1 kg / 2 lb leeks
1 ts olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1 tb mayonnaise
1 ts French mustard
A few capers

Trim off the green parts of the leeks, chop up the white part and wash thoroughly, then drain well and pat dry. In a saucepan heat 2 tb. olive oil and stew the chopped leeks gently for about 8-10 minutes or until cooked.
Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs. Put the leeks in a shallow dish, dress them with the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and allow to cool.

Shell the eggs and mash them with a fork, adding the mayonnaise and mustard. Mix in the capers. Spread the egg mixture onto the leeks and chill for at least 2 hours.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: A Taste of the Belgian Provinces, Enid Gordon and Midge Shirley (published by The Tuesday Group, rue Frans Merjay, 1060 Brussels).

2 cups milk
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 large celery stalk with leaves, chopped
6 fresh parsley sprigs
7 large shallots, minced
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2 bay leaves, broken
3 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of dried thyme

1 tablespoon butter
12 oz boneless lean center loin pork
9 oz fresh pork fat cut from loin, fresh
3 medium eggs
6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup tawny port
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoon currants, minced
9 feet sausage casings, rinsed inside
1/4 cup butter

Bring milk, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, 3 shallots, garlic clove, bay leaves, salt, cloves, pepper, nutmeg and thyme just to boil in heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Remove from het, cover and let stand 30 minutes. Refrigerate until mixture is well chilled, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp butter in heavy small skillet over low heat. Add remaining 4 minced shallots. Cover and cook until very soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Puree with on/off turns in processor with pork, pork fat, eggs, flour, Port and 1/4 tsp garlic until smooth. Strain milk into processor, pressing down on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Blend into puree. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in currants. Refrigerate 1 to 8 hours. (If processor has small capacity, puree in batches.)

Cut sausage casings into 3-foot lengths. Tie knot at one end of each. Gather 1 piece around tip of pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Spoon pork mixture into pastry bag, pressing down to prevent air pockets. Pipe mixture into casing, twisting casing every 6 inches to create individual sausages. Tie know at end of casing. Repeat with remaining pork and casings. Tie twists in sausage with string.

Bring 8 quarts water to boil in stockpot. Remove from heat and add sausages. Return pot to heat, adjusting as necessary to maintain water just below simmer (180 F). Cook until sausages are firm to touch, 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Cool in cold water to retain plumpness. Cut into individual links. (Can be prepared ahead to this point. Wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.)

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly brown sausages on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Serve hot. (Sausage can also be grilled.)

Source: my collection

750 g – 1,5 lb mussels
1 bouquet garni
1 dl – 3,3 fl. oz. water
60 g – 2 oz. butter
1 tb brandy
6 eggs
3 tb single cream
1 tb chopped parsley
1 ts chopped chervil
1 ts chopped chives
0.5 ts chopped tarragon leaves

Scrape and clean the mussels, removing the beards and discarding any broken or open ones, and wash them under running water several times. Put the mussels in a deep, wide pan with 1 dl (3,3 fl. oz.) water, salt, pepper, and the bouquet garni. Cover and cook over brisk heat until all the mussels have opened.

Remove the mussels and shell them, reserving the flesh. Melt 30 g of butter in a frying pan and saute the mussels in it for 2-3 minutes, then flamb? with the brandy and keep warm (but take care not to cook them further). Break the eggs into a bowl with the cream, salt and pepper to taste, and whisk them lightly with a fork. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, pour in the eggs and stir with a wooden spoon over gentle heat until the eggs are set but still soft. Fold in the mussels and the chopped herbs, and serve piping hot.

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: A Taste of the Belgian Provinces, Enid Gordon and Midge Shirley (published by The Tuesday Group, rue Frans Merjay, 1060 Brussels).

4 eggs
0.5 bottle Belgian beer
(such as Kriek) or lager
60 g – 2 oz. butter
1 tb flour
0.5 ts sugar
1 dl – 3,3 fl. oz. cream
4 slices bread
1 tb chopped parsley
Salt, pepper

Bring the beer to a boil in a saucepan. Break the eggs in small bowls and slide them carefully into the beer: poach them for 3-4 minutes, or until they are set. Remove the eggs from the beer with a slotted spoon, drain and keep warm.

Strain the beer into a jug. Make a roux with the butter and the flour, and gradually add the strained beer until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the sugar and cream, and mix well. Adjust seasoning.

Cut off the crusts of the slices of bread and trim them into ovals or rounds, then fry them in the remaining butter. Put one egg on each slice of fried bread, spoon the sauce over, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve very hot.

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: A Taste of the Belgian Provinces, Enid Gordon and Midge Shirley (published by The Tuesday Group, rue Frans Merjay, 1060 Brussels).

4 hardboiled eggs
2 big onions, minced
60 g – 2 oz. butter
50 g – 1,7 oz. flour
5 dl – 1 pint – 2 cups milk
nutmeg, pepper and salt
80 g – 2,5 oz. chopped parsley

Cook the eggs for 10 minutes. Peel them and keep warm.

Fry the onions in butter until golden, dust with flour and let dry for a while. Pour the milk in the pan and stew the onions over low heat. Add some nutmeg, pepper and salt.

Cut the warm eggs in two. Put them on a serving dish and pour the sauce over them. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: my collection

8 eggs
1/2 dl – 1,7 fl. oz. cream
100 g – 3,5 oz. cooked shrimps
salt and pepper

Mix eggs, cream, pepper and salt thoroughly. Add shrimps.

Melt butter and pour mixture into the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is just set.

Serve on toast.

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: The Collection of Kris Vanhoutte

2 bundles asparagus
4 eggs
100 g – 3,5 oz. butter
a small bunch of parsley
pepper
salt

Boil 8 cups of lightly salted water. Add the asparagus and cook for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime cook the eggs. Mash the yolks and the egg whites separately. Mince the parsley.

Melt the butter and serve in a preheated sauce boat.

Arrange the asparagus on a dish. Cover with the mashed egg yolks (not on the tips). Put the mashed egg whites over the mashed egg yolks and decorate with parsley.

Serve the melted butter separately (it has to be poured over the dish).

IMPORTANT: when you serve the dish, everything still has to be warm, including the eggs!

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: my collection