• Stuffed Squash
• Liege meatballs and braised chicory

Stuffed Squash

Ingredients

• 4 squash (15cm diameter or one big, for example, butternut)
• 450g minced meat (pork and veal)
• fresh walnuts, chopped
• bread crumbs, eggs, gin, nutmeg, shallots, pepper, garlic
• baby potatoes (vitelottes, rattes, grenailles)
• Cress

Cut the lid off the squash and put to one side.
Clean out the seeds and sprinkle the flesh with salt and pepper.

Prepare the stuffing

Sweat the shallots until softened in a drop of oil. In a bowl, mix the mince with the chopped walnuts, eggs, breadcrumbs, a pinch of grated nutmeg, the shallots and a splash of gin. 

Stuff the squash with the filling.
Cook in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Wine

Domaine de Mellemont Pinot Noir 2004

A light, but tasty pinot noir (now don't forget that pinot noir is the grape of Burgundy, not only Alsace). This Belgian pinot noir from Thorembais Les Béguines in Brabant Wallonia is typical burgundy style. Not Nuits-Saint-Georges of course, but like a tasty Santenay for example. Sour cherry flavours with an under-layer of French oak. Unfiltered to give it some depth of flavour.

Liege meatballs and braised chicory

Ingredients

• 600g minced meat (half pork and beef)
• 2 slices of white sliced bread
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 shallots thyme
• laurel
• sarriette
• salt
• pepper
• sirop de Liege
• 4 big potatoes
• olive oil
• 4 chicory

Preparing the meal

Combine the minced meat with the soft bread. Add chopped laurel, shallots, thyme, sarriette, salt and pepper.

Shape the meat balls with your hands and fry them in a pan with a little oil. In another pan, gently brown the onion, add 2 spoons of 'sirop de Liège' to make a sauce. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes

In the meantime, cook the potatoes in boiling water.

Now take a pan large enough for the chicory. Remove the outside leaves. Wash them and cut in two. Put the chicory in the pan, add some water, salt and pepper and a few knobs of butter. Cover and braise gently in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes, turning them half way through cooking.

Serve with the meatballs and potatoes

Wine

Thomas Mitchell Cab/Shiraz

One doesn't have to match great wines on great food. Simple food (such as a grilled steak or just vegetables) often complements top wines as well. But with these delicious meat balls (comfort food?) an easy going wine will suit. Aussie cab/shiraz' are always good all-rounders and this one — soft, sweet, fleshy (easy to say as it's written on the label as is often the case with Down Under wines) — will do just fine. Such wines are also easy on the wallet so … bottom's up!

These recipes are supplied by Mmmmh! For more recipes and
information on their cooking classes, visit www.mmmmh.be.

The wine tips are supplied by Mig's World Wines, located at Chaussée de Charleroi in Brussels, ph: 02 534 7703 or www.migsworldwines.be.

April 2006

[Copyright Expatica 2006]

Subject: food recipes, wine tips, leisure