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Foodie Madness

Unbeatable vol-au-vent

Discover the recipe that represents Belgium

As a child, this dish was frequently served as a party/holiday treat for the entire family. You can also order it at almost any bistro in Belgium as it is found to be one of the Belgian Classics. However, it is definitely not the healthiest dish, especially when it’s served with fries on the side. Therefore, I wanted to recreate a healthier version that could be enjoyed by everyone.

Ellen Van Gool

Ellen Van Gool - koker ellen

Hi! I’m Ellen, food blogger at www.kokerellen.be. What started as a hobby (cooking and writing) turned out to be a full-blown job after two years and I couldn’t be happier about it! I combine my passion for food and a healthy lifestyle into easy, quick and healthy down to earth recipes that anyone can prepare.

Ingredients

For the fish stew:
• 500g seafood mix (frozen/fresh)
• 2 leeks
• 1 red onion
• 1 green, yellow & red paprika
• 200ml light cream
• 200ml water
• 2 springs of rosemary
• 1 fish bouilloncube 
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• Salt & pepper
For the potatoes:
• 8 medium size potatoes
• 1 el flour
• 1 el curry powder
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

For the fish stew:
1. Cut the onion, leek and paprika’s in small cubes.
2. Add some oil to a big frying pan and add the vegetables. Cook for 4 minutes until soft.
3. Strip the leafs from the rosemary (cut finely if needed) and to the vegetables
4. Add the seafood mix, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the bouillon cube, together with the cream and water. Cook for 5 minutes until the seafood is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Mix the cornstarch in a separate bowl together with a tiny bit of water well. Add to the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes until the sauce is thickening. 

Potato fries:
1. Preheat the oven to 210°C. 
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them in wedges.
3. Place the potatoes in a pot and add cold water. Bring to the boil.
4. As soon as the water boils, strain the potatoes and transfer them back to the pot. Add some salt & pepper, together with the curry powder and flour. Put a lid on the pot and shake it until all the seasoning is distributed evenly.
5. Spread the fries evenly over a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Local Gastronomy

Although Belgium is mostly known for the beer, waffles and chocolate, we have so many other classic dishes that are worth trying out. However, they are all on the richer side, so be prepared! A few of my favorite Belgian dishes are: meatballs with cherry sauce  (frikadellen met krieken), beef stew (stoofvlees), Macaroni with ham & cheese, and fries of course!

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