Cooking chicory can be done in many ways, such as boiling, pressure cooking,  steaming, roasting, braising, using a Thermomix or sautéing. No matter which method you choose to cook chicory, we have cooking times and cooking temperatures for you! Translation in French: endive

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Chicory

How do I cook chicory?

What to pair chicory with?
Chicory works well with ham and a bechamel sauce. You can also serve it with a garlic sauce and rice.

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Preparing chicory

Depending on the recipe you have chosen, preparing chicory is quite easy.
Wash the chicory thoroughly and pat it dry. Remove all cracked leaves or those that are discolored.
I strongly suggest removing leaves that are limp (not crisp) or that have a dark green tip (those will taste bitter once cooked). If you want to cook them whole, it’s best to pick chicory heads that have roughly the same size.
You can either

  • Leave it whole
  • Remove the hard core (it is called the heart of the chicory) and cut the leaves in 2-inch slices (for boiling or braising)
  • Cut it in halves lengthwise (for roasting)

Those who want to make sauteed chicory fondue, well, be prepared to work : take each leaf, remove the yellow part, and cut into matchsticks (1/4-inch wide), rinse again and pat dry.

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Cook chicory in pot

Cooking chicory or endives in a pot. If you want to boil chicory, here’s what you should do:
1. Prepare your chicory heads (remove damaged leaves, carve out the hard heart)
2. In a pot, put salted water to a boil.
3. Put the chicory heads in. Cook for 20 minutes before draining.

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Cook chicory pressure cooker

In order to cook chicory or endives in a pressure cooker:
1. Put your chicory heads in the pressure cooker, cover them with salted water, then close the pressure cooker.
2. Count 10 minutes after the pressure cooker has started whistling (indicating it has reached its cooking temperature/pressure).
Et voilà!

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Steamed chicory

Cooking chicory or endives with a steamer. To cook whole chicory heads in a steamer, here’s what you should do:
1. Remove the bitter heart of each chicory head
2. Put in the steamer basket and cook for 35 to 40 minutes for 4 medium chicory heads.

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Thermomix chicory

To cook chicory or endives in a Thermomix:
1. Cut the chicory heads in half lengthwise. And place them in the Varoma (add a bit of salt on top)
2. Fill the bowl with 800g of water and put the Varoma on it.
3. Thermomix cooking setting: 40 minutes (Varoma speed 1 or 2); depending on the size of the endives, add a few minutes.

Easy fix: Once your chicory heads are cooked, divide them in half.
Fry them in a pan with a little butter.

Note: After boiling or steaming a bunch of whole chicory, you could make a ham wrapped chicory casserole (endives au jambon in French)! Simply wring out excess water from your cooked chicory head, wrap it with a slice of ham, put it in an oven-safe dish and coat with bechamel sauce. Add a bit of grated cheese on top and put in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F. Enjoy!

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Cook chicory in pan

Cooking chicory or endives in a pan. Sautéing chicory is really easy. To do so:
1. After cleaning the chicory heads and removing damaged leaves, cut the heads into small 1-inch sections. Not a fan of bitterness? remove the hard core (heart) of the chicory.
2. In a hot skillet, melt butter or put a dash of cooking oil.
3. Add your chicory chunks and sauté for 15 minutes (medium heat).
4. After cooking, st. rain in a colander because chicory tends to give off water.

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Cook chicory skillet

Cooking chicory in a skillet. Sautéed chicory fondue is delicious but requires a lot of work…
1. Prepare the chicory leaves: one by one, remove the yellow part, and cut into matchsticks (1/4-inch wide). Once done, rinse it all and pat dry.
2. Cook in a non-stick skillet with butter over low heat. Let cook for 30 minutes.
3. At the end, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar (for 5/6 endives in all). Season with salt and ground pepper to taste. Serve hot with a vinaigrette made with grapeseed oil, shallots and chopped truffles (if you have any): killer!

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Braised chicory

Cooking braised chicory. If you want to braise chicory, here are the simple steps you should follow:
1. Remove the withered leaves from the chicory. With a sharp knife, hollow out the bottom part of each head to remove the heart, which is often bitter. Wash off quickly with plenty of water. Drain and dry them immediately.
2. Put butter or 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a pan, turn on to medium heat. Put the chicory in and let them brown slightly on all sides. Add salt and pepper (option: garlic and onions).
3. Cover with a vegetable broth, add a lid and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

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Roasted chicory

Cooking chicory in the oven. If you want to try roasted chicory (chicory cooked in an oven), here’s what you should do:
1. Preheat your oven at 375°F.
2. In an oven-safe pan, put your chicory heads (prepared and halved lengthwise). Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and spray with olive oil.
3. Roast the chicory in the oven for about 15 minutes, until it is tender and slightly crispy.

Chicory is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, and antioxidants. It also contains a variety of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Chicory is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the dandelion family! It is also referred to as endives and was even toasted and used as a coffee substitute during WWII.