BOULETS A LA LIEGEOISE
MEATBALLS A LA LIEGEOISE
 
Recipe as approved and adopted by the Brotherhood of ' Le Gay Boulet de Boncelles ' .
We don't pretend to have THE recipe of the Boulet à la liégeoise.
As a matter of fact there are as many recipes as there are persons
preparing this meal : each one puts his own touch to it
Ingredients for about 10 balls
300 gr. minced beef
700 gr. minced pork
1 onion (finely chopped)
some parsley (finely chopped)
4 slices of bread (well soaked in milk)
2 eggs
some breadcrumbs
salt, pepper and nutmeg
 
Preparation
 
Mix all the ingredients to get a homogeneous preparation
Roll up the balls (about 120 gr.) . Dip yours hands in lukewarm water from time to time
 
Cooking
 
Place the balls in a buttered dripping pan
Put the pan in the oven (180°) for 34 about minutes
 
Sauce
 
Brown 4 onions (roughly chopped) with a pinch of thyme, 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves in a little fat
Add 4 tablespoons of brown sugar to get a caramel . Deglaze with a dash of wine vinegar
Moisten either with meat extract diluted in water or veal stock
Add salt and pepper
Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of genuine 'Sirop de Liège'
Sirop de Liège,apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by
long,slow cooking of apples and pears with cider or water to a point where the sugar
in the apples caramelizes turning the apple butter to a deep brown
Cook in a sauce pan for 35 to 40 minutes
Finish the sauce thickening it with cornflour or beurre manié ( mixed butter and flour )
Add some raisins soaked in peket (Belgian gin) and some juniper berries Adjust the seasoning Drop the balls in the sauce and simmer gently on a low heat for a few minutes
 
Accompaniment
 
Homemade fries and lettuce or stewed apples is the best choice and don't forget mustard and mayonnaise
 
Beverage
 
According to your mood and the time of year you'll choose either beer or wine
 
AND NOW YOU'RE READY TO ENJOY THEQUINTESSENCE OF GASTRONOMY