Pain de Chicorée

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Smooth-sided 1-quart loaf pan or charlotte mould
• •Wide covered ovenproof sauté pan
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare chicory and mould

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter a smooth-sided 1-quart loaf pan or charlotte mould generously with the softened butter, reaching into every corner. Trim the endives, discard damaged leaves, halve the heads lengthwise, and cut away the hard central cones. Keep enough chicory on hand to give you exactly 1 pound (454 g) after braising and pressing.

   Use tightly closed, pale heads. A little bitterness is the chicory's character, but loose green outer leaves can make the finished loaf harsh.
2. 2

   Braise the chicory

   Melt the braising butter in a wide ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Arrange the chicory cut-side down, season with half the salt and half the white pepper, then add the lemon juice and water. Lay a round of parchment directly over the chicory, cover the pan, and braise in the oven for 40 minutes. Turn the pieces, uncover, and cook for another 10 minutes, until a knife passes through the bases without resistance and little liquid remains. If the pan dries before the chicory is tender, add a small spoonful of hot water; patience, not scorched butter. Drain the chicory in a sieve until cool enough to handle, then press firmly to expel excess liquid. Chop it finely and weigh exactly 1 pound (454 g), saving any extra for another meal. Wet chicory dilutes the eggs and leaves water beneath the loaf, so press with conviction.

3. 3

   Whip and fold

   Let the chopped chicory cool until warm rather than hot. Beat the whole eggs with the remaining salt and white pepper using an electric mixer for 5 to 7 minutes, until very pale, greatly increased in volume, and thick enough that a ribbon falling from the beaters remains visible for several seconds. This is the source's stiff beating translated for a home mixer. Fold one-third of the eggs into the chicory to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad turns of a spatula. If the eggs remain thin after several minutes of beating, set the bowl over warm water briefly and continue; room-temperature eggs gain volume more readily. Some foam will settle as you fold, which is expected. Do not beat the mixture again.

4. 4

   Poach in bain-marie

   Spoon the mixture evenly into the buttered mould and smooth the surface without pressing out its air. Set the mould on a folded kitchen towel inside a deep roasting pan, then pour very hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the mould. Cover the mould loosely with foil and poach in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes. The pain de chicorée is ready when the centre reaches about 165°F (74°C), a thin knife comes out moist but free of liquid egg, and the middle trembles as one piece rather than sloshing. The water should barely quiver. If it begins boiling hard, lower the oven and replace a little of the bath with cool water; fierce heat curdles the eggs and leaves the loaf riddled with holes.

5. 5

   Build the cream sauce

   While the loaf poaches, melt the sauce butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook this pale roux for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, allowing each addition to become smooth before adding the next. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring along the bottom, then add the cream and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes. The sauce is ready when it is nappé, coating the back of a spoon in a smooth ivory layer. Season to taste. If it becomes lumpy, pass it through a fine sieve; if it tightens too far, loosen it with a little milk. Keep it warm over the gentlest heat, covered directly on the surface so a skin cannot form.

6. 6

   Let the middle settle

   Lift the mould from the bain-marie and leave it upright on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not hurry this. The retained heat finishes setting the centre while the egg structure relaxes enough to release cleanly from the mould. If the centre still moves like liquid after the rest, keep the loaf in its mould and return it to the hot-water bath for another 5 to 8 minutes. Ça se rattrape. An extra few minutes of gentle poaching is far kinder than turning out an unset middle.

7. 7

   Turn out and sauce

   Warm an oval serving platter. Run a thin knife around the mould without cutting into the loaf, set the platter over it, and invert both in one confident movement. Lift the mould straight upward. If one edge clings, cover the mould with a warm towel for a minute and try again. Stir the cream sauce until glossy, then pour it over the loaf just before serving, covering the top and letting a generous ribbon pool around the base. If the loaf slumps despite its rest, settle it into a warm shallow serving dish and spoon over the sauce; the shape has changed, not the dish. Serve beside roast veal, chicken, or a plainly cooked fish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The ratio belongs to the source: five large eggs for exactly 1 pound (454 g) of braised, pressed chicory. Weigh the vegetable after cooking, not before. Buy an extra head so the loaf never comes up short.
• •Choose a plain, smooth-sided mould of about 1-quart capacity. Decorative ridges give the tender egg structure more places to catch, and cooking well is not cooking fancy.
• •Press the braised chicory thoroughly. If water beads when you squeeze a handful, keep pressing; moisture left in the vegetable becomes a puddle when the loaf is turned out.
• •Butter and cream provide both flavour and structure in the sauce. Margarine and imitation cream do neither job properly. We don't apologize for butter.
• •A dry white wine with firm acidity suits the pleasant bitterness of the chicory and the rich sauce. Chablis or a dry Loire Chenin Blanc will both keep the table lively.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicory can be braised, pressed, chopped, and weighed a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate it, then let it lose its refrigerator chill before folding in the eggs.
• •The cream sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated with parchment pressed directly against its surface. Reheat it gently, whisking in a little milk if it has thickened.
• •Do not combine the chicory and whipped eggs far in advance. Fill the mould as soon as they are folded together, then poach it near serving time and preserve the full settling rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 280g)