BRAISING

Praise the braise, the method of cooking meat in a wet environment (versus the dry place that an oven is). Many stringy vegetables such as leeks or endives benefit from a braise as well.

If submerged in liquid, we call a braise a stew. Braising liquid may be as bland as water or as flavorful as broth, wine, beer, some juices—or a blend of any of these. It also can be the moisture that “sweats out,” in the presence of heat, from vegetables or some meats.

With meats, the main plus of a braise is the chance to use less costly cuts, high in difficult-to-chew connective tissues; the braise breaks these down into a gelatin-rich, luxurious backdrop to all the flavorings of the finished dish. As for stringy vegetables, a braise softens them too.

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RECIPE: Braised Belgian Endives
From "Provence the Beautiful Cookbook" by Richard Olney

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Belgian endives
Salt to taste
1 ounce raw ham such as prosciutto, cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions
Butter a flameproof earthenware casserole or heavy sauté pan of a size to just hold the endives. Arrange them in the casserole in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt to taste and scatter the ham over them. Place the butter fragments on top of the endive.

Cover tightly and place over very low heat to sweat, checking from time to time and turning them over, until very tender and colored on all sides, 50-60 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn the endives around to coat them evenly. Pour the cream over the endives, rotate the pan to swirl the contents gently and serve.