Judd mat Gaardenbounen or smoked collar of pork with broad beans is often dubbed the national dish of the Grand Duchy. It is associated with Gostingen. This small village, located in the south-east of the country, is well known for its broad beans' good quality. As a result, people living in Gostingen are called Bounepatscherten. According to the Luxembourgish linguist Jean-Claude Muller, judd would come from judia, the Spanish word for bean and pronounced chudia in Galicia. In this region of Spain, there is also a pork dish served with broad beans. It would have been introduced to Luxembourg by Spanish troops during the 16th or 17th century.
The first step to prepare Judd mat Gaardebounen is to soak the smoked pork collar in water for a few hours. Then it is cooked with chopped vegetables and herbs such as leeks, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, cloves, savoury and peppercorns until it becomes tender. When it is ready, the meat is cut into thick slices and combined with a creamy sauce based on roux, fresh cream, dry white wine, water, blanched broad beans, bacon and herbs. Boiled or fried potatoes can be served additionally.
Bouneschlupp is a traditional soup made with green beans, potatoes, smoked bacon and onions. Depending on the regions, the recipe includes carrot, leeks, celery, onion, milk, cream or extra meat, particularly the typical mettwurst, a smoked pork sausage. The soup is traditionally served hot with gromperekichelcher (deep-fried potato cakes made with onion, eggs and parsley) and a dollop of sour cream on the side.
Although Bouneschlupp is considered a Luxembourgish national dish, you can also find it in the German state of Saarland, Lorraine (France) and the regions of Gaume and Arelerland in Belgium.
Huesenziwwi (or Luxembourgish jugged hare) consists of marinated pieces of hare cooked with wine and onions in a sauce thickened with hare’s blood. Sour cream, mushrooms, carrots and herbs such as sage, thyme, and bay leaves are often added into the mix. After being marinated between 24 and 48 hours, the hare is fried in bacon and flambéed with cognac. The dish is served with noodles, cabbage and a glass of wine (Luxembourgish wine, of course, see our article about the Grand Duchy’s wines).
F’rell am Rèisleck (trout in Riesling sauce) is one of Luxembourg's most popular fish dishes. The trout is first fried in melted butter before covering it with a mixture of Riesling wine, cream sauce, shallots, spices and herbs and then baking it to perfection. This elegant dish is served as a main course with a side of potato cakes or steamed potatoes and garnished with freshly chopped parsley on top.
Another traditional fish speciality of Luxembourg cuisine is the Friture de la Moselle. Various species of small fish, traditionally sourced from the Moselle River, are first soaked in lemon juice, then coated with a batter of flour and eggs before deep-frying. They are typically served with lemon wedges on the side and accompanied with a side of fries and a glass of fine Luxembourg Riesling. The traditional way of eating the fish is by using one’s fingers. Simple but delicious!
Offal holds an important place in Luxembourg cuisine. Liewe Kniddelen mat Sauerkraut (liver meatballs with sauerkraut) and Kuddelfleck (tripe coated in breadcrumbs and fried) are very popular. Träipen is a black pudding made by combining pork head meat, lungs, kidneys and tongues or other pork offal with pork blood, cabbage, onions and stale bread. The meat mixture is seasoned with salt, pepper and a special variety of savoury called bounekräitchen. Then it is stuffed into casings, shaped into sausages, fried or baked and paired with applesauce.
Ham Crust (Jambon en Croûte) is a whole or sliced smoked pre-cooked ham that is enclosed within a pastry before being baked. The ham is often enhanced with a mustard-based or honey coating. The puff pastry wrapping is adorned with