I know that all Internet is full now with recipes, pictures and stories of pumpkin. But in Dubai there are NO seasons!!! ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️We have any vegetables or fruits all over the year, imported from around the world. I don’t notice that autumn came and continue to cook with FUNNY vegetables. So if you are looking for the inspiration from CHICORY – here it is: Baked chicory and meat with brown butter Béchamel sauce.

Chicory is known to many as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. But today, we will talk about chicory as a vegetable.

Chicory, or endive – is a vegetable crop that looks very similar to leaf lettuce. His sheet has a narrow and oblong shape. Endive belongs to the Astrov family and is a close relative of the dandelion.

Chicory has a slightly bitter taste, so it is not as popular compared to other varieties of lettuce.

However, this vegetable has a huge amount of nutritional properties and a positive effect on health. It contains many vitamins, including A, E, C, B and K. Chicory is rich in minerals such as potassium, selenium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and sulfur, it also contains beta-carotene, fiber and folic acid.

Because of its low calorie content, chicory is ideal for people who care about their line. Chicory can be eaten raw, cooked salads with it, served hot, baked.

Good to know: the chicory becomes more bitter on taste when exposed to the light. So mainly it is packed in dark foil in a shop or placed on shop shelves up side down.

Baked chicory and meat with brown butter Béchamel sauce

Ingredients:

Brown butter Béchamel sauce:

• 60 g butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1/2 cup parmeggiano reggiano
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Salt

Meat filling:

• 350 g any cooked or proceed meat (sausages, meat left-overs)
• Few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Japanese cooking sauce Honteri Merinfu (or 1 tsp brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp sushi seasoning (or 50 ml white wine)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

Chicory base:

• 500 g chicory
• 1 tbsp white sugar

Cooking method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 C.
2. Wash and drain chicory, cut lengthwise, then chop on big slices. Put into a big bowl, sprinkle with sugar, mix well and leave for 10 minutes.
3. Pre-heat a big frying pan with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Cut meat into small cubes (with a side of 5 mm). Put into a frying pan, add thyme leaves and cook until hot. Then pour in Worcestershire sauce, Honteri sauce and sushi seasoning. Bring it to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. For sauce, put the butter in a medium saucepan. Melt it over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam.
5. Once you smell that nutty aroma and the butter got a toasty-brown color (with some milk solids settled on the bottom of the pan), add the flour and whisk until it forms a golden brown paste. Whisking constantly, add the cold milk and cook it continue to whisk until the sauce thickens (about 10 minutes). Then whisk in the nutmeg and the cheese.
6. To combine a dish, mix chicory with cooked meat. Then put it into a baking form, pour in the sauce and bake for about 20-25 minutes in a temperature of 190.
7. Serve with Japanese steamed rice.