Creamy Braised Chicory/Belgian Endive and Celery With Peas

Submitted by tigerduck

"This recipe would make a lovley side dish to your Christmas of Thanksgiving turkey. In fact the recipe source ('Good Food' magazine December 2005) suggests to serve this at Christmas. It serves 8 as a side dish together with another side dish. However, it can also be served as a main dish as I did. It will serve 3 then. We had this as a main course together with 'wild rice mix' (longgrain rice with wild rice pieces in it). Lovely!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 8

ingredients

• 4 heads chicory lettuce, cut in half lengthways (quarter bigger ones)
• 4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into fingers
• 8 slices pancetta or 8 slices lean streaky bacon
• 200 ml chicken stock (7fl oz) or 200 ml vegetable stock (7fl oz)
• 142 ml double cream
• 140 g frozen peas (or petit pois, 5oz)
• salt
• pepper

directions

1. Heat oven to 200C / fan 180C / 295F / gas 6. Hold one chicory half and a length of celery together and wrap with a rasher of pancetta or bacon to make a bundle. Repeat with remaining veg and place in a shallow ovenproof dish. If you have any leftover celery, pop that in too. Pour in the stock and cream, season to taste and cover tightly with foil.
2. Bake for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove the foil and stir in the peas. Cook for 10 minutes more until the bacon is crisp and the peas just cooked.
3. Serve this as a main dish together with rice (serves 3) or as a side dish (serves up to eight).