How to Cook Endive

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 26, 2021 References

With its gentle, nutty flavor and soft texture, cooked Belgian endive is a delicious addition to many meals. While endive is often eaten raw in salads or used as a vessel to hold other foods, its firm structure allows it to stand up to high heat, too, transforming it into a tasty, succulent side dish.^{[1]
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Ingredients

Seared Endives

4.5 tablespoons (67 mL) of extra-virgin olive oil
8 Belgian endives, halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
Sea salt
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice
Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Makes 4-8 servings

Braised Endives

1 1/2 tbsp (21 grams) of cubed, unsalted butter
4 Belgian endives, halved lengthwise
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of chicken broth
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice
1 tsp (4 grams) of sugar
1/4 tsp (1.25 grams) of salt

Makes 4 servings

Grilled Endives

6 Belgian endives, halved lengthwise
4 ounces (110 g) of a soft cheese, like blue cheese or gorgonzola
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper to season

Makes 4-6 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Searing

1
Heat 1.5 tablespoons (22 mL) of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the oil warm up until it begins to shimmer.^{[2]
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Research source} To test if the oil is hot enough, flick a few drops of water into the skillet. If the water sizzles, the oil is ready.^{[3]
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- For this recipe, use extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). It’s a fragrant oil that adds flavor to the food, while also keeping the endives from burning in the skillet.
- Either a cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet will work best.
2
Halve 8 endives lengthwise to create 16 sections. Use a sharp chef’s knife on a clean cutting board. Be careful not to knick your fingers with the blade as you slice through each endive. Set the cut pieces to the side on a plate.^{[4]
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- Leave the ends of the endives intact. They’ll hold the halves together, so you’re less likely to lose any leaves.
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3
Add 8 of the endive halves to the hot oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt. It doesn’t matter which side goes into the skillet first; they’ll be seared on both sides at the end of the process.^{[5]
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- The endives get more salt at the end; if you’re trying to consume less sodium, skip adding kosher salt at this stage.
4
Cook the endives for 3 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. Watch as the leaves begin to soften and brown. Cook each side long enough that the leaves start to get a little color on them, but not so long that they begin to burn. Use a pair of tongs when you flip the halves over so you don’t burn yourself.^{[6]
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- This is a great side dish you can make with just a few minutes of time!
5
Set the seared endives on a plate and cook the next batch. The skillet isn’t large enough to hold all 16 halves of the endives without overcrowding them and making them difficult to flip over. Cook this second batch the same way you did the first one: about 1.5 minutes on one side and 1.5 minutes on the other.^{[7]
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- If the bottom of the pan seems dry when you remove the first batch, add another 1.5 tablespoons (22 mL) of olive oil. Let it heat to a simmer before adding the endives.
6
Sprinkle the endives with lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, and sea salt. Use 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice, ¹⁄₂ tablespoon (7.4 mL) of olive oil, and the zest from an entire lemon. Add a pinch of sea salt to each half for the final seasoning. Serve the endives while they’re still warm.^{[8]
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- This type of dish doesn’t save very well. If you have leftovers, consider chopping them up and using them in a salad the same day.
7
Substitute fresh parsley, blue cheese, and walnuts for a more savory option. Instead of using lemon juice, salt, and pepper, create a richer dish with 2 tbsp (7.5 grams) of fresh parsley, 2 ounces (57 g) of blue cheese, and about 1/4 cup (30 grams) of chopped walnuts. Sprinkle the seared endives with these delicious toppings and enjoy.^{[9]
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- If you don’t like blue cheese, use gorgonzola, feta cheese, goat cheese, or even thin slices of brie.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Braising

