Today we’re off to Belgium — a country whose cuisine unfairly remains in the shadow of French cooking, even though some of Europe’s most soulful, deeply satisfying dishes were born here. We’re making two iconic Belgian masterpieces, served in every brasserie from Bruges to Liège.
A luxurious Flemish stew: large chunks of beef slowly braised in dark Belgian beer with caramelized onions and mustard. The sauce turns thick, almost velvety, with a deep sweet-bitter flavor. Served with mashed potatoes or fries.
Ingredients (serves 4):
• Beef (shoulder or neck) — 800 g
• Yellow onions — 4 large (about 600 g)
• Dark beer (dubbel or another dark Belgian/abbey beer) — 500 ml
• Beef stock — 250 ml
• Dijon mustard — 2 tablespoons
• Tomato paste — 1 tablespoon
• Brown sugar — 1 tablespoon
• Apple cider vinegar — 1 tablespoon
• Bay leaves — 2
• Fresh thyme — 4–5 sprigs
• Wheat flour — 2 tablespoons
• Butter — 40 g
• Vegetable oil — 2 tablespoons
• Rye or dark bread — 2 slices
• Salt — to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper — to taste
Method:
Step 1. Preparing the meat.
Cut the beef into cubes roughly 4×4 cm, removing any large sinews. Pat every piece dry with paper towels — the meat must be completely dry, otherwise you won’t get that proper browned crust. Season all over with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.
Step 2. Browning the meat.
In a heavy Dutch oven or cauldron, heat the vegetable oil with half the butter over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Brown the meat in batches (don’t overcrowd the bottom; there should be space between the pieces) for 2–3 minutes per side. It’s ready when it has a rich dark-brown crust all over. Transfer the meat to a plate.
Step 3. Caramelizing the onions.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter. Slice the onions into half-rings 3–4 mm thick and add them to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring every 2–3 minutes, for 15–20 minutes. They’re ready when the onions are soft, translucent, and a deep golden caramel color. Add the brown sugar and tomato paste, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes, until sweet aromas bloom.
Step 4. Bringing it together.
Return the meat to the Dutch oven with the onions. Pour in the dark beer and beef stock — the liquid should almost completely cover the meat. Add the apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Generously spread one side of each slice of bread with Dijon mustard and lay them over the stew, mustard-side down — the bread will dissolve as it braises and thicken the sauce. Bring to a boil.
Step 5. Slow braising.
As soon as the liquid comes to a boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover, and braise for 2–2.5 hours. Stir gently every 30–40 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little stock. The meat is ready when the pieces pull apart easily with a fork, but haven’t collapsed into mush.
Step 6. Final seasoning.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste the sauce: it should be balanced — sweetish from the onions and beer, with a slight bitterness and tang. If needed, add a pinch of sugar or a drop of vinegar. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and raise the heat for 5–7 minutes, until it reaches the consistency of a thick gravy that coats the spoon.
Step 7. Serving.
Divide the carbonnade among deep, warmed bowls. The perfect accompaniment is fluffy buttered mashed potatoes or Belgian fries. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Serve at once, while the sauce is still steaming.
💡 Fact: Carbonnade flamande is the Flemish answer to French boeuf bourguignon — only beer is used here instead of wine, which makes perfect sense in a country with more than 1500 varieties of beer. Traditionally, Belgian home cooks would place a slice of pain d’épices (spiced bread) spread with mustard over the stew — it’s what gives the sauce its signature thickness and depth of flavor.
An iconic Belgian dish: fresh mussels opening in a fragrant broth of white wine, celery, and shallots, served in a large cast-iron pot beside a mountain of crisp golden fries. The flavor is briny, creamy, with the bright freshness of parsley.
Ingredients (serves 4):
• Fresh mussels (in shells) — 2 kg
• Potatoes (large, starchy variety) — 1 kg
• Shallots — 4
• Celery stalks — 2
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Dry white wine — 300 ml
• Butter — 50 g
• Heavy cream (33%) — 100 ml
• Fresh parsley — 1 large bunch (30 g)
• Bay leaves — 2
• Fresh thyme — 3 sprigs
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying (sunflower or peanut) — 2 l
• Sea salt — to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper — to taste
Method:
Step 1. Preparing the mussels.
Soak the mussels in cold water for 20 minutes. Then sort through them carefully: discard any shells with cracks, as well as any that do not close when tapped — they are dead and unfit to eat. Pull off the “beards” (the threadlike fibers protruding from the shells), tugging them toward the narrow end of the shell. Rinse the mussels under running water, scrubbing away any deposits with a stiff brush if needed. They’re ready when every shell is clean, tightly closed, and free of any off smell.
Step 2. Preparing the potatoes (first fry).
Peel the potatoes and cut them into batons 7–8 cm long and roughly 1×1 cm thick. Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes — this removes excess starch and ensures crispness. Then dry them thoroughly with paper towels — every baton must be completely dry to avoid oil splatter. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot or deep fryer to 140°C. Fry the potatoes in batches (no more than a handful at a time) for 6–8 minutes. The first fry is done when the batons are soft inside when pierced, but almost colorless outside — pale yellow. Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3. Preparing the aromatic base.
Peel the shallots and dice them finely (2–3 mm). Slice the celery into thin half-moons 2–3 mm thick. Finely chop the garlic with a knife (don’t crush it in a press — you want texture). Finely chop the parsley, separating stems from leaves: the stems go into the broth, the leaves are for the finish.
Step 4. Cooking the mussels.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot (at least 5 liters in volume), melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and celery for 3–4 minutes, until soft and translucent, without letting them brown. Add the garlic, parsley stems, bay leaves, and thyme, then cook for another minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine, raise the heat to maximum, and bring the wine to a boil. Add all the mussels to the pot and cover tightly with a lid. Cook for 4–5 minutes, giving the pot one vigorous shake (without lifting the lid) in the third minute. They’re ready when all the shells have fully opened. Throw away any that remain closed without a second thought.
Step 5. Finishing the sauce.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large warmed bowl and cover with foil. Strain the broth in the pot through a fine sieve. Return the strained broth to medium heat, pour in the cream, and warm for 2–3 minutes without bringing it to a boil. The sauce is ready when it has thickened slightly, taken on a creamy hue, and smells richly of the sea. Season with pepper. Add salt cautiously — mussels are salty enough on their own.
Step 6. Second fry for the potatoes.
Heat the frying oil to 180°C. Fry the cooled potatoes in batches for 2–3 minutes. They’re ready when the batons have turned bright golden and make that characteristic crunch when pressed with tongs. Transfer to paper towels and immediately season with sea salt.
Step 7. Serving.
Return the mussels to the pot, pour over the hot cream sauce, and scatter generously with chopped parsley. Serve straight from the pot (it’s tradition!) with a separate large bowl of fries and an empty bowl for the shells. The perfect addition is homemade mayonnaise. Eat the mussels with your hands, using an empty shell as tweezers to pull the meat from the next one.
💡 Fact: Belgians fiercely dispute the French claim to being the birthplace of fries — and serve mussels only with “real” double-fried frites. Moules-frites is considered Belgium’s unofficial national dish: every year, Belgians consume around 30 000 tons of mussels, and most of them are eaten in the form of this legendary duo — especially during mussel season, from September through April.