Chicory gratin: the Belgian recipe, with no water pooling in the dish
Chicory gratin is the Wednesday-night dish in Belgium: tender chicory rolled in ham, a cheesy béchamel and a golden grilled crust. The only pitfall is water flooding the dish. Here's how to avoid it, and how to set your oven for a perfect gratin.
- 4 servings, 25 min preparation
- Chicons braised on the hob, well pressed
- 20 min at 200 °C, then 3 to 5 min under the grill
- With a homemade mash, pure bliss
Appliance and settingHob, then oven 200 °C and grill
Ingredients
The chicon, Belgium's winter pride
The chicon (endive, as our French neighbours call it) originated in Belgium, and the season runs at its peak from October to April. Baked au gratin with ham and a cheese béchamel, it becomes the ultimate comfort dish. The recipe is simple, but two details make the difference: well-cooked and well-drained chicons, and a stint under the grill watched closely.
The steps
- Prepare the chicons. Remove any damaged leaves and cut a small cone out of the base to take out the most bitter part. Don't wash them under running water: a damp piece of kitchen paper is enough.
- Braise them. In a large frying pan or a casserole with a lid, melt the butter on the hob at level 6 (out of 9). Add the chicons, the pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. Cover, reduce to level 4 and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning them halfway through. They should be tender and lightly golden.
- Drain them thoroughly. Place them in a sieve and gently press them with the back of a spoon. Leave them to drain while you make the sauce.
- The béchamel. In a saucepan, at level 5, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Pour in the cold milk all at once, whisking constantly. Let it thicken for 5 to 8 minutes at level 4, stirring without stopping. Off the heat, add two thirds of the cheese, the nutmeg and the egg yolk.
- Assemble the dish. Preheat the oven to 200 °C on conventional heat. Roll each chicon in a slice of ham and arrange them snugly in a buttered dish. Coat with béchamel and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake. Put it in on level 2 (middle of the oven) for 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges.
- Brown the top. Switch to grill mode, dish on level 3 (closest to the top), for 3 to 5 minutes. Stay by the door: the crust goes from golden to burnt in less than a minute.
Appliance settings
| Step | Appliance and mode | Setting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braising the chicons | Induction hob | Level 6, then 4 covered | 25 to 30 min |
| Béchamel | Induction hob | Level 5, then 4 | 6 to 9 min |
| Baking the gratin | Oven, conventional heat | 200 °C, shelf level 2 | 20 min |
| Gratin cooking (variant) | Oven, fan-assisted | 180 °C, shelf level 2 | 20 to 25 min |
| Gratinate | Grill (full grill) or fan grill | Maximum power or 220 °C, shelf level 3 | 3 to 5 min, keeping an eye on it |
| Steamed endives (variant) | Oven with steam or steam oven | 100 °C | 20 to 25 min |
The fan grill (or turbo grill) browns more evenly than a grill alone, door closed. The full grill alone is often also used with the door closed on newer ovens: follow your oven's manual.
Variations
- With Ardennes ham : saltier and smoked. Reduce the salt in the béchamel.
- Lighter version : béchamel made with semi-skimmed milk, without egg yolk, and half the cheese.
- Vegetarian : without ham, with crushed walnuts and crumbled goat's cheese on top.
- Individual portions : two endives per small dish, handy for freezing portions.
Storage
Leftover endive gratin keeps 2 days in the fridge, covered. Reheat for 20 minutes at 170 °C fan, covered with foil for the first 10 minutes. In the freezer, it keeps for about 2 months, but the béchamel may separate a little on defrosting: a spell under the grill brings it back to life.
Make the béchamel a little thicker than for lasagne : even when well drained, the endives still release a little juice in the oven. And if you have a steam oven, try steaming the endives instead of using a pan: they stay paler, milder, and you save a saucepan to wash up.
Which appliance?
For a gratin, what matters most is a powerful, even grill and an oven that heats up quickly.
A multifunction oven with a good grill
A full-width grill or fan grill browns the whole dish at once. Examples from our range: Bosch HBA572BW3F (pyrolytic, Air Fry tray included), Siemens HB774G2B1 (iQ700, meat probe, up to 300 °C), Smeg SFP6401TB (pyrolytic, strong fan grill), Hisense BI64211EPX (pyrolytic, budget price).
From 449,99 € to 1 229,99 €
A precise induction hob
For a béchamel without lumps or a scorched base, a responsive induction hob helps a lot. Example: Siemens EH631BJB6E, three zones with booster and 17 heat settings.
609,99 €
An induction cooker
The Beko FBE68314MXC combines a three-zone induction hob and a 72-litre multifunction oven.
699,99 €
Public prices noted on 15 October 2026: the product page is definitive, and Nimesclub members often get a reduced price.
Ovens and hobs for gratins in store
BOSCH HBA572BW3F Built-in Oven€829.00
SIEMENS HB774G2B1 Built-in Oven€1,229.00
Built-in oven HISENSE BI64211EPX€449.00
Built-in oven SMEG SFP6401TB€699.00
Induction Hob SIEMENS EH631BJB6E€609.00
Cooker BEKO FBE68314MXC€699.00Grill, fan grill, natural convection: if you're unsure what the symbols on your oven mean, our guide to oven functions decodes them one by one. And to set your hob correctly, read cooking with induction.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my endive gratin release water?
Endive contains a lot of water. If it isn't cooked enough and well drained before being rolled in the ham, it releases it in the oven and the béchamel turns runny. Stew them for a long time, then gently press them in a sieve.
How do I remove the bitterness from endives?
Remove the small hard core at the base with the tip of a knife and add a pinch of sugar when cooking. Field-grown endives, which cost more, are also often milder.
Can endive gratin be made in advance?
Yes. Assemble the dish, let it cool, cover it and keep it in the fridge until the next day. Allow 10 extra minutes of cooking at 180 °C fan.
The right oven makes all the difference
Steam ovens, pyrolytic ovens, induction hobs: come and see them at our Temploux store, or ask our expert salesperson for advice.
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