Endives with spinach and smoked salmon

Endives are typical winter vegetables in our supermarket in Nice. The classic way to prepare them is with ham and béchamel sauce.

The following dish is my twist of the classic recipe. Instead of making the béchamel sauce, I have simply covered the endives with some full fat créme fraîche which in the oven melts into a sauce-like consistence.  The low fat créme fraîche, which I normally use, does not melt into a sauce but is absolutely great to be added in different sauces. We think that wild Alaska salmon has a superior taste.

The dish makes a carefree and quick lunch.

2 servings

4 endives
1 small shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 handfuls of baby spinach
4 slices smoked salmon, pref. wild Alaska salmon
4 tbsp. full fat créme fraîche

Rinse the endives and place them with 2 tbsp. water into a large microwave dish. Microwave for about 5 minutes until tender. Place them in an ovenproof dish and pat dry with kitchen paper. With a sharp knife cut large pockets in the endives.

Preheat the oven to 210° C.

In a casserole, warm the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the shallot and garlic for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the spinach and continue cooking for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted. Divide the spinach into the endive pockets. Cover each endive with a slice of smoked salmon and top with a tablespoon of créme fraîche.

Roast the endives for about 5 minutes until the créme fraîche has melted into a sauce like consistence. Serve with a green side salad and whole wheat bread.