Try an extra helping of endive. Not the usual — cold and pale — but the unusual: hot and hearty. Steamed tender on one side and sizzled crisp on the other, endive makes the leap to satisfying. Seriously.
Crisp endive
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Crisp endive makes a simple lunch or sturdy side dish. Plan on 2 endive heads per person for lunch or 1 as a side dish. About 4 fit in a medium skillet, so you may want to make more than one at once.
Belgian endive
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Garlic
Feta, goat or mild blue cheese
Trim: Slice each endive in half from root to tip. Trim away root end. If the outermost leaves look sad, peel them away. Rub endive all over with salt and pepper.
Melt: Set a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Drop in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. When butter has melted, halve 1 clove garlic and slide it in, cut-side down. Settle in endive in a single layer, cut-side down.
Crisp: Cover pan. Let cook over medium-low (no stirring, prodding or fussing) until flat sides crisp to a deep brown and curved sides steam tender, about 20 minutes. (Times vary depending on the side of the endive from as little as 15 to as much as 25 minutes. But err on the long side; you want a deep brown flat surface.)
Serve: Set endive, crisp side up on a platter. Crumble on a little cheese. Enjoy warm.
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