Chef Tom Cloet runs the kitchen of Bistro 't Verschil and is on his way to the top of his profession. "This year, we were awarded a score of 14 out of 20 in the Gault&Millau restaurant guide, so we haven't earned a first star yet, but I prefer it that way. Customers come here to enjoy a relaxed and laid back atmosphere, while we are working at a high, professional level. That's ideal."
Between a luch and dinner service, Tom prepared a special dish for us. But not before he had carried out a thorough tasting of our Mum Beer. "I smell floral aromas combined with honey an touch of acidity. In the mouth, the Mum Beer reveals a gentle softness with again the floral notes and a touch of honey.
A spicy bitterness in the aftertaste gives it enough punch at the end. My initial idea was to prepare a dish with Belgian endive, but the taste would be too bitter. Poultry or veal with a light sauce, a veal stew or a white, non-fatty fish are ideal combinations."
The chef of 't Verschil - where the dishes are changed every week to match the season - aims for a "perfect match" and finally opts for a supreme of crispy baked and gently simmered black leg chicken with Jerusalem artichoke, salsify, roasted onion, spring onions and marinated beech mushrooms. Served with a natural sauce and a mousseline sauce prepared with Mum Beer. He finishes the dish with baby spinach leaves.
The attractive and delicious dish that comes out of the kitchen looks exactly as the picture, which has not been reworked by the photographer.
For 4 servings
- 4 supremes of organic farm chicken
- 100 gram beech mushroom
- 10 Jerusalem artichokes
- 1 onion
- 8 spring onions
- 50 gram baby spinach leaves
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Milk
- 1 bottle of Mum Beer
- White vinegar
- Brown chicken stock
- 300 gram butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 lemon
Boil the onion in salted water and let it cool. Rinse the spring onions and clean the salsify. Remove the peel and boil it in water with a dash of milk and salt. Rinse the baby spinach leaves. Boil the Jerusalem artichokes in water, add milk and salt and cook until tender. Strain and mash the Jerusalem artichoke with half of the finely chopped spring onions. Fry the beech mushrooms in oil until crispy and season with salt and pepper, deglaze with a dash of soy sauce, some brown sugar and two tablespoons of vinegar. Allow to reduce.
Fry the supremes of farmhouse chicken on the skin side in oil for eight minutes in a low heat until they are crispy. Turn them over when they are half cooked and add the Mum Beer and the chicken stock. Let simmer gently for about eight minutes.
Melt the butter in a pan and scoop the foamy milk proteins from the surface with a skimmer. Put the three egg yolks in a pan; add the juice of half a lemon and five tablespoons of Mum Beer. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Beat into a firm and light mousseline sauce and glaze with the clarified butter. Fry the prepared vegetables in butter until crispy and season with salt and pepper. Serve on a plateas shown in the picture and finish off with a few baby spinach leaves.