{"id":37453,"date":"2024-05-23T21:48:35","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T19:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/?p=37453"},"modified":"2026-04-23T23:16:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:16:27","slug":"epicurean-days-of-liege-2024-day-2-friday-wine-and-fish-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/news\/2024\/05\/23\/epicuriales-de-liege-2024-jour-2-vendredi-midi-du-vin-et-du-poisson\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00c9picuriales of Li\u00e8ge 2024, Day 2. Friday lunchtime: wine and fish"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sophie Brissaud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, this is not the dessert of the day...<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this Friday, after lunch, on the way to my hotel, I pass by the window of the Eggenols Patisserie<\/a><\/strong> (a family business since 1930) and I\u2019m wide-eyed. Thankfully, I\u2019m leaving the table, so I resist the temptation to go in and try everything: the apricot tart, the strawberry-rhubarb tart, and the rice tart (top right). <\/p>\n\n\n

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French readers, don\u2019t fall off your chairs, I did say \u00abtarte au riz\u00bb (rice tart). It\u2019s a speciality of Belgian Limburg and it originally comes from the town of Verviers. I know people around me \u2013 the French can sometimes be haughty \u2013 who mock the concept, others tell me it simply can't exist. I don't allow it. It's excellent, it's like rice pudding or baked rice cake, but there's a pastry base underneath, that's all. A light, brioche-like pastry base, like they make here. Georges Simenon adored the rice tart from Eggenols, but yes, so we don't mock other people\u2019s desserts, especially since French pastry no longer really has any lessons to teach, having become, in my opinion, far too rich and sweet; it\u2019s all ganaches, gelatine, and whipped mascarpone now, which is really starting to get a bit much, seriously, we're suffocating. So, a cute and simple apricot tart, or strawberry-rhubarb \u2013 marriage made in Heaven<\/em> \u2014, we approve. Look how cute these tarts are, bursting with fruit and generously filled. And this tender, flaky pastry won't be left on the side of the plate, She<\/em>. So, make a note of a first address, Eggenols, Rue des Guillemins<\/strong>, \u2026you won\u2019t regret it if you pop into Li\u00e8ge. They have a famous speciality, the Marouff, a cake made with Savoy sponge and an ultra-light chocolate mousse. They also make Sachertorte and Malakoff, among other things. But enough about cakes \u2013 let\u2019s get back to \u00c9picuriales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lunch for six hands (and two plates) Agron Billa, <\/strong>
Yann Stroobant and Daniel Demolin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agron Billa<\/strong>, Head of the catering house Goose<\/a><\/strong> in Grivegn\u00e9e, takes care of the starter. The main course is prepared by the two chefs Yann Stroobant <\/strong>(Cabal<\/a><\/strong> in Li\u00e8ge, Georgian inspiration) and Daniel Demolin<\/strong> restaurant The Danieli<\/strong>,<\/a> Italian inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n

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If the introduction of Agron Billa brings to mind a cartoon character, it's certainly unintentional, and that smile will soon be overshadowed by the other elements of the starter.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Agron Billa.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's Friday, fish day (starter and main). For Yann and Daniel, it will be mackerel, carefully deboned by hand (what a job!).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Belgium, whose wines I don't know, a fortiori<\/em> the Li\u00e8ge wines surprise me. These Aeolides<\/strong> have a crazy charm: a dry, fresh, lemony white, white flowers, balanced and airy. <\/p>\n\n\n

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And what's more, it's organic. This cuv\u00e9e from the estate Li\u00e8ge wine<\/a><\/strong> It is made from three regional grape varieties: Johanniter, Souvignier Gris, and Muscaris, whose notes are reminiscent of Riesling at times, and Muscat at others. A fine success harvested from aeolian loess soils on limestone and a real \"come back for more\" taste. Li\u00e8ge, you have no need to be ashamed of your wines, know this.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Semi-cooked wild salmon, beetroot, tomato tartare and parmesan foam.<\/strong> Agron served this dish with a masterful lightness, a clear and structured presentation, not a morsel too many. The chromatic balance (the salmon just kissed by the heat, the tomato tartare) is enhanced by a pretty, sharp vinaigrette that has a stained-glass-like quality.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Here is the Mackerel flame-grilled, St\u00e9phane Longlune asparagus, wild garlic tremali.<\/strong> There are several green things that regularly leap out at us from April onwards: green asparagus, wild garlic, and peas. We're very fond of this biodynamically grown asparagus, this tangy condiment\u2026 Where are the tremble<\/em>, by the way? It sounds like pasta. In fact, I ponder for a long time until I remember that Yann Stroobant is referring to Georgia: ah! so it's a Tkemali<\/a><\/em>. Shellfish. No worries. Everything is in order. It\u2019s good, but I can\u2019t help but note that a fillet of mackerel flamed is generally cooked on one side. It\u2019s a form of unilateral cooking and that\u2019s what gives it its charm. I discover it cooked underneath as well, perhaps it was passed through the oven to ensure it wasn\u2019t raw, thus losing much of the appeal of the flaming.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Throughout the festival, the cheeses served in the chefs' tent will be selected by Gr\u00e9gory, director of the excellent cheese maturing house. Cheese<\/a><\/strong> You can't miss it, it's on the same pavement as Eggenols. The choice is between French and Walloon cheeses. All different and all perfect for every meal, which is quite a feat.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The desserts are served to us by the ice cream maker Arthur m\u2019Rabet (Giu)<\/a><\/strong> and the coffees by the house Charles Li\u00e9geois<\/a><\/strong> (which was formerly called Caf\u00e9 Li\u00e9geois but has since reverted to its founder's name). The wines are offered in collaboration with the house Toby Vins<\/a><\/strong> with a strong preponderance of C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne, an appellation dear to Pierre Luthers.<\/p>\n\n\n

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These pots and pans resting on the work surface in the chefs' tent itself capture my attention. For whom do they simmer? I have a clue: during lunch, Mehdi asked me to turn the heat down to the lowest setting under the large stewpot\u2026 Cyrille Prestianni took care of it. More to come soon.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Par Sophie Brissaud. Non, ce n\u2019est pas le dessert du jour\u2026 Mais ce vendredi, apr\u00e8s d\u00e9jeuner, sur le chemin de mon h\u00f4tel, je passe devant la vitrine de la p\u00e2tisserie Eggenols (affaire de famille depuis 1930) et j\u2019ouvre de grands yeux. Heureusement, je sors de table et je r\u00e9siste donc \u00e0 la tentation d\u2019entrer et […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":37460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,344,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-edition-2024","category-photos"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37453"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39932,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37453\/revisions\/39932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.epicuriales.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}