1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (39 page)

Where:
In Brussels
, Aux Armes de Bruxelles, tel 32/2-511-5598,
auxarmesdebruxelles.com/en
;
in the U.K.
, Belgo at several locations,
belgo-restaurants.co.uk
;
in New York
, Petite Abeille at several locations,
petiteabeille.com
;
in Washington D.C.
, Belga Café, tel 202-544-0100,
belgacafe.com
;
in Seattle
, Marché, tel 206-728-2800,
marcheseattle.com
;
in Minneapolis
, Vincent A Restaurant, tel 612-630-1189,
vincentarestaurant.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Haute Potato
by Jacqueline Pham (2012);
saveur.com
(search steamed mussels and fries);
emerils.com
(search mussels meuniere with frites).

The most fervent lovers of veal kidneys might recoil at the notion of having those rose-pink morsels cooked any way other than plainly roasted, and they do have a point. But before shutting the door on possibility, try out these Belgian triumphs, a specialty of the city of Liège. Sautéed in butter to crisp, ruby-red perfection, fork-size pieces of fresh veal kidney are then simmered with crushed juniper berries and a generous dousing of aged gin. These provide a cleansing accent to the tender kidneys, resulting in a gravy that cries out for softly cooked potatoes and a cool cucumber salad.

Serves 4 to 6

4 fresh young veal kidneys

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 small shallots, finely chopped

6 to 8 juniper berries, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons flour

⅔ to ¾ cup dry gin

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Toast points or mashed or boiled potatoes, for serving

1.
Rinse the kidneys under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Trim the kidneys, removing most of the fat and all tubes or sinews. Cut the kidneys into ½-inch slices.

2.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over low heat. When bubbling, add the kidneys and cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are a light golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

3.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the shallots and juniper berries, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan so the shallots soften but do not brown. Season the kidney mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir to distribute it evenly.

4.
Add the gin, let it heat for a second or two, then carefully light it with a match. When the flames die down, reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan, and let the kidneys finish cooking, 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are a bright rose color in the center. Sprinkle parsley over the kidneys and serve at once on toast points or with mashed or boiled potatoes. Spoon pan gravy over all.

Where:
In Brussels
, Le Bugatti, tel 32/2-646-1417,
lebugatti.eu
.
Tip:
Kidneys must be very fresh. Look for a bright blood color and never buy them frozen.

We tend to think of waffles as an all-American breakfast food, but the stateside taste for those crisp, golden-brown honeycomb grids is negligible in comparison to Belgium’s. In fact, it is believed that waffles, with their two levels of crispness and tiny wells that catch melted butter, maple syrup, honey, whipped cream, or ice cream, traveled to the New World with Pilgrims who had come through Holland or Flanders, now part of Belgium.

Waffles come from the tradition of
gaufres
or
gaufrettes
, batter cakes cooked on long-handled iron griddles with patterned surfaces on two hinged sides, which were originally held over wood fires and date back to medieval times. (Many of these antique irons, with their fanciful patterns and dynastic coats of arms, are now in museum collections; some of the best are held in the Musée de Cluny, in Paris.) Thinner than our contemporary waffles, the gaufres are also the forerunners of our ice cream cones: When hot, the very thin, waffled brown pancakes are flexible enough to be folded into cone shapes.

Practically a street food in their native country, as well as a standard in many cafés, today’s modern, thick waffles are generally based on yeast batters. American waffles tend to rely on baking powder for their leavening, and the resulting differences are vast. Yeast not only imparts a richer, more pungent flavor, but it nudges these haute pancakes to rise higher and airier than their plebian counterparts, with a crunchier outer texture that results in an unbeatable contrast.

Like the Belgian crêpes that gained popularity overseas after being featured at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, Belgian waffles developed so strong a following that they became standard—at least by name—in cafés and coffee shops across the country. The genuine article is, of course, a far cry from convenience waffles made with packaged mixes or from travesties that are frozen or “toaster-ready.”

