Grilled Endive with Warm Mandarins
I’ve never been confused by the name Belgian Endive because this is how this bitter salad is referred to in America. But, you may be confused if you come from the UK, Australia or other parts of Europe; Chicory and Witlof are other common names in those regions.
I was also less than impressed the first time I tried this elongated, white salad green. I thought it was far too bitter…and worse, the bitterness lingered in my mouth for a long time – yuck!
When I tried endive in Europe, I was able to find some young and fresh endive
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I’ve never been confused by the name Belgian Endive because this is how this bitter salad is referred to in America. But, you may be confused if you come from the UK, Australia or other parts of Europe; Chicory and Witlof are other common names in those regions.
I was also less than impressed the first time I tried this elongated, white salad green. I thought it was far too bitter…and worse, the bitterness lingered in my mouth for a long time – yuck!
When I tried endive in Europe, I was able to find some young and fresh endive without a hint of greening on its leaves. This extreme whiteness was important because it meant the plant was not exposed to any sunlight or artificial light in storage. The light triggers chlorophyll in the leaves and this adds to the bitterness. Really young and fresh endive has an appealing gentle bitter-sweet flavor and a pleasing crunch. Think artichoke hearts and you will get reasonably close to how endive tastes – and that relationship grows even closer when the endive is grilled!
Yield: about 4-8 servings