Glorious Endive appy?

[CharityCase]

Ok I often think the endive doesn't get enough respect so I am in search of an interesting appetizer to make for a party that uses it. The crowd of about 50-60 are diverse and many won't shy away from something bold...I was thinking of maybe a tuna tartare served atop but maybe you could suggest something interesting?

[Malawry]

I love endive apps.

Endive with a star-pastry-tip squirt of hummus and rainbow bell pepper brunoise "confetti"

Endive with salty rich soft cheese and tangerine sections

Endivive with herbed goat cheese mousse and chive garnish

[laurelm]

I love, love endive.

Your idea of a tuna tartare sounds very good.

Down a simpler route- Endive with gorgonzola and walnuts is an idea, Any mix of a good cheese and appropriate nut does well.

But also I have no idea what else you are preparing.

I also love using endive as a dipper in place of a cracker, etc.

Good Luck with your party!

[ludja]

The tuna tartare sounds very nice. Here are some other seafood options:

smoke trout mousse

taramosalata

southern-style shrimp paste

a possible garnish for these would be a very thin strip of lemon zest and a parsley leaf

wacky idea: make a tomato aspic with the last of summer's tomatoes, cut into tiny cubes and toss with home made mayonnaise and crumbled bacon. Maybe the mayo could instead be incorporated into the aspic. Add mixture to one end of the endive for a blt appetizer.

edited to add: There was a whole thread on ideas for BLT appetizers. I can't remember if something like this was suggested there already...

Edited September 20, 2006 by ludja (log)

[DerekW]

Into the little endive boats goes a layer of well caramelised onions, and atop the onions goes shredded confit of duck.

Very simple, lots of contrasts, but rather relies on having the duck confit to hand.

[snowangel]

How about Thai Crab Salad in Endive Leaves?

[ChefJohnny]

This one is quite a bit different than whats been suggested thus far. But, its really incredible if you have the patience... and a vacuum sealer. Essentially, you "braise" the endive sous vide until soft, normally about 35-45 minutes @ ~180F. Give it nice quick chop. Serve it on teaspoons with a quenelle of black mission fig marmelade and garnish with a plouche of chervil. The bitter/sweet/acidic flavors in the mouth are fantastic. You can even go as far as making a black pepper gastrique to add some spiciness. If you, or anyone, want the recipe, Ill be more than happy to provide.

-Chef Johnny

[Shaya]

Chufi's Belgian endive, blue cheese and pinenut tart here- the caramelized onions are indredibly good. You could make individual ones.

[CharityCase]

This one is quite a bit different than whats been suggested thus far. But, its really incredible if you have the patience... and a vacuum sealer. Essentially, you "braise" the endive sous vide until soft, normally about 35-45 minutes @ ~180F. Give it nice quick chop. Serve it on teaspoons with a quenelle of black mission fig marmelade and garnish with a plouche of chervil. The bitter/sweet/acidic flavors in the mouth are fantastic. You can even go as far as making a black pepper gastrique to add some spiciness. If you, or anyone, want the recipe, Ill be more than happy to provide.

-Chef Johnny

←

You had me at hello but you lost me at "ploufe" It sounds lovely but I think it would be lost on this crowd, I don't have a vacuum sealer and more importantly the patience that such a delicate art would require.

I think I'm voting in favour of nut/cheese/fruit combinations as has been suggested here using a blue or gorgonzola, walnut or pinenut and pear or apple. I also have some fig preserve not unlike ChefJohnny's suggestion that wuold pair well. The tuna tartare is a great idea but as I have limited financial means can't see doing it for 60 people cost-effectively.

Now would it be enough to pulse the ingredients in a food processor quickly or better to layer them individually?

[Pat Churchill]

Ok I often think the endive doesn't get enough respect so I am in search of an interesting appetizer to make for a party that uses it. The crowd of about 50-60 are diverse and many won't shy away from something bold...I was thinking of maybe a tuna tartare served atop but maybe you could suggest something interesting?

←

Here's a link to a rather pretty looking appetiser I made last year. Witloof/endive with a jewel-like stuffing of beetroot, red pepper and chives. Tastes good, too. There's an accompanying pic.

http://cookingdownunder.com/articles/2005/215.htm

Make the filling ahead and fill just before serving.

[ravelda]

Endive works really well with a little sliver of foie gras ballotine and a honey mustard vinagrette, otherwise you get a good boudain noir, remove the skin and saute with butter and garlic puree, and sit a seared scallop on the endive, other, top with a quenelle of the boudain and serve with a sauce of caremelised calvados apple puree and a small piece of crispy Alsace bacon

[ChefJohnny]

This one is quite a bit different than whats been suggested thus far. But, its really incredible if you have the patience... and a vacuum sealer. Essentially, you "braise" the endive sous vide until soft, normally about 35-45 minutes @ ~180F. Give it nice quick chop. Serve it on teaspoons with a quenelle of black mission fig marmelade and garnish with a plouche of chervil. The bitter/sweet/acidic flavors in the mouth are fantastic. You can even go as far as making a black pepper gastrique to add some spiciness. If you, or anyone, want the recipe, Ill be more than happy to provide.

-Chef Johnny

←

You had me at hello but you lost me at "ploufe" It sounds lovely but I think it would be lost on this crowd, I don't have a vacuum sealer and more importantly the patience that such a delicate art would require.

I think I'm voting in favour of nut/cheese/fruit combinations as has been suggested here using a blue or gorgonzola, walnut or pinenut and pear or apple. I also have some fig preserve not unlike ChefJohnny's suggestion that wuold pair well. The tuna tartare is a great idea but as I have limited financial means can't see doing it for 60 people cost-effectively.

Now would it be enough to pulse the ingredients in a food processor quickly or better to layer them individually?

←

The plouche is just a techincal French term for a leaf of something used for garnishing. It could be chervil, chive, parsely, or whatever. When you work in French kitchens long enough, these things just become second nature. Another way to do the endive is to use a ziplock bag and just push out as much air as possible. I would not use a food processor... it tends to just kill th delicate endive and turn most of it into juice.

-Chef J

[Lapin d'Argent]

I once made a "deconstructed" version of this salad on epicurious, served on endive leaves:

Arugula Salad with Oranges, Pomegrante Seeds, and Goat Cheese

I tossed the dressing with the oranges, then spooned the oranges on the endive, piped on the goat chees (or creme fraiche would also work well) and sprinkled with the pomegranate seeds.

The endive fills the place of the arugula, flavor-wise.

Looks quite beautiful, is easy to prepare, and was absolutely delicious! (Although I can't take the credit -- this salad ALWAYS gets raves.

- L.

[UnConundrum]

Into the little endive boats goes a layer of well caramelised onions, and atop the onions goes shredded confit of duck.

Very simple, lots of contrasts, but rather relies on having the duck confit to hand.

←

Funny, I have 10 coming tomorrow, and I was planning on endive with some duck confit I made about 6 months ago..... should be just about right by now. I was thinking of the caramelized onions, but wasn't sure how well they'd go (got some of them on hand too). I was planning on dressing the plate with some "drops" of reduced balsamic.

[racheld]

Not long ago I cooked for an 80th birthday party, so all ages and tastes had to be allowed for.

As part of an apps table of perhaps thirty dishes, one really beautiful plate was a large round clear platter of pale endive, stuffed with a mixture of chevre and dried cherries, topped with tammylc's port-glazed walnut halves. At the last minute, I drizzled a drop or two of the glaze reduction over the stuffing. We laid the endive like spokes, and centered the platter with the tiny center buds, too small for stuffing, standing like little pale shrubs. Beautiful tray.