Name: Witlof and ham bake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 witlof; 1 teaspoon caster sugar; salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 60 gram butter; 1 (150g) brown onion, chopped finely; 2 clove garlic, crushed; 1 1/4 cup (310ml) chicken stock; 4 slice (90g) leg ham; 50 gram gruyére, grated; Béchamel sauce; 30 gram butter; 1/4 cup (35g) plain flour; 2 cup (500ml) milk; pinch ground nutmeg; salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 50 gram gruyére, grated

Ingredients

4 witlof

1 teaspoon caster sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

60 gram butter

1 (150g) brown onion, chopped finely

2 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/4 cup (310ml) chicken stock

4 slice (90g) leg ham

50 gram gruyére, grated

Béchamel sauce

30 gram butter

1/4 cup (35g) plain flour

2 cup (500ml) milk

pinch ground nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

50 gram gruyére, grated

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

2.Remove outer leaves from witlof; chop finely. Reserve whole and chopped witlof, separately.

3.In a medium frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add whole witlof, in a single layer, sprinkle with sugar and season; cook for about 2 minutes, or until browned lightly on all sides. Add onion, garlic, stock and chopped witlof. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, over low heat for about 30 minutes.

4.Remove witlof from pan; drain on paper towel.

5.Meanwhile, to make béchamel sauce: Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add flour and whisk mixture for about 1-2 minutes, or until well combined. Gradually add milk, whisking mixture to avoid any lumps. Add nutmeg, season; cook, whisking constantly, for about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese.

6.Pour half the sauce into medium shallow ovenproof dish. Roll a slice of ham around each witlof; place in dish. Pour remaining sauce over witlof; sprinkle with cheese.

7.Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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