This dairy free chicon au gratin in a cashew crust is an easy weeknight dinner for the family that is ready in 35 minutes. The highlight of this recipe is the dairy free sweet mustard sauce.
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A classic Belgian recipe
The classic chicon au gratin is one of my favorite childhood endive recipes. Usually they are simply boiled in water, wrapped in ham and covered with cheese. Find out how to make this dish dairy free below.
If you like this recipe you might love these typically French buckwheat galettes, also known as "galettes bretonnes". This recipe is gluten free and vegan.
How to make it dairy free
- Use rice cuisine instead of cream
It's a plant-based alternative to dairy cream made from rice. While I prefer the neutral taste of rice cuisine, you could substitute it with soy cream alternative. - Use cashews in stead of cheese
Ground cashews are a great parmesan alternative, as they become crunchy when baked. You can substitue them with almonds if needed.
How to make sweet mustard sauce
All you need to make this incredible sauce is some rice cuisine as a base. Then, add a little mustard and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and it's done. The sauce is slightly sweet and mustardy but remains very delicate. Make sure to chose a mustard type that is not too strong and that you like (my favorite is this Original Mustard by La Moutarderie de Luxembourg).
Step-by-step with pictures + tips
Cook the endives in boiling water. Drain them when cooked.
Pro tip: cook them the day before and let them drain overnight. That way, they will release all the excess water your sauce won't become runny.
Wrap them in ham. Simply place an endive on a slice of ham and roll it up.
Cover with cashews. Roughly grind the cashew in a blender or food processor. Sprinkle the mixture over the endives to make the cashew crust.
Bake the endives. The purpose of baking them is to reheat the whole dish and make the cashew crust crispy and golden brown. Bake them first and finish on grill.
How to store and freeze chicon au gratin
If you have left-overs or if you're meal prepping, store the baked endives in an air-tight container. You can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 3 months. I like to freeze single portions as well, in case I need to grab a quick lunch for work.
More dairy free recipes
- 3-ingredient French buckwheat galette
- Roasted celery root with oat crumble
- Stuffed cabbage style pasta
- Parsnip and squash soup with quinoa and lentils
The recipe
Dairy Free Chicon au Gratin in a Cashew Crust
Ingredients
- 8 endives
- 8 slices of ham
- 400 ml rice cuisine a plant-based alternative to dairy cream made from rice
- 3-4 teaspoon mustard more to taste
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
- 100 g cashew nuts
Instructions
- Slice the of the endives off and remove the first leave of necessary.
- Cook the endives in boiling water (or steam them) for 15 to 20 minutes depending on how thick they are.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Drain the endives and squeeze them with your hands to remove excess water.*
- Wrap each endive in a slice of ham (see post above for step-by-step pictures). Dispose them in an oven-proof dish.
- In a bowl, mix the rice cuisine with the mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Pour over the endives.
- Grind the cashew nuts in a small blender or food processor. Sprinkle over the endives.
- Bake for 10 minutes in the oven. Finish on gill the last 2 minutes to brown the ground cashew nuts.
Notes
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