Photo of a Stoemp with sausages served in a Belgian restaurant

Here are the ingredients for a Stoemp:

• finely cut bacon cooked in some butter
• 4 potatoes
• 1 Carrot
• 1 chopped leek
• 2oz of butter
• Salt and pepper
• Meat of your choice

]]> http://www.brusselspictures.com/2008/05/27/stoemp-avec-saucisse/feed/ 0 http://www.brusselspictures.com/2008/03/30/belgian-chocolate/ http://www.brusselspictures.com/2008/03/30/belgian-chocolate/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:05:10 +0000 admin http://www.brusselspictures.com/2008/03/30/belgian-chocolate/ La Belgique Gourmande located on rue de la Colline (the street leading to the Grand place) is just one of the two thousands stores in the country selling chocolate. Wherever you may be in Brussels or Belgium you can be certain never to be far from one. Export numbers for these much in demand truffles and pralines amount around 200 000 tons yearly alone. PS: We do eat a lot of them ourselves as well

Handmade Belgian chocolate store

Close up on the pralines and truffles

Various kinds of chocolates

A Fountain of melted chocolate is seen just under the store sign

It’s composed of half a baguette with inside some form of meat (there are countless variations such as sausages, pita, fish, chicken,..) though most basic version would be with hamburger meat. To this is added a bit of salad and tomatoes which is to be then submerged in fries and topped by one of about 15 different possible sauces available.

Tonight’s combination was a Mitraillette mergues frites

Quick snapshot of last nights diner

Want to try and make them in the comfort of your own home ?

Here’s the recipe for Moules et Frites Marinières :

• Chop a small stick of celery and an onion

• Place in a saucepan with a 100 grams of butter

• Cover and cook for about 10 minutes without allowing the vegetables to brown

• Add 1 liter of cleaned mussels (change the water several times when washing them)

• Salt lightly, add a pinch of ground pepper and the juice of half a lemon

• Cover and cook for another 10 minutes

• When all the mussels have opened place in a large salad bowl

• Add some chopped parsley to the cooking stock and pour over the mussels

• Serve with French fries

Attractive display of Belgian waffles with various toppings

The girl on the left is cooking a fresh batch using wafer irons

The one on the right now cutting them into even individual portions

Here another display showing prices

Want to try and make them in the comfort of your own home ?

Here’s the recipe for Belgian waffles:

• In a mixing bowl put 250 grams of Flour with a spoonful of sugar, a large pinch of powdered vanilla, a small one of salt and eight egg yolks and mix it all together
• Then slowly blend in half a liter of sweetened cream or fresh milk
• Melt 250 grams of butter in a pan
• Whip the eight egg whites until they are very stiff
• Add the melted butter to the original mixture followed by the whipped egg whites
• Lightly grease a waffle iron and heat
• Fill one side with a good spoonful of the waffle mix and close the iron
• Cook until it has a golden color
• Serve with some icing sugar or the topping of your choice
• Enjoy!