Flemish Beef Stew: Recreating The Magic Of Bruges....

Sitting here on a blustery Monday morning, with a mountain of work piled high by my computer, I can’t help but think back to the wonderful time my friend Jessica and I had in Bruges.

We wandered the ancient streets taking in the sites and sampled many fantastic Belgian beers along the way. Some of our favourites included Straffe Hendrik and Brugse Zot from The Half Moon or ‘De Halve Maan’ brewery.

Our first night we went to a wonderful little restaurant, ‘De Vlaamsche Pot’ , where we sat out in the courtyard. We wanted to try something different and the Flemish stew caught our eye. It was simply delicious. A rich hearty beef stew served with apple sauce and a generous (almost TOO generous) portion of frites. After all our exploring we were famished and it really hit the spot.

I am going to try to make it and have found this site which gives a very good and easy to follow recipe. Trying new dishes and sampling local cuisine is something I really enjoy, and when I get home I always like to see if I can recreate some of the magical dishes I had while on holiday. Having a Belgian beer or two will certainly help me get into the right frame of mind when making this stew!

Flemish Beef Stew with Frites

Brugse Zot at the Half Moon Brewery

Bruges Canal

Fillet Steak with Frites and Caesar Salad. A Recip...

Last night my husband surprised me with a pre-Valentines romantic meal! He grilled 2 fillet steaks and served them with frites and a Caesar salad. It was wonderful and the Caesar salad made it extra special as he used my Grandfather’s recipe for Caesar dressing – which simply is the best Caesar dressing I have ever tasted.

Here is my Grandfather’s recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves (minced).
• 1 anchovy fillet (or 1 Tbsp of anchovy paste).
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
• 2 egg yolks slightly beaten.
• 3 Tbsp of “Maille a L’Ancienne” mustard. This is a type of Dijon mustard with seeds and is A VERY IMPORTANT INGREDIENT.
• Juice of ¼ lemon.
• ½ cup of olive oil (I do use slightly less)
• 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce.
• 2 dashes of Tabasco.
• 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

Method:

Add all the ingredients together in the order they appear in this ingredients list. Combine each ingredient well before adding the next one. This will make the basic dressing.

Use 1 large head of Romaine lettuce (this should make enough for 4 servings).

Toss the Romaine with the dressing.

Add another ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and toss again till well mixed.

Just before serving you can add crushed bacon and/or croutons. Toss again just before serving and enjoy!

Tonight it’s MY turn to make the romantic meal. Wish me luck.

Fillet Steak with Caesar Salad and Frites