Witlof met Ham en Kaas

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide lidded skillet or saute pan
• •Medium saucepan and whisk
• •2 to 2.5-liter ceramic baking dish
• •Clean kitchen towel for draining

Instructions

1. 1

   Braise the witlof

   Trim the browned bases from the witlof and pull away any tired outer leaves. If using large heads, halve them lengthwise through the root so they hold together. Melt the 15g butter in a wide lidded pan, lay in the witlof, add the water, lemon juice, and salt, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once. A knife should slip in with slight resistance. Tender is the aim, not collapse.

2. 2

   Drain it hard

   Lift the witlof into a colander, then lay it on a clean kitchen towel, cut side down if halved. Leave it for 15 minutes, then press gently with the towel to draw out more water. This is the recipe's honest work: a wet witlof thins the sauce and turns a gratin into a puddle with ambition.

   If a head feels loose and waterlogged, slit it lengthwise and press again. You are not punishing the vegetable; you are making room for sauce instead of broth.
3. 3

   Make the sauce

   While the witlof drains, melt the 40g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture looks pale and sandy. Add the warm milk a little at a time, whisking smooth after each addition, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon. Take it off the heat and stir in the mustard, nutmeg, 130g of the grated Gouda, and pepper. Taste before adding salt; the ham and cheese have already brought plenty to the meeting.

4. 4

   Wrap the rolls

   Heat the oven to 200C, or 180C fan. Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the rolls snugly in one layer. Pat the drained witlof dry, wrap each head or half-head in a slice of ham, and lay the rolls seam-side down in the dish. Spoon the cheese sauce over the top, leaving a few ends just visible, then scatter over the remaining 50g Gouda.

5. 5

   Bake and rest

   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the top is freckled gold. Let the dish stand for 10 minutes before serving. The rest is not politeness; it lets the sauce gather itself around the bitter leaves instead of running across the plate. Serve with boiled potatoes or a plain mash to catch the sauce.

Chef Tips

• •Choose tight, heavy heads of witlof with pale leaves and only a little yellow at the tips. Green leaves mean more bitterness, which can be useful in small doses and tiresome in a whole baking dish.
• •The tide sets the menu, and so does the calendar. Witlof is at its best from late autumn through early spring, even if modern growing makes it appear all year.
• •Use plain cooked ham, sliced thin but not sugary. Honeyed ham fights the bitterness and turns the sauce clumsy.
• •Aged Gouda or belegen kaas gives the sauce character. Very young cheese melts politely but says almost nothing.
• •Do not skip the draining. If you remember only one instruction from this recipe, make it goed laten uitlekken, let it drain well.

Advance Preparation

• •Braise and drain the witlof up to 24 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator, then pat it dry again before wrapping in ham.
• •The full dish can be assembled up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bake from cold at 190C and add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
• •Leftovers keep for 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a moderate oven so the sauce loosens without splitting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)