Week 7 - Belgium and Burma (Myanmar)

Belgium; the land of beers (over 800 varieties), chips or French fries - they claim to have invested them and  waffles! They also have the lowest ratio of MacDonalds per person in the developed world - so maybe they really did invest the humble fry. I did not know that Burma was now Myanmar, which is appalling of me to admit, but admit it I do. Apparently it happened in 1989, when I was more interested in pop music and shoulder pads, but it was interesting to read about how it came about and the history attached to it.   Like America and Liberia is has not adopted the metric system of weight. Unlike America though, it is one of the few places where being a little plump is regarded as healthy!

We enjoyed the meals we had from both, although Myanmar was our favourite...

Belgium - Flemish Style Pork Chops
Myanmar - Mohinga (Fish Noodle Soup)
                  - Stir Fry

Mohinga (Fish Noodle Soup)
Purists will wince when they read this; but we do not like shrimp paste. So, I did not put it in this dish. also I could not get hold of tamarind or banana blossom. I did get some besan flour though. I used vegetable stock - which the recipe allowed.

We loved this, and when my husband ate his later on in the evening he ate it cod and really enjoyed it!

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 long red chilies, 1 finely chopped, 1 thinly sliced

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cm-piece ginger, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced

1 bunch coriander, stalks and roots finely chopped, leaves chopped

2 tbsp ngapi (Burmese shrimp paste) (see Note)

1 tbsp tamarind pulp (liquid form) (see Note)

150 g banana blossom (see Note), thinly sliced

35 g (¼ cup) chickpea (besan) flour (see Note)

100 g (½ cup) chickpeas, cooked and crushed

750 ml (3 cups) fish or vegetable stock

400 g vermicelli rice noodles, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, drained

250 g firm white fish (such as barramundi), skin on, chopped

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 tbsp fish sauce

lime wedges, to serve

Instructions

Place oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add finely chopped chilli, turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, coriander stalks and roots and ngapi, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Stir in tamarind pulp and banana blossom and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until banana blossom has softened. Add chickpea flour, stirring to combine. Add chickpeas, then gradually stir in stock and simmer for 10 minutes or until soup has thickened. Add drained rice noodles, fish, tomatoes and fish sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes or until noodles and fish are just cooked.

Divide fish noodle soup among 6 serving bowls. Scatter over coriander leaves and thinly sliced chilli and serve with lime wedges.

Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/burmese-fish-noodle-soup-mohinga (accessed 28FEB2017)

Flemish Style Pork Chops

This was ok, although on reflection I think I could have been more adventurous. I do not normally like pork, but I did enjoy it like this. If I did it again, I would make sure the chops were thicker and I would cook it for longer and slower to get more of a sauce.

4 thick pork chops (about 2 inches thick)
50 g – 1,75 oz. butter
4 large tart apples
2 tb lemon juice
1 small onion, sliced
4 crushed juniper berries
Salt and pepper
Sprigs of rosemary
5 sprigs of parsley
30 g – 1 oz. butter (to pour over)

Trim excess fat from the chops, season with salt and pepper and brown very gently on both sides in 50 g – 1,75 oz. butter for 10-15 minutes.

Put the browned, half-cooked chops in a shallow casserole, sprinkle them with the lemon juice, add the onion, parsley, juniper berries, and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the peeled and sliced apples over the chops and pour the melted butter over them.

Cover and cook in a medium to hot oven for 30-35 minutes or until the chops are cooked.

Serve directly from the casserole.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: A Taste of the Belgian Provinces, Enid Gordon and Midge Shirley (published by The Tuesday Group, rue Frans Merjay, 1060 Brussels).