Jerusalem artichoke in skin

For ➍
8 large Jerusalem artichokes
sunflower oil
2 cloves garlic
2 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
4 branches thyme
2 cloves
2 star anise
young thyme branches

Scrub the artichokes well with a vegetable brush and cut them lengthwise in half.
Pour a lot of oil in a large metal baking dish and top with the artichokes with the cut side down.
Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife. Crush the juniper in the mortar. Add the garlic, juniper berries, bay leaf, thyme, cloves and star anise in the artichokes and simmer over low heat.
Turn the artichokes after 10 m and simmer another 15 m.
Remove the herbs from the pan, except for the garlic.
Garnish with young thyme branches.

Parelhoen met witloof & Trappist (guinea fowl with endives & beer)

For ➍
1 guinea fowl (1.5 kg)
salt & pepper
50 g bacon, cubed or sliced
50 g butter
10 shallots, sliced
3 dl Belgian beer, white or blond, blond Trappist recommended*/**
1 ts thyme
3 juniper berries
2 sprigs parsley
1 ts sugar*
6 endives***

Rub the guinea fowl with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a pan and bake the bacon for 5 m. Remove the bacon and brown the guinea fowl in the fat. Remove fowl and brown the shallots.
Add beer, thyme, laurel, berries, parsley (and sugar*). Mix.
Add bacon and heat the mixture.
Add the guinea fowl and let it stew on low heat for 45 m.
Heat some water to cook the endives for 10 m.
Add vegetables to the guinea fowl for the last 10 m of the cooking.
Remove the fowl and vegetables. Thicken the sauce, push through a chinois.
Cut guinea fowl into pieces. Put a piece on a warm plate with some sauce and with vegetables. Serve with boiled potatoes*** and blond Trappist beer.

*When using white beer or blond Trappist, don't add sugar. Blond Trappist should be a triple, like Westmalle or Leffe. When Belgian beers are not available, use pale ale instead...
**Add 10 cl fond de gibier to make a smoother sauce.

***Do not use hydroculture endives for a better taste. To have a smoother sauce, cut 1 additional endive into small chunks and put in the sauce from the start.
***Or serve with parsnip mash.

Trappist monasteries were founded by the Cistercian monastery of La Trappe in medieval France. Of the world's 171 Trappist monasteries, only 7 produce beer. 6 of them are in Belgium, brewing the highly valued Trappist following strict prescriptions.
Read the cooking fowl tip. Try the quick version. Read a classic recipe to braise the endives.
Read the braising endives without water tip.
Read the cooking endives @ microwave tip.

Quick guinea fowl with endives

For ➍
4 guinea fowl fillets*
2 tbs butter
2 sliced shallots
1 kg of witloof, endives, roughly chopped or cut lengthwise
(1 ts sugar)**
3 juniper berries
1 tbs white or blonde beer
4 tbs of jenever (gin)

Heat the butter in a skillet. Brown the fillets.
Add shallots, witloof, (sugar)** and juniper berries. Add 1 tbs of beer. Stew for 20 m.
Add 4 tbs of jenever (gin), turn up the heat for 2 m.

*Use chicken fillets instead.
**Optional.

Read the braising endives without water tip
Read the cooking endives @ microwave tip.
Try the Belgian classic version.

Peppered pineapple

For ➍
1 pineapple
40 cl water
4 tbs sugar
3 juniper berries*
5 Jamaican pepper berries (allspice)**
ground Jamaican pepper***

Cut pineapple into chunks or slices. Put water, sugar, the juniper and pepper berries in a pan and cook until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the pineapple chunks, cover and let simmer on low heat for 10 m.

Serve the chunks with a little juice and a turn of freshly ground pepper. Serve hot or cold as a dessert or with grilled chicken as a main dish.

*Use 1 ts of gin instead.
**Use allspice powder instead.
***Use white pepper instead.