Equipment
Ingredients
Dressing
- 30 g blue cheese, crumbled
- 20 g sour cream
- 15 g mayonnaise
- 5 ml milk
- 1 garlic, finely minced
Assembly
- 1 belgian endive
- 15 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 5 g chive, finely sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 367 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 451 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Cholesterol
- 41 mg
- Potassium
- 369 mg
- Calcium
- 224 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 44 mg
- Phosphorus
- 217 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 122 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 26 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 28 mcg
- Water
- 37 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C / 350°F.
Scatter the chopped walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool completely.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the crumbled blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, and minced garlic. Use a fork to mash and stir the mixture until it is cohesive but still contains small, distinct pieces of blue cheese.
Trim the tough root end of the Belgian endive by about half a centimeter. Gently peel away 5 to 6 of the largest outer leaves. Wash them gently and pat them completely dry with a paper towel.
Arrange the dry endive leaves on a serving plate. Spoon an equal amount of the blue cheese dressing into the cupped, wider base of each leaf.
Sprinkle the cooled, toasted walnuts and the finely sliced chives evenly over the dressing on each leaf. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature is crucial here. The dressing tastes best at room temperature where the complex flavors of the blue cheese can bloom, but the endive should be ice cold for maximum crunch.
- For the cleanest presentation, keep the dressing strictly confined to the bottom third of the endive leaf. This creates a natural handle for your guests to pick up the appetizer.
- To tame the raw garlic bite, you can smash the garlic clove to a paste with a tiny pinch of coarse salt before adding it to the dressing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the dressing separately in an airtight container. The assembled endive leaves will wilt and oxidize if stored.
Troubleshooting
Dressing is too thin and runs off the endive
Cause: Too much milk was added, or the sour cream had a high water content
Fix: Stir in a little extra crumbled blue cheese or a spoonful of plain mayonnaise to thicken the emulsion
Prevention: Add milk gradually, just a few drops at a time
Endive leaves split or break when peeling
Cause: The root base was not trimmed high enough to release the leaves
Fix: Use the smaller inner leaves instead, adjusting the amount of dressing per leaf
Prevention: Trim slightly higher up the root base and pull the leaves downward gently
Cultural Context
Belgian endive, known locally as chicon, is a staple of Low Countries agriculture, grown in darkness to preserve its pale color and delicate bitterness. Pairing it with the assertive punch of blue cheese and the earthy fat of walnuts is a classic European flavor triad, frequently found in French bistro salads. Transforming this salad into a composed bite elevates the humble ingredients into an elegant hors d oeuvre.
