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Endive Spears with Sweet Potato, Bacon and Chives

Ingredients

  • 3 slices bacon thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1 small sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/4" dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives divided
  • 2 medium heads Belgian endive
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until its rendered some of its fat, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sweet potato and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sweet potato is tender and the bacon starts to crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the chives (reserving the remaining for garnish) and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Slice the bottom 1/2" off the endive heads so some of the outer leaves break free. Cut another 1/2" off and break more leaves free. Keep going until most of the larger leaves are free. (You should have about 20 leaves.) You can trim the leaves to make them even, but I didn't want to cut any more off the leaves.
  3. Set the endive leaves on a large platter. Spoon the sweet potato mixture near the base of the leave. Top each with a dollop of sour cream then sprinkle on the remaining chives. Serve immediately or let sit up to 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

*I used a snipped off plastic zip top bag to place my sour cream on each leaf, but you can just use a spoon, if you prefer.

*If you want to get a head start, you can make the filling ahead, but stop cooking about 2-3 minutes before you think it's done and don't add in the chives. Let it cool, then store, covered in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, put the filling back in a skillet, with a bit of oil or cooking spray, to finish cooking, reheat and recrisp. Stir in the fresh chives and proceed with recipe. Do not cut endive ahead of time or it will begin to brown. Just cut it when you are ready to assemble and serve.

*Any leftover endive leaves are delicious just tossed with a simple vinaigrette. I used mine for a quick side salad for lunch.

Recipe from Fine Cooking Appetizers, 2009

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