Caramelized Endive with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

 In my daily life, I consider myself a simple person who takes pleasure in the simple things in life. But when it comes to recipes, I often overlook the simple in favour of the fancy. We food bloggers are always trying to come up with some new and different combination to catch people’s attention. It is something of an occupational hazard, then, that we forget about the simple preparations in our efforts to grab a little bit of the spotlight. It’s not just that we are attention hogs…really it’s more about trying to come up with some new, fun recipes. Because that’s clearly where we find a great deal of joy in the kitchen. But sometimes it is at the expense of the more simple, straightforward recipes and it’s always good to get back to those. Whenever I do, I am reminded of how good simple can be.

This recipe is incredibly simple and in being so, is also incredibly good.  I’ve been fortunate to receive several shipments of California endive, and fortunately, they last a good while in the refrigerator if stored properly.  But I don’t like to let this fresh, healthy vegetable languish too long and I was racking my brains for something different to do with them.  Of course, my brain went all fancy-schmancy, trying to think of gourmet dishes with lots of ingredients.  But I have come to love endive for the simplicity of its flavour, the crispness, the slight bitterness, the nuttiness that comes out when it is cooked.  I honestly can’t tell you the wherefors and the whys of how this recipe came to me.  It just did, and I instantly recognized it as a good idea.  Let’s face it, anything with browned butter is a good idea.  And I just knew that the nuttiness of the sauce would complement the nuttiness of the caramelized endive.

The Results:  Do I really need to give you a results section for this one?  Really?  Because as I said, anything with browned butter is a good idea.  I’d bathe in browned butter if I could.  But yes, this was an excellent, simple little dish and really a great way to showcase the caramelized endive.  The sage got all nice and crispy, too, which was an unexpected bonus in my eyes.  And oh, the browned butter.  Really, it was heaven, picking up the endive with my fingers and practically sucking the sauce out from between the leaves.  I could have eaten the whole recipe on my own.  I didn’t offer it to my children at all, but my husband, who heretofore hasn’t been a huge fan of cooked endive, was fully enamoured of this recipe as well.  A simple, fast, delicious side dish easy to make and immensely gratifying.  Pair it with anything you want, I don’t care…just make it!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Discover Endive. All opinions expressed are mine.

Caramelized Endive with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Caramelized Endive:
2 tbsp olive oil
4 heads California Endive, halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown Butter Sage Sauce:
3 tbsp salted butter
8 to 10 fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the caramelized endive, heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Place endive in skillet, cut-side down and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully turn endive and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Remove from skillet to a platter and tent with foil.

For the sauce, melt butter and in skillet over medium heat.  Add sage and cook until butter is browned and fragrant and sage is crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle over endive and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Serve immediately.