Belgian Comfort Food

On one of my trips to Belgium, our group was having dinner at Brasserie d’Achouffe in the Ardenne mountains. It has a great restaurant with a wide selection of traditional Belgian dishes and, of course, the Achouffe beers were excellent. I enjoyed a fantastic dish with local trout and others at our table ordered Carbonnade Flamande, meat balls, and lots of frites. But the hit of the night was sausages and stoemp.

Stoemp is basically mashed potatoes, Belgian-style, with vegetables like carrots, cabbage and onions mixed in. Originally, it was a simple peasant dish designed to jazz up potatoes with any leftover vegetables that were on hand. Today, it is a major comfort food found in practically every home and restaurant in Belgium. It can be served with any number of meats and sides, but it is often paired with Liege-style meatballs or Belgian sausages, which are very good.

To make your own fresh stoemp and sausages at home, try the following recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ pounds potatoes for mash

  • 4 large carrots

  • 2 onions, sliced

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 1 cup milk, whole

  • 3 Tablespoons butter, unsalted

  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

  • 4 sausages

  • 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted

  • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and boil in salted water until soft, about 30 minutes

  2. Peel and slice carrots and sauté in olive oil, onions and bay leaves till soft, 8-10 minutes.

  3. Drain the potatoes and mash them while adding a little milk at time, making a smooth puree.

  4. Add the butter and the nutmeg. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  5. Add the carrots and onions and carefully fold them in. Remove bay leaves and reserve.

  6. Bake or sauté the sausages in the butter until done. Remove from pan.

  7. Add flour to pan juices and stir in. Add chicken stock and whisk to smooth consistency.

  8. Serve the sausages with the stoemp. Pour the pan gravy over the dish.

Alternatives: In addition to carrots and onions feel free to add leeks, kale, cabbage, garlic, or brussels sprouts. Less is more. Too many vegetables can ruin your stoemp. Limit vegetables to three or fewer.

Charlie GottenkienyComment