Olivier Poels 5:40 p.m., March 07, 2022
If there were to be a gastronomic justification for going to Belgium, it would be to taste shrimp croquettes!
Shrimps, of course!
This coastal specialty - which can be found as far away as Brussels - is a jewel of Flanders cuisine.
The origin of this preparation could date from the First World War.
At the time, gray shrimp were fished extensively in the North Sea, so they were used to feed the soldiers in the trenches, on the Yser front.
In order to preserve them better, they are coated in a kind of paste.
It was in 1922 that shrimp croquettes were first found on the menu of a restaurant in Brussels: chez François, place Saint-Catherine.
However, it was not until the 1950s that the recipe became popular.
Belgium, which was for a long time the first country in the world for the fishing of gray shrimps, is now dethroned by the Netherlands.
Annual festival, Belgian championship, shrimp croquettes have now established themselves as a symbol of Belgian gastronomy!
The recipe for shrimp croquettes
Ingredients :
200 g peeled gray shrimp
50 g of butter
50 g of flour
25 cl of milk
25 cl shrimp bisque (or fish)
1 egg
Breadcrumbs
Salt pepper
Coarsely chop the prawns
Melt the butter, add the flour
Make a béchamel with the milk and stock
Add the prawns and chill
Form the croquettes by hand, pass them in the beaten egg and breadcrumbs
Cook them in the fryer at 180°C