Chicory French style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 8 chicory
• 8 slices of cooked ham
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ liter of milk
• 50 g butter
• 60 g flour
• 200 g cheese, grated (Emmental)
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Halve the chicory and remove the stalks. Melt a little butter in a saucepan and add the sugar. When the sugar begins to brown, add the chicory and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in half a cup of water and simmer the chicory with the lid on for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter, add the flour, and stir until the fat and flour are well combined. Then add a little milk, stirring until smooth, then add a little more milk and stir until smooth. Repeat this process until all the milk is used up. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Be careful with the salt, as cheese will be added later, which will make the sauce even more flavorful; add more salt later. Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add 150g of cheese and stir until the cheese is smoothly combined with the sauce. Remove the sauce from the heat. Wrap half or a whole chicory in ham, depending on the size of the ham slices. Place the rolls side by side in a greased baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake at 180°C fan/convection oven or 200°C top/bottom heat for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned. Serve with boiled potatoes.