Love at first bite with Anniek Chiau

Anniek Chiau grew up in a butcher’s family and alongside her grandmother in the kitchen. She took from this her passion for authenticity – good old-fashioned recipes made with ingredients straight from the farm.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Anniek now spends her days advising companies on their communications and marketing strategies in the wonderful world of good eats. The dedicated foodie and marketeer also has her own blog, where she regularly entices readers with delectable recipes and photos. It’s called Cuberdon & Macaron: Zoete en hartige verhalen van een Vlaamse foodie (Sweet and savoury stories from a Flemish foodie).

www.cuberdon-macaron.be

BAR

My favourite watering holes are the ‘brown cafes’, meaning lots of wood, dim lighting and a warm and cosy atmosphere that feels gently weathered by time. For a truly classic Brussels brown café experience, I go to Lucia’s. There’s nothing fancy about it; this is where a lot of locals have been going so long they’re almost part of the furniture. Lucia is a Brusseleer with Greek roots who single-handedly keeps things running smoothly. You can eat there, too, and very well I might add.

CHEZ LUCIA

222 Chaussée d’Anvers, Brussels

We say: Chez Lucia also serves light bites like gambas à volonté

DRINK

Without a doubt: Geuze Boon. I don’t think it gets any more Belgian than this. Talk about an acquired taste! Most people who try gueuze for the first time pucker up, and Boon’s version is one of the sourest there is. But once you’ve got a taste for it, you never want anything else. I most enjoy a cold, bubbly glass of Geuze Boon outside on a terrace on a warm summer’s day or paired with seafood or mussels.

We say: The Boon Brewery is in Lembeek, just west of Brussels. Don’t miss the International Gueuze and Kriek Festival on April 27 in Eizeringen, 15km from Brussels, where Boon will be present with more than a dozen gueuze, lambic and kriek blenders and brewers

www.nachtvandegrotedorst.be

RESTAURANT

For me, La Paix in Anderlecht stands alone at the top. You can go there in jeans and just enjoy a freshly tapped pint, or sit down for a few hours and indulge in a full-on gastronomic meal. Chef David Martin knows like no other how to select the best quality cuts of meat and incorporate them into the most amazing dishes. Also, the neighbourhood itself – around the abattoir in Anderlecht – is worth a visit.

LA PAIX

49 Rue Ropsy-Chaudron, Brussels

02.523.09.58, www.lapaix1892.com

We say: La Paix is only open for lunch Monday to Friday and on Friday evenings until 21.00, so it’s best to reserve. Specialities include beef tenderloin, calf’s kidneys, grilled sweetbreads, pigs’ feet and other delicacies not for the faint of heart

INGREDIENT

One thing I make sure to never run out of is a good pot of Tierenteyn mustard. This regional product from Ghent is not only the perfect flavour enhancer for things like cheese, ham and pâté, it’s also great in stews. Flemish stew, for example, tastes so much better with a big dollop of this spicy mustard.

SHOP

I like to buy, as much as possible, from local farmers, butchers and bakers. It’s just incredible what kind of quality these artisans have on offer. For the real Tierenteyn mustard, I go straight to the source: Tierenteyn is a charming little shop on Ghent’s Groentenmarkt that’s worth a visit in itself.

We say: At Tierenteyn’s, you get to choose from various sizes of the classic ceramic mustard pot (traditionally grey and blue with a cork top), then have them fill it for you fresh from the barrel. If it’s a gift, they’ll even wrap it up for you and add a cute little wooden spoon

www.tierenteyn.be

RECIPE

Once you’ve tried this recipe, you’ll never go back to buying the ready-made variety. Preparing the gooey shrimp filling for the croquettes takes very little time, shaping them by hand is fun, and the flavour (fresh-from-the-sea grey shrimp and a subtle spicy kick from the cayenne pepper) is sublime. Still not convinced? Try this recipe from star chef Roger Van Damme.

SHRIMP CROQUETTES

• 300g shrimp bouillon• 150ml milk• 55g butter• 60g flour• 4 gelatine leaves• Juice of one lemon• 350g peeled grey shrimp• 1tsp cayenne pepper• 2 egg whites, beaten• Bowl of flour & bowl of breadcrumbs

Make a béchamel sauce with melted butter, flour, milk and bouillon.
Meanwhile soak gelatine in cold water. Remove sauce from heat and stir in gelatin.
Pat shrimps dry before adding pepper and lemon juice to them. Stir shrimp into sauce and allow mixture to thicken overnight in the fridge.
The next day, make small rolls from it. Pass each croquette through flour, egg white and bread crumbs, in that order. Fry until golden brown.

We say: Croquettes are a typically Belgian dish. At the coast, they eat them with a lemon wedge and a glass of tart Rodenbach beer