanched the endives—this is often done to reduce their bitterness.
You’ve just blanched the endives—this is often done to reduce their bitterness.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 5 min.
Let the endives soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and dry them. The best way to do this is to spin them ina salad spinner, then set them aside on a kitchen towel.
This step is essential (or nearly so), because endives have an unfortunate tendency, once cooked, to act like sponges and absorb a lot of water; this will prevent you from ending up with water at the bottom of your baking dish (my personal nightmare).
This step is essential (or nearly so), because endives have an unfortunate tendency, once cooked, to act like sponges and absorb a lot of water; this will prevent you from ending up with water at the bottom of your baking dish (my personal nightmare).
Remarks
In this recipe I say "reduce bitterness" because we don't want to suppress it entirely: it's part of the endive taste, its character, that we should keep.
Keeping: Several days in the frifge, in a closed box.
Source: Home made.
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Nutritional information
| Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats | Calories | Energy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 1 g RDI=2 % | 4 g RDI=2 % | 0 g | 20 kcal RDI=1 % | 84 kJ RDI=1 % |
| Per endives | 0 g | 3 g RDI=1 % | 0 g | 17 kcal RDI=1 % | 73 kJ RDI=1 % |
| Whole recipe | 3 g RDI=5 % | 14 g RDI=5 % | 0 g | 70 kcal RDI=4 % | 293 kJ RDI=4 % |
How much will it cost?
For 4 endives
0.45 €
Per endives
0.15 €
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Endives (head of chicory)
Like these other recipes:
Coarse salt
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