Endive with Mushrooms and Peas

This is such a refreshingly simple dish, and the vegetables play against each other very well. Endive that is slightly bitter, sweet petit pois, and the earthiness of the mushrooms really harmonize. This is the first time I've attempted at combining endive with other vegetables into a single dish - I usually cook them slowly in a bit of oil, butter, sugar and salt till they get utterly caramelized and are nearly falling apart. My father in-law always requests endive prepared in this fashion when he comes over for dinner. Every dinner. They really are that good.

I think he would adore this dish as well. It is enough for 4 as an accompaniment in an elegant meal for guests, or can be an entire meal for 2. I inhaled this for dinner the other night, and ended up pilfering some of my husband's since I immediately wished I had relished mine a bit slower. Oh well. It is almost the end of Belgian endive season, so I definitely plan on making this again sooner than later.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium to large unblemished Belgian endive,  
   roots attached and quartered (ensure that the     
   root ends are white, not turning red which is a 
   sign of spoiling) 
   
1 10 oz package button mushrooms, cleaned well 
   and quartered

1 1/2 cup frozen french peas (petit pois)

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

salt and pepper

scant 1 tsp + healthy pinch sugar

1 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)


Place a large saute pan that has a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Add the oil and butter to the pan and once the butter is nearly melted, add the endive. Add a good pinch of salt, a couple turns from your pepper grinder (white or black, whichever you prefer), and the scant tsp of sugar. Cover and cook for 4-6 minutes while prepping the mushrooms.

 Add the mushrooms along with another pinch of salt and pepper, and cover. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Once the mushrooms have released all their liquid, remove the lid and cook uncovered till nearly all the liquid has evaporated.

Add the frozen peas with a pinch of sugar and give a thorough stir before covering to cook for an additional 3 minutes. 

Remove lid and add parsley if desired. Technically this should be served immediately, but is still quite good slightly warm.