Wash the chicory, cut in half lengthways and carefully cut out the firm core / stalk, because it contains a large part of the possibly unpleasant bitter substances. Dice the onions very finely.
Heat the oil in a large roasting pan. Add onions, bay leaf and thyme and cook covered for 10 minutes over a mild heat, do not brown. Deglaze with the white wine, pour in water, add the instant stock and bring to the boil. Place the chicory halves side by side in the brew with the cut surface facing down - they should stay in good shape and not disintegrate - and cover and simmer on a low flame for 15 minutes.
Carefully lift the chicory halves out with a slotted spoon, drain them very well (possibly in a sieve), arrange them next to each other on a deep plate and keep warm.
Slowly dissolve the cream cheese in the boiling stock while stirring with a whisk, add the cream, round off with pepper and sugar to taste and let it simmer for 10 minutes. The sugar is not supposed to sweeten, but acts as a flavor enhancer. If you prefer the sauce a little thicker, you can bind it with cold-mixed cornstarch as you wish.
While the sauce is boiling down, leave out the bacon cubes over a mild heat until crispy and chop the eggs.
Cover the chicory with part of the sauce, then top with the chopped eggs and finally the bacon cubes. Serve the rest of the sauce separately.
The chicory platter becomes even more attractive if you sprinkle chopped parsley, chives and / or very fine pepperoni rings over it in a beautiful pattern.
As a main course, it goes well with jacket or baked potatoes, but also rice or pasta. If you want to serve the dish as a starter, reduce the quantities accordingly.
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