Endive stew

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 kg potatoes, floury or mostly waxy
• 1 large head of endive lettuce
• 1 large onion(s)
• 200 g bacon, preferably fatty, but lean is also fine
• 250 ml water, hot
• 250 ml cream or whole milk, warm
• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar, good
• Salt and pepper, white, freshly ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Simple, inexpensive, but delicious typical autumn and winter dish, found in grandma’s recipes

Finely dice the bacon and onion, peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Remove the midribs from the lettuce, cut into thin strips, and place in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes to draw out the bitterness. Drain. Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain, mash, and sprinkle with 1/4 of the diced onion. Add the endive strips and fold in. While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon in a pan without adding any fat until only the fat and cracklings remain. Add the remaining diced onion and fry. Fill with water, pour over the puree, and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Finally, stir in the cream or milk. Tastes good cold or warmed up—endive is tough. Tip: Today’s endive varieties may not have as many bitter substances, so if you’re not as sensitive as I am, you don’t necessarily need to soak it. I still do it as a precaution.