Chef Damien Coche of the Domaine de Châteauvieux is originally from the north of France, as is the endive – or chicon – that he used to glean from the fields as a young teenager. As a lover of this product of the earth, he advises that it should be grown in the open ground, precisely to ensure the best flavour. Whether eaten raw or cooked, the bitterness of a quality endive should not be a problem.  

“Raw in a salad, endives will be most tasty with a dressing of olive oil and hazelnut, cider vinegar and pine nuts, which a touch of sugar, by breaking the natural bitterness, will soften.

When cooked, they should be blanched in salted water and the cone-shaped heel removed to remove their bitterness. Squeeze the cooked endives well to remove excess water.

For more gourmet flavours, stuff the endives with bacon and roast them in a drizzle of olive oil on a roasting tray. Remove the endives from the pan, sweat the carrots and onions and deglaze with white wine. Put the endives back in, add the veal stock and reduce a little. Cover with aluminium foil and braise in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 130°c-150°c, basting a few times. The braised and candied endives will then be soft and melting and perfectly delicious!”

Hurry up, the endive season runs from October to April!

Find out more about the Domaine de Châteauvieux on their website: https://www.chateauvieux.ch/fr