Endive Boats with Black Pepper Bacon, Whole Grain Mustard Gouda and Port-fortified Cranberries

Endive Boats with Black Pepper Bacon, Whole Grain Mustard Gouda and Port-fortified Cranberries

Ingredients

8 slices thick black peppercorn bacon, fried, drained and cut into 1\2 inch pieces

4 Belgian Endives, root-end trimmed, leaves separated and cleaned

8 oz. whole grain mustard Gouda cheese, sliced into long, thin strips

1\2 cup dried cranberries

5 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 cup port wine

Procedure

1. Place port wine, cranberries and honey in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer allowing the cranberries to plump for about 10 minutes. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon, then reduce the fortified wine to a syrup.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the bacon on a baking sheet with 1-inch sides. Bake the bacon until golden brown. Remove from the sheets, drain on paper towels and cut into 1\2 inch pieces.
3. Cut about 1\2 inch of the root end of the endive. Gently separate the leaves. Using a damp cloth wipe clean the leaves large enough to hold all the other ingredients.
4. Slice the cheese into at least as many pieces as leaves you cleaned.
5. On a serving platter, placed shredded curly endive or baby mixed greens as a garnish and then nestle endive boats. On top of each boat, place bite size piece of cheese and bacon, 2-3 cranberries, and a light drizzle of the reduced wine syrup.