6 minute read
Barrister Bites
BARRISTER BITES By: Angelia Morie Nystrom, JD, LLM
UT Foundation – Institute of Agriculture
IT STARTED WITH PIGEON… AND ENDED WITH FROG
Hugh summed up our recent European vacation by saying, “It started with pigeon and ended with frogs.” Although our recent trip to Belgium and France was intended to be a history tour of sorts including a number of places of significance in World War II, I was determined that I was going to eat my way through Europe. And I did.
I have always been of the opinion that you can learn a lot about the history and culture of people by looking at their cuisine. We started our adventure in Belgium. Prior to our trip, I knew that Belgium was famous for its waffles and chocolates, but I didn’t know much else.
On the morning we arrived, I could see at least three cafes that featured waffles and three more that featured French fries (or frites, as the Belgians call them) from our hotel window. After flying all night and trying to avoid airplane cuisine, we ventured out to see what the fuss was about.
Belgian waffles are not your mama’s Eggos. We went to Maison Dandoy, which is supposed to have the best waffles in Brussels. Dandoy features two types of waffles. The Brussels waffle is crisp and creamy, while the Liege waffle is carmelized and buttered and filled with sugar bits. Both can be topped with powdered sugar, homemade chocolate, whipped cream, caramel and more. We tried both, topped with various items including chocolate, caramel, strawberries, hazelnuts and whipped cream. They were as good as advertised.
Through listening to podcasts, I had learned that French fries are not actually French at all—they are Belgian—but got their name from the technique used to cut the potatoes. In Belgium, fries are on every menu, and there are a number of cafes that serve nothing but fries. Belgian fries are double fried—fried once, allowed to cool and fried again. They are delightfully crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. Restaurants serve them with mayonnaise for dipping, and we were told that the dead give-away that someone was American was a request for ketchup. As someone who does not like ketchup, I think the Belgians are on to something. Their fries are phenomenal.
I had also heard that pigeon is considered a delicacy in the Flemish region of Belgium. When I think of pigeons, I don’t think of fine dining. In fact, I don’t think of anything fine at all. However, I learned that pigeons are quite expensive and that pigeons as a food source was borne out of racing. Although pigeon racing has likely been around for centuries, it became extremely popular in Europe in the 1800’s, and pigeon racing as we know it today is said to have originated in Belgium in the 1850s. Traditionally, pigeon racing occurred on Saturday night, which led to the Sunday meal. Pigeons that were not successful in their races on Saturday reappeared in what became known as “loser’s stew” on Sunday night. Hugh was determined that we were going to try it. Hugh found a restaurant, The Belgian Pigeon House, in Bruges and asked our tour guide to cancel our reservation at another restaurant so that we could go there. I was a bit skeptical, as (1) I consider pigeons to be dirty birds, and (2) our Brussels-born tour guide had never heard of it (and, frankly, had never tried pigeon). The restaurant is in a building that dates back to the 15th century and that actually served as a pigeon house. Much of the original has been retained including the medieval cellar running underneath. All manner of carrier pigeon-related memorabilia graces this tiny restaurant. Pigeon statues, pigeon drawings, homing pigeon bands, and racing memorabilia decorated the walls and display cabinets located throughout. The menu is small and features just a few main courses, including rabbit stewed in dark beer, North Sea shrimp, and grilled pork. The star attraction, though, is pigeon. The pigeon is slowly cooked in a Josper Brasa oven, which is best described as part oven and part charcoal grill. The roasted pigeon was tender and had a smoky flavor, and it was served with peas, onions and potatoes. Despite my skepticism, the pigeon and all its accompaniments were amazing, and our tour guide said that he will be adding it as a restaurant of choice on his tours.
After three days in Belgium, we headed west to France. While in France, we sampled all of the foods you normally associate with France: croissants, crepes, pastries, sea scallops, escargot, foie gras, croque monsieur, and a host of others. We also had something that you may not think of when you think of France: frog.
I was curious as to how the French began eating frog… and even more curious as to why we could not get into the frog restaurant that Hugh found on Gastro Obscura on a Friday during Lent. I learned that the French penchant for eating frogs dates back to the 12th century. Apparently, a number of monks (who were revered for their education) were deemed to be overweight. Church authorities prescribed a “no meat” diet as a method to force weight loss. Some cunning monks convinced the church authorities that frogs were not meat but rather more akin to
fish, which meant that they could eat them. Hence, the tradition of eating frogs was born.
Nestled in an alley in the artistic neighborhood of Rue des GrandsAugustins near Notre Dame, Roger La Grenouille is a frog-focused restaurant that opened in 1930 and has been visited by notables such as Pope John XIII and the Queen Mother of England. Pablo Picasso lived nearby and was said to have dined at the restaurant often. The restaurant takes pride in its frog legs and other frog-based dishes, including frog ravioli, frogs stewed in butter and garlic, and the frog burger.
Roger’s frog theme does not end at its menu. The building is embellished with frog-based memorabilia, including figurines, posters, door knobs and toilet paper holders. There are old musical instruments, pans, funnels, pots and jugs hanging from the ceiling, all of which create a peculiar—yet cozy— space for casual dining.
As an appetizer, we ordered a large plate of frog legs with three dipping sauces for the table. Hugh ordered the frogs stewed in butter and garlic, Trace ordered a frog burger, and I (unsure as to whether I could actually eat Kermit) ordered fish. When the frog legs arrived, I was skeptical—but hungry— so I tried them. They were absolutely amazing. When the entrees arrived, Hugh and Trace raved about their frog dishes. My fish was quite tasty, but I really wanted frog. While everyone else had dessert, I had another appetizer plate of the frog legs. They were that good. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin famously said, “Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you who you are.” For ten days, we explored France and Belgium. While we were there to learn about history, we got a great education by immersing ourselves in the food culture of both countries. We learned not only what people eat—but why they eat it. I’m a slightly picky eater, but I tried pigeon and frog—and loved them both. I’m already planning my return trip. Bon appetit!
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