On native ground, the most serious aficionados take their waffles hot, with just a fluff of butter and a snowfall of confectioners’ sugar. Which is not to say they cannot be more elaborately topped with crushed, lightly sugared berries and a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Like crêpes, waffles also live a dual life on the savory side. Think tarragon-scented creamed chicken and mushrooms, or softly scrambled eggs combined with flecks of smoked salmon, creamed spinach, or aromatic Cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Not to forget sideliners such as bacon, frizzled ham, or grilled sausages. No toasters in sight.

Where:
In Brussels
, Aux Armes de Bruxelles, tel 32/2-511-5598,
auxarmesdebruxelles.com/en
;
in Antwerp
, Van Hecke Waffle House, tel 32/3-233-1972,
hof.be/english.html
;
in New York
, Markt, tel 212-727-3314,
marktrestaurant.com
; Petite Abeille at several locations,
petiteabeille.com
;
in San Francisco
at several locations, Golden Waffle,
goldenwaffle.net
.
Mail order:
For Belgian waffle iron,
surlatable.com
(search cuisinart belgian waffle maker).
Further information and recipes:
Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook
by Ruth Van Waerebeek and Maria Robbins (1996);
allrecipes.com
(search belgian waffles).

A variation features peas and mushrooms.

Waterzooi
is Flemish for boiling water, but that’s only the starting point for this exquisitely luxurious Belgian soup-stew, rarely seen outside its home country. Chicken waterzooi—
waterzooi à la gantoise
—is lush, a rich and satiny egg-, lemon-, and cream-glossed soup scented with celery and leeks and based on a flavorful stewing fowl enriched with generous chunks of veal marrow bone. More subtle is
waterzooi de poissons
, which depends on a lean, clear broth that reveals the delicate flavor of freshwater fish—eel, carp, pike, and perch—laced with the astringent overtones of leeks, celery, bay leaf, white wine, and thyme.

Serves 6 as a main course

1 chicken (about 5 pounds), quartered, with all giblets except the liver

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

3 medium-size leeks, white portions only, well rinsed and chopped

1 small parsley root, or ½ parsnip, scraped and diced

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 cup dry white wine

3 or 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus finely chopped parsley for garnish

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme

8 to 10 white peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

4 extra-large egg yolks

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Freshly ground white pepper

6 to 12 small boiled, peeled white potatoes, for serving

1.
Place the chicken quarters and giblets in a 7-or 8-quart soup pot and add water to cover. Let the water come to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Partially cover the pot, and let the chicken simmer gently but steadily for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam as it forms on the surface.

2.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the onions, leeks, parsley root or parsnip, and celery and cook until they soften and just begin to turn light golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the vegetables to the soup pot along with the white wine, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and salt. Let simmer, partially covered, until the chicken begins to fall away from the bone, 1½ to 2 hours.

3.
Remove the chicken from the broth and trim off and discard all bones and skin. Set aside the drumsticks and wings for snacks. Cut the chicken meat from the thighs and breast into long strips and set aside.

4.
Strain the broth into a clean 5-quart pot. Discard all of the vegetables and giblets, unless you are in the mood for some delicious nibbling. Let the broth cool, without stirring, for 20 to 30 minutes. Then, skim off as much fat as possible. There should be 9 to 10 cups of broth. If there is much more, boil the broth rapidly, uncovered, until it is reduced to about 10 cups. The broth can be prepared up to this point, then cooled and refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours. After that it will be easy to remove any remaining fat from the top. Refrigerate the chicken meat, covered, separately.

5.
Reheat the broth over medium heat until it is barely simmering. Place the egg yolks in a wide bowl and beat them with a whisk or a fork until light in color. Slowly beat in the cream, then gradually dribble in 2 cups of the hot broth, beating constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the pot of barely simmering broth, stirring constantly.

6.
Add the reserved strips of chicken and cook for about 10 minutes until heated through, but do not let the soup boil. Season the soup with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper to taste. Serve the soup in heated bowls. Add 1 or 2 boiled potatoes to each portion and sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley.

Where:
In Brussels
, Aux Armes de Bruxelles, tel 32/2-511-5598,
auxarmesdebruxelles.com/en
;
in New York
, Markt, tel 212-727-3314,
marktrestaurant.com
; for seafood waterzooi, Petite Abeille at several locations,
petiteabeille.com
.
Additional recipe:
For waterzooi with fish,
food52.com
(search waterzooi of whitefish).