1
Cut and butter a piece of wax paper to fit the circumference of a large skillet. Rip off a large sheet of wax paper and place the skillet on top of it. Trace around the edges with a pencil, then cut the wax paper on the inside edge of the pencil lines. Take a knob of butter and rub it over one side of the wax paper, so it’s thoroughly coated.^{[10]
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- If you have one, use a cast-iron skillet. It’ll produce a nice char on the endives as they braise.
- Coating the wax paper with butter ensures it won’t stick to the endives. Plus, it’ll add a little extra flavor to the dish.
- If you don’t have wax paper, you could use parchment paper instead.^{[11]
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2
Halve the endives and place them cut-side down in the skillet. Use a chef’s knife on a clean cutting board to carefully slice through each head of lettuce. Do your best to arrange the halves in the skillet so that they’re in one even layer and not overlapping much.^{[12]
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- Make sure to keep your fingers out of the way as you cut the endives.
3
Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and diced butter to the skillet. Use ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of chicken broth, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice, 1 tsp (4 grams) of sugar, 4 tsp (1.25 grams) of salt, and 1 1/2 tbsp (21 grams) of cubed, unsalted butter.^{[13]
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- If you prefer, use vegetable or beef broth instead of chicken broth. You can also use a low-sodium version if you prefer.
- To cube the butter, cut it into little pieces. The pieces don’t have to be exactly even.
4
Cover the skillet with the wax paper and bring the liquid to a simmer. Make sure to put the wax paper butter-side down over the skillet. Turn the heat to medium, peeking under the wax paper occasionally until you notice the liquid starting to simmer.^{[14]
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- Be patient as you wait for the liquid to simmer and resist the temptation to crank up the heat. Too high of heat could burn the endives, sugar, or butter, and ruin your entire dish. Low and slow is the way to go when braising.
- For an even better seal put a lid over the wax paper. This will help the endives steam through faster, though it’ll be harder to check the liquid’s level as it reduces.^{[15]
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5
Let the dish simmer for 25-30 minutes until the liquid reduces. As the endives braise, they’re essentially steaming in the buttery liquid. Once the endives are fork-tender and the liquid is a 1/4 of what it was initially, take the skillet off the heat.^{[16]
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- Use this time to prepare the other components of your meal.
6
Transfer the braised endives to a plate and drizzle them with sauce. Remove the wax paper and throw it away. Use a pair of tongs to remove the halved endives and divide them between plates. It’s best to enjoy this dish immediately; otherwise, the endives will cool down and go limp.^{[17]
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- Consider pairing the endives with cooked green beans, Brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, or other vegetables. They’ll all taste great when paired with the lemony, butter sauce.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Grilling

1
Turn your grill to high and let it preheat while you prep the endives. Let a gas grill preheat for about 10 minutes; for a charcoal grill, wait to cook the endives until the charcoal has turned gray. If there is any residual grime from the last time you grilled, take a minute to clean off the grates.^{[18]
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- If you don’t clean off the grates, that grit from the grill will transfer to the endives as they cook, making them taste bitter and burnt.
2
Halve the endives lengthwise and brush the cut sides with olive oil. Use a chef’s knife and clean cutting board to cut 6 endives, creating 12 total halves. Apply a thin coating of olive oil to each half with a basting or pastry brush so the endives won’t stick to the grill.^{[19]
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- Be careful and keep your fingers out of the way as you work.
3
Cook the endives for 6-7 minutes on each side to give them a nice char. Place the endives cut-side down on the grill and let them cook until you see nice grill lines, and the leaves begin to soften. Flip them over with a pair of tongs and cook the other side for an extra 6-7 minutes, or until you can pierce the skin with a fork.^{[20]
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- If the endives are browning too quickly, lower the heat to medium-high.
4
Top the endives with soft cheese and let it melt for about 2 minutes. While the endives are still on the grill, sprinkle each half with about ¹⁄₄ ounce (7.1 g) of soft cheese, like gorgonzola or blue cheese. Close the lid to the grill and turn off the heat, so the endives don’t accidentally burn.^{[21]
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- Feta or goat cheese would also taste great with endives.
5
Transfer the endives to a plate and top with salt, pepper, and drizzled olive oil. Use a pair of tongs to carefully remove the endives from the grill without knocking off the melty cheese. Give each half a quick drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve the endives while they’re still warm from the grill.^{[22]
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- For an enhanced flavor profile, add a few chopped walnuts to each endive half and drizzle them with balsamic vinegar, too.^{[23]
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Warnings

Always use caution when working near a hot stove. Wear oven mitts to move hot skillets and watch out for popping oil.

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