Toast with mushrooms, leeks & fried eggs

For ➍
2 tbs canola oil
500 g mushrooms, mix recommended
2 leeks, white & light green parts, sliced into 0.6 cm thick
salt & pepper
4 tbs butter
1 tbs sherry vinegar
4 tbs chopped herbs (rosemary, parsley, chives...)
4 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted & buttered
5 cl heavy cream
Tabasco sauce
1 lemon, halved
4 eggs

Heat the oil. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt. Cook and stir until lightly browned. Stir in 1 tbs of butter along with the vinegar and herbs.
Put the bread slices on plates. Add the mushroom mixture.
In the same pan, melt 2 tbs of butter over medium/low heat. Add the leek, season and stir until soft, 7 m. Add the cream, bring to simmer and cook for 1 m. Season with Tabasco and lemon juice. Spoon over the toast.
Heat 1 tbs of butter over medium/low heat. Crack the eggs in the skillet and season. Cover the pan, so the whites will set faster. Remove the egg when the whites have set and the yolk is still runny. [Work in batches or use different skillets].
Place the eggs on top of the toast and serve.

Try the traditional toast champignon.

Belgian homemade cocktail sauce

For ➍
5 tbs mayonnaise
3 tbs tomato ketchup
1 tbs whisky

Mix ingredients.

Serve with prawns.

Cocktail sauce was named after the prawns cocktail it was meant to accompany. In the USA, cocktail sauce is basically ketchup with prepared horseradish, augmented with hot sauce like Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. It is also served with fresh oysters. This mayonnaise and ketchup mix mix can be found in France and UK influenced countries. Belgium is the only country where whisky is added to cocktail sauce.
Try it as a quick sauce for a classic prawns cocktail.

Cajun crayfish etouffee

For ➍
100 g butter**
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
bunch of green spring onions, finely chopped
½ ts salt and ½ ts garlic powder, mixed
1 tbs dried parsley
½ ts chili powder
½ ts pepper
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
500 g crayfish, cleaned*
25 g flour, sifted
20 cl chicken broth (keep an extra 20 cl for adjusting the quantity)

In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté vegetables on low heat, except green onions. Add seasonings and stir well.
Add crayfish* and sauté for 1 m.
Add flour and mix well, and cook 3 more m.**
Add chicken broth. Mix well and simmer 15 m. Add green onions 3 m before conclusion.
Serve over hot (basmati) rice.*** A side-dish of sautéed greens is a good accompaniment, as is a cold beer.

*You can use prawns, firm fish. Or chicken filets, cut in chunks.
**In the traditional recipe, a white roux is made this way. Then add to the vegetables and crayfish*. Diminish amount of butter for braiséing with 25 g.
***Sauté 4 tbs of finely chopped shallot in 2 tbs olive oil, then add the water, bring to the boil. Add rice and cook.

Crayfish étouffée is a classic Cajun dish from Louisiana, mixing French cuisine, black slaves' traditions and local wisdom.