Endives and Ham au Gratin (Endives au Jambon Gratinées)

20 ml mild olive oil or melted butter
6 endives, cut in half
12 thin slices of boiled ham (jambon cuit or jambon blanc)
60 g Emmental cheese (I love Emmental from Savoie)
1 tsp thyme leaves

béchamel sauce:
40 g butter
40 g all-purpose flour
500 ml full-fat milk
1 tsp thyme leaves
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
sea salt, to taste
a tiny bit of white pepper (if you don't have white pepper, you can use black)
60 g Emmental cheese (I love Emmental from Savoie)


Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the baking dish with either oil or butter.

Prepare béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir continuously until it forms a paste — this is called a roux. Continue cooking while stirring for 2 minutes. Add approximately 80 ml of milk, mixing vigorously. Then, continue adding the rest of the milk gradually, stirring until you have a smooth sauce.

Add the thyme and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Take the sauce off the heat and add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cheese. Mix.

Assemble the gratin. Take each half of the endive and wrap it in a slice of ham. Place them in the prepared dish.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the endives and ham. If the sauce is thicker than you'd like, spread it over and around with a spoon. However, if you prepare the sauce right before baking, it should not be too thick (it thickens as it cools).

Sprinkle the grated Emmental cheese evenly on top.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly. Serve hot right away.