Everybody knows chicory salad, but chicory is nice as a vegetable, too. In particular if you cook it in the oven in a creamy sauce. I usually halve the chicken and chicory (when I just cook it for myself or for two), but not the sauce. I like a lot of sauce. My favourite side dish to this is mashed potatoes with chives or scallions. Just make some mashed potatoes and fold in some finely chopped chives or scallions. The plate will look a little bit pale, though... This dish is NOT suitable for freezing. Recipe source: 'Good Food' magazine February 2005.

Ingredients

4 serv.

heads white chicory (Belgian endive)↗3 -4
tablespoon olive oil↗1
tablespoons dry white wine or 3 tablespoons chicken stock↗3
boneless skinless chicken breasts↗4
ounce butter (25g)↗1
shallot, finely chopped↗1
garlic clove, chopped↗1
for the SAUCE
ounce butter (25g)↗1
tablespoon plain flour↗1
pint milk (300ml, 1 1/4cup)1⁄2
pint sour cream (150ml)↗1⁄4
fresh sage leaves, chopped↗4 -6
teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard, plus↗2 -3
teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard↗2 -3
ounces grated gruyere (50g) or 2 ounces cheshire cheese2

Step-by-step instructions

1
Preheat your oven to fan 180°C (355°F)/conventional 200°C (390°F)/gas 6. Trim away the stalk ends of the chicory, discard any limp or tired outer leaves, then cut the vegetable lengthways into quarters. Pour the oil over the bottom of a large shallow baking dish and arrange the sections of chicory, cut-side up, in a single layer. Pour over the wine or stock and cover with foil. Bake for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2
Slice the chicken into strips 1cm thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large frying pan until foaming, add sliced chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is just turning golden brown. Stir in the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the dish from the oven and add the chicken mixture to the chicory. Replace the foil and set the dish aside while you make the sauce.
3
Melt the butter for the sauce in the frying pan (no need to wash it) then stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring all the time until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and sage with two teaspoons each of both mustards. Taste and add extra mustard plus salt and pepper if you think they're needed.
4
Pour the sauce over the chicory and chicken and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, for a further 25-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden.

Source: food.com

Original recipe ↗

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