Belgian Fries (Pommes Frites)

From Ruth Van Waerebeek’s “Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook.” There are other good frites recipes on Recipezaar; I’m including Ruth’s for the sake of personal closure — I can’t NOT include her frites in my collection of her traditional Belgian recipes. What makes Ruth’s unique is her call for older, starchy potatoes. As she says: “Never make fries with new potatoes…. It is imperative to use a starchy older potato for making real Belgian fries…. All your efforts will be in vain as the young potatoes have not had time to develop sufficient starch.” She adds: “The size of the fries is a very personal matter. Experiment to find the size you like best.” Adjust the frying time according to the thickness you prefer.

Belgian Chicken Fricassee (Vol-Au-Vent)

This delicious, creamy chicken fricassee is a classic Belgian recipe. My father used to make this regularly for Sundays and other festive occasions. Often served as a starter, but it is great as a main course as well, accompanied by plain rice or potato puree, for example. Freezes well. Its Flemish name is “Koninginnenhapje”, which could be translated as “Queen’s Nibble”… nice, isn’t it?

Crispy Potatoes and Leeks

These become tender and soft in the oven, and are finished off under the broiler to crip them up! Adapted from Cooking Pleasures magazine. Potatoes and leeks were used throughout Europe and are considered Irish, Russian and Southern USA foods.

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