Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Belgium

Goedenavond, Bonsoir, Guten Abend, this is Belgium one of the original Eurovision countries calling.

 

In 1956, when it all began, Belgium presented 2 songs Le plus beau jour de ma vie sung by Mony Marc and Messieurs les noyés de la Seine sung by Fud Leclerc. In that year each of the 7 competing nations could enter 2 songs, could you imagine if we had 80 songs competing in this year's Eurovision!!

 

I have chosen not to harp on the fact that no one recorded the first contest and just skip a year to bring you today's Eurovision classic.

 

1957 saw Bobbejaan Schoepen sing in Dutch Straatdeuntje (streetcar), well I say sing but there was quite a large portion of whistling. Bobbejaan scored 5 points and placed 8th tying with Lys Assisa, back for Switzerland. (I bet he was wishing he had tied with her the year before!) 



 

Our Eurovision dish today is a dish so obviously Belgium I'd avoided it for 2 years, so as not to be cliché.
 
I think it is time that we all embrace the mussels from Brussels.
 
And just in case you got a little too excited and were thinking muscles....I have prepared a simple guide to help you with your mussel/muscle appreciation.
 

 

 
I could no longer put this dish off because I am lucky enough to have access to the most amazing mussels at the farmers market. Mussels are a staple dinner every 3rd Saturday of the month (the week the mussel man makes an appearance) that they had to make their way into the Chow Down to Eurovision.
 
When I head to Belgium this year there will be no relaxing with a large beer and a plate of moules frites, I will be working very hard studying the dish.
 
I may even need to study it two or three times and perhaps analyse some Belgian chocolate while I am at it, that's just how dedicated and hard working I am!!
 
There are a few sauces that have been known to accompany this dish but after I read about a blue cheese sauce, that was the only way to go.
 

Moules Frites (mussels and chips) aka Game On Moules!

Ingredients for 2 people

• 1kg mussels
• Knob of butter
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 leek chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Handful of chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, tarragon)
• 6 Kipfler potatoes
• 150g blue cheese
• 30ml olive oil
• 1/2 cup seasoned flour
• Oil for frying

For the moules (mussels)

• Clean and de-beard the mussels (I just pull the beard out and discard any mussels with broken shells)
• In a heavy based pot with lid add the splash of oil and knob of butter
• Add the leek and garlic and stir over a medium to high heat
• When the leek is soft add the white wine, mussels and put the lid on
• Cook until the mussels have opened (about 5 minutes)
• Stir through herbs and serve with chips and blue cheese dip

For frites (chips) (or buy some chips)

• In a saucepan of cold water bring the potatoes to the boil and cook till just tender
• Cool and keep in the fridge overnight
• Cut the potatoes into wedges or chips
• Coat in seasoned flour
• Cook in small batch in very hot oil till crisp

For blue cheese sauce

It is probably more of a dip than a sauce.

• With a fork mix the blue cheese and oil together until combined

 

That little orange morsel of sea sweetness and the blue cheese is a serious flavour experience "a party in your mouth" as they say!

 

Belgium will be represented in Vienna by Loïc Nottet who will perform Rhythm Inside.

 

 I am looking forward to seeing what Belgium can come up with for a stadium presentation.

Will Loïc set the audience and juries hearts a rapppabab-ing or is Rhythm Inside more of that "really cool quirky theme tune from the latest hipster HBO series"?

Or both?

Goei chance! 

 

Past Belgium Chow Down to Eurovision:

 

2014 Witlof Gratin

 

2013 Beer Soup