Willy Shakes knows a good spun yarn as typical, but we’re pretty positive that he ain’t no cook by any means (we’re just guessing, though, because — after all, cooking is a culinary art). The question, however, does come up often — should you saute or not saute endives? After all, to saute means to completely soften up that veggie, and not every veggie can handle the heat. Thankfully, the Belgian endive is quite versatile as shown here, and here’s your proof that even the fire of the skillet can’t burn out a truly good endive head.

Thankfully, It’s Arguably the Easiest Project to Saute Endives

Really, all you need is that skillet, some oil, and whatever seasonings you want to throw in. That’s it. Get some olive oil in the skillet, heat it up, throw in some garlic and maybe red pepper flakes. Simmer it up for a bit while chopping up some endive heads and then throw those in there with the culinary smelly-goods.

You, of course, have to watch what you’re doing. While the Belgian endives can take the heat quite well, the trick is pulling them off the skillet at the right time. The general rule is three minutes, tops. You want the endive pieces to still have some of that crunchiness they’re known for. Add salt and pepper to taste as well.

You don’t want to leave it at that, though, because in truth the endive is a beautiful vehicle for a plethora of gifts, like lemon juice. Squeeze some of it on top of your creation. That infuses the work with a bit of tangy sweetness for that bit of a kick.

You Then Have a Side Dish That Takes You Literally Less Than Five Minutes to Make

Can’t beat that ease of use in the kitchen, right? And you thought sauteing vegetables might be a bad thing. Shame on you. Hamlet would be ashamed.