Plate pie with celeriac, chicory, pears & gorgonzola

For ➍
270 g fresh puff pastry
125 g crème fraiche
1 celeriac
3 stumps witloof / endives
150 g gorgonzola
2 Conférence pears
50 g unroasted walnuts

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Roll out the puff pastry and the accompanying baking paper over a baking sheet. Divide the crème fraîche over it.
Peel the celeriac and cut into 1 cm cubes. Cut the bottom of the witloof, halve the stump lengthwise and remove the hard core. Cut the half stumps in half lengthwise.
Divide the celeriac and witloof over the puff pastry. Cut the gorgonzola into cubes and divide over the vegetables. Bake the plate in the oven for 25 m until done.
Peel the pears, remove the core and cut the flesh into cubes. Spread the walnuts over the pie.

Sweet & savory chicken

For ➏
1.5-2 kg chicken
1 small lemon or clementine
several sprigs fresh rosemary
1-2 large yellow onions
3-4 whole firm fruits such as apples, pears, or quince
500-1000 g firm or crisp vegetables such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, or garlic cloves
olive oil
butter
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 220°C. Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven.
Remove the chicken from its packaging and thoroughly pat it dry. Place the lemon or clementine inside the cavity along with the whole rosemary sprigs, and truss the legs together.
Create a bed of fruits and vegetables in a roasting pan to raise the chicken off the bottom. Chop the onions and a few pieces of fruit into rings, and scatter them over the bottom of the pan. If you're using asparagus or carrots, lay them side-by-side on top of the onions in the center of the pan. Sprinkle the vegetables and fruit generously with salt and black pepper.
Set the chicken on top of the bed of fruits and vegetables. Roughly chop and scatter any remaining fruits and vegetables around the chicken.
Drizzle the chicken and all the fruits and vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Set a few pats of butter atop the chicken.
Place the chicken into the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 200°C. Roast for 1 to 1½ h, until the vegetables are cooked, chicken's skin is golden, and the chicken registers 75°C in the thigh.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let the chicken rest for 15 m before carving.
While you're waiting, toss the vegetables with the pan juices and transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, make a simple gravy with the leftover bits in the pan.
Serve while the chicken and vegetables are warm.
Leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Chicken legs with spinach & pears

For ➍
4 large chicken legs
1 cup semolina
olive oil
200 g spinach
2 pears
1 lemon
4 chicken wings
100 g butter
salt & pepper
spice mixture:
1 chicken stock cube or 1 tbs powdered chicken stock
½ ts salt
1 ts curry powder
1 ts paprika or red chili powder
½ ts ground ginger
a pinch of nutmeg
½ ts thyme

Mix all ingredients for seasoning mix. Mix just before use a little olive oil with the herbs to make a paste.

Cut the legs into 2 pieces. Place on an oven rack with a plate underneath, so the fat can drip off. Cover the top of the meat with the spice paste and sprinkle some semolina over for a crunchy effect.

Put the chicken 10 m in an oven at 190°C to form a nice crust. Reduce the oven to 140°C. Cook for 10 m more.

Chop the wings. Heat butter and fry the wings. Season with salt and pepper.

Peel the pears. Cut into thin strips (with a kitchen slicer).Wash the spinach and chop it small. Stew the pear 1 m in a little butter, add the spinach and cook. that rift. Season with salt and pepper. Add the grated rind of lemon to completely refresh.

Serve the chicken on top of spinach.

Serve with the gravy of the wings and with crispy fried, salted potato wafers.

Apple, pear & beet salad

For ➍
1 large coeur de boeuf tomato, cubed
½ orange bell pepper, seeded & chopped
2 medium steamed beets, peeled & chopped
1 large sweet & crisp apple, chopped
2 small pears, chopped
10 cl champagne or white wine vinaigrette
3 handfuls baby spinach
100 g crumbled blue cheese

Toss together the prepared tomatoes, bell pepper, beets, apple, pears and champagne vinaigrette in a large bowl.

Divide the baby spinach and seasoned fruit and vegetables between 4 plates.

