Belgian Cuisine: Recipes

Belgian cuisine is widely varied with significant regional variations while also reflecting the cuisines of neighbouring France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is sometimes said that Belgian food is served in the quantity of German cuisine but with the quality of French food.Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate, waffles, fries and beer.Belgian cuisine traditionally prizes regional and seasonal ingredients. Ingredients typical in Belgian dishes include potatoes, leeks, grey shrimp, white asparagus, Belgian endives and local beer, in addition to common European staples including meat, cheese and butter. Belgians typically eat three meals a day, with a light breakfast, light or medium-sized lunch and large dinner.Belgium has a plethora of dishes and products that are local to a specific area. Examples include waterzooi from Ghent, the couque biscuit from the town of Dinant, and tarte au riz from Verviers. While their local origins are acknowledged, most such dishes are enjoyed throughout Belgium.Typical dishesGegratineerde witloof / Chicons au gratinBoterhammen / Tartines: Slices of rustic bread and an uncovered spread, often pâté or soft cheese, served on a cutting board. A typical variety is a slice of bread with sliced radishes, typically accompanied by a glass of gueuze.Charcuterie: particularly smoked ham (Jambon dArdennes) and pâté, often made of game such as wild boar. The forested Ardennes region in the south of Belgium is renowned for this type of food.Salade Liégeoise: a salad with green beans, bacon, onions and vinegar. It is usually associated with Liège.Tomate-crevette / Tomaat-garnaal: a snack or starter of grey shrimp (which is particularly popular in Belgium) and mayonnaise stuffed into a hollowed-out raw tomato.Savoury dishesVarieties of coiled boudin (blood sausage) on sale at a Belgian Christmas MarketMoules-frites / Mosselen-friet: mussels cooked or steamed with onions and celery served with fries. The recipe has often been referred to as the countrys national dish[3] but is also popular in the neighboring Nord region of France.Carbonade flamande / Stoverij: a Belgian beef stew, similar to the French Beef Bourguignon, but made with beer instead of red wine. Served with bread or fries and mustard. Usually accompanied by a beer. This is also considered one of the national dishes, along with moules-frites.Waterzooi: a rich stew and soup of chicken or fish, vegetables, cream and eggs, usually associated with the town of Ghent.Gegratineerde witloof / Chicons au gratin: a gratin of Belgian endives in béchamel sauce with cheese. Often the endives are wrapped with ham.Kip met frieten en appelmoes / Poulet-frites-compote (chicken, fries and apple sauce).Konijn in geuze / Lapin à la gueuze: rabbit in gueuze, which is a spontaneously fermented beer from the area around Brussels.Filet américain: Very finely minced ground beef eaten raw and cold. It is spread on a sandwich or bread with and sometimes topped with a sauce, usually with Sauce américaine, and served with fries. When served as a dinner, it is mixed with onions and capers like steak tartare, but it retains the name américain.Paling in t groen / Anguilles au vert: Eel in a green sauce of mixed herbs (including chervil and parsley). Served with bread or fries. Usually accompanied by a beer or (sometimes) an Alsace wine.Boudin / Pensen, beuling or bloedworst: a type of sausage in which the meat, or blood, is mixed with fine breadcrumbs. Often eaten with potatoes and apple sauce, sometimes eaten raw or barbequeued.Belgian Recipes:Belgian WafflesBelgian Molasses BreadLiege Belgian Waffles with Pearl SugarBelgian Christmas CookiesBelgium Beef StewBelgian Endive au GratinBooyah ChickenSpeculaasBelgian Iron CookiesFlemish Frites - Belgian Fries with Andalouse SauceMussels (Not from Brussels, but Belgian Anyway)