Boulets à la liégeois

⇐ The Green Book

The recipe uses Luikse stroop which is a really thick syrup - more a jam - made from apples and pears with a definite sour kick. I would guess any dark syrup with an addition of something acidic would do the trick.

Ingredients

for the meatballs

500g 'half om half' mince (beef and pork 50/50%)

2 slices of bread, without crust, soaked in milk

½ finely chopped onion

handful parsley, finely chopped

salt, pepper, breadcrumbs

1 egg (I think I forgot to put this in 😂)

for the sauce

2 onions, finely chopped

2 Tbsp brown sugar - too much, i do 2 tsp

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

½l beef stock

1 Tbsp Liège syrup (Luikse stroop) - too much 1 heaped tsp

2 cloves, a few juniper berries, bay leaf, pinch thyme, salt and pepper

small handful raisins

Method

1. meatballs knead the meatball ingredients together and roll into 8 balls. Bake in a butter dish in an oven, 180℃, for 40 minutes
2. start the sauce Remove the balls from the dish. In the remaining liquid sauté the onions with thyme till brown.
3. continue sauce Add brown sugar, fry briefly and then deglaze with red wine vinegar. Add the stock, bring to the boil and incorporate the Liege syrup, cloves, juniper. Cook for at least 30 minutes, adding a little water if necessary
4. finish Thicken the sauce slightly with beurre manié or cornflour. add the raisins. Add the meatballs and warm through.
5. serve with frites and salad

Visitez Liège https://www.visitezliege.be/fr/page/le-boulet-liegeois-recette

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