Belgian Chicory and Ham Gratin

This chicory and ham gratin with a glossy cheese sauce makes either a good winter lunch or supper with lots of crusty white bread to mop up the sauce, or a robust starter for a grander meal.

Many vegetables easily carry a starring role in simple gratins: quartered fennel bulbs braised in butter and baked in a medium-hot oven under a generous coat of grated Parmesan; cauliflower or broccoli florets freshly cooked al dente – then sprinkled with homemade breadcrumbs, dotted with