Sprinkle each salad with crumbled blue cheese and serve.

Pear & gorgonzola salad

For ➍
4-6 slices of walnut bread, cut into long triangles*
olive oil
6 small pears, halved
125 g rucola
150 g Gorgonzola, pulled into pieces
50 g toasted pine nuts
1 lemon, halved

Brush the walnut bread with a little oil and grill it until crisp on both sides. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the pears cut-side down until they brown, then flip them and cook the other side for 2 m or until they start to soften. Divide the walnut toast between 4 shallow bowls and heap some rocket on top, then scatter the cheese and pine nuts over. 
Add 3 pear halves to each bowl and dress with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and seasoning.

*Use brown bread, and add 50 g chopped walnuts.
**Or toast bread, spread with room-warm cheese, push chopped nuts in, and cover with slices of cold pear.

Gentse perentaart (Ghent pear cake)

For ➓
125 g butter
150 g sugar
2 eggs
½ beaten egg
210 g flour
salt
1 tbs grated lemon peel
30 g ground almonds
± 8 half pears (can)*
1.25 dl cream
ground vanilla or vanilla essence
apricot glaze**
shaved almonds

Mix 100 g butter, 100 g sugar, 1 egg, 200 g, salt, flour into a smooth dough. Cover and put in fridge for 1 h.

Prepare a loose-based cake tin of 20 cm.

Roll out the dough, put in the form and return to fridge for 30 m.

Heat the oven to 180 °C.

Mix the rest of the flour with 30 g sugar and ground almonds. Add beaten egg and 25 g butter to the mixture. Whip until creamy.

Spread over the dough. Put the pears in a circle on the mixture.

Mix 1 egg, vanilla and cream.

Pour over the pears.

Bake for 30 m in the centre of the oven.

Remove and let cool on rack.

Glaze with (warm) apricot and shaved almonds.

Add a dot of whipped cream, if you feel like it. Serve with a fruit-based drink like cider, a medium dry white wine like Vouvray, or an old Flemish jenever (gin). Or a dark brown sweet beer. Or tea (without sugar or milk), definitely not coffee.

*When using fresh pears, poach them for 15 m in water and sugar.
**Prepare by mixing 1 tbs of water through 1 tbs of apricot jam.

Frangipane

For ➏-➑
125 g butter
125 g sugar
3 eggs
1 tbs orange (or lemon) peel,grated
125 g ground almonds
35 g flour
puff pastry*
powder sugar**
pears***

Drape a floured form with the pastry. Cut away the edges, keep apart to decorate.

Melt butter, put the pot in cold water until butter reaches room temperature.

Beat sugar into the eggs, and add the peel. Mix soft butter through the eggs. Mix flour and ground almonds in another bowl. Then add to the butter mixture.

Put mixture into form. Decorate with bands of pastry.

Put in the preheated oven at 200°C for 30/45 m. (Mix some lemon juice with the powder sugar, cover the top.*)

Let cool before serving.

*Use commercial ready-made or splurge on home-made puff pastry.
**Add a Belgian touch by covering the top in icing, and decorate it with one or more bottled cherries.
**Ad a French touch by adding half pears, cooked in syrup to the top.

The origin of frangipane filling was in 16th century Italy by the Italian nobleman, Marquis Muzio Frangipani. He created a perfume that was used for scenting gloves that was popular in Paris. Perhaps fueled by the popularity of the scent, Parisian pastry cooks flavoured a pastry cream with almonds and called it frangipane.
In France and Belgium, almost the same recipe is used for an epiphany treat, the galette des rois.

Another Bahia clericot

For ➍
1 bottle dry white or pink wine
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 pear, peeled & cubed
2 peaches, peeled & cubed
12 ice cubes
1 glass maraschino
1 glass Grand Marnier
soda water

Put the orange slices in a jar. Add the maraschino and the Grand Marnier.

Let rest for 30 m.

Add the pear and peaches.

Pour the wine on the fruit.

Add the ice and a little soda water.

*Essential is the combination of white wine and fruit, most fruit is suitable.
For a softer, less alcoholic version, see Bahia clericot.