Belgian Food Love – Brugge

To Brugge

The opportunity to visit Belgium is one that should not be missed. There is much to see, do and eat there, something for everyone. Getting around Belgium is easy with the trains and there are many interesting cities to visit. On this trip my traveling partners and I headed to the beautiful city of Brugge. We took the high speed train from Amsterdam to Brussels and switched to the local trains to complete the journey. To our surprise, the newly crowned King and Queen of Belgian were visiting Brugge. The city streets were lined with excited people waiting for their chance to get a peak at royalty. Never really royal watchers, it made for a good opportunity to get lunch in the uncrowded restaurants!

A Little Lunch

Belgium knows both frites and croquettes. The frites (more on these later) and croquettes are delicious. Of course, dipping in mayo instead of ketchup is as Belgian as it gets and is certainly recommended. The croquettes are filled with either beef, cheese or shrimp. All are delicious and make for a great lunch. We topped this off with a Belgian waffle slathered in Belgian chocolate, WOW!

Chocolate Hopping
After this slightly heavy meal a little walking was in order. We walked the medieval streets and take in the architecture and canals. Brugge is a bustling city with a rich cafe culture. We are drawn to the chocolatiers and do a little chocolate hopping. At each shop we buy just a few truffles to eat and then move on. There are many chocolate shops around town. We were sure to stop at Galler Chocolatier whose chocolate is the Kings favorite (we could see why. Of course chocolate can be pricey in Belgium you need a kings salary to afford it!). We also stop at Pierre Marcolini. The flavors here are is a bit more modern with more unusual infusions matched chocolates from around the world. THe infusions range from pink peppercorn to earl grey tea and even rose water. They are special and worth a taste.

We continued to wander the streets just to enjoy the sites and bustle of Brugge. A mid day beer was in order. It is easy to find a cafe in Brugge (or anywhere in Belgium). The cafe culture is very robust and has a different feel than other European places. Perhaps it is due to the atmosphere of the cafes (many have real old school style) or the bustling city squares upon which the cafes sit. It could also be the beer. The beer in Belgium is rich and strong. They are probably the most flavorful beers in the world. The fact that some can have as much as 10% alcohol helps make them easy to drink and could also be a reason why the cafe culture is so great.

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The Famous Belgian Frites
When we continue we happen upon the Frite Museum and decide to make a visit. An immense amount of history of the potato and frite making is shared. The frite related art and cooking tools on display are interesting and fun. Although only about hour, it was worth the visit. And, the secret of great frites was revealed.

The Secret to Great Belgian Frites

1. Starchy Potatoes (like a Russet) – Peeled and Cut
2. Soak Potatoes
3. Dry Potatoes well
4. In peanut oil, fry at 275F for 6-8 Minutes
5. Before serving, fry again in peanut at 340F for 1.5-3 minutes depending on size
6. Salt the frites, serve hot with mayonnaise!

Included in the tour is a fresh serving of frites, but we were late and the kitchen was closed. We were not put off. Our next stop was dinner – a big pot of Moules or Mussels – a very famous dish in Belgium, served with frites, of course! The Mussels are typically steamed in a variety of ways, one of the best is a’la creme. Cooking mussels is simple.

Mussels

1. Clean the mussels and remove of their beards.
2. In a pot large enough to hold 2-2.5 lb of mussels, bring a 1/2 cup of white wine and 2 tbsp butter to a simmer.
3. Add 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped leek (white section) and 1/4 cup chopped onion or carrot. Simmer 3 minutes.
4. Add mussels.
5. Simmer until mussels open about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add 1/4 cup cream simmer another minute.
7. Serve hot with an empty bowl for shells.

Moules Frite are simple and delicious and not to be missed. Don’t forget to enjoy the delicious broth at the bottom of the pot! That pot liquor is delicious!

Stuffed, we roll to the hotel to rest and digest and get ready for the next days adventure.

Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!

Have you been to Brugge? Have you eaten Moules Frites? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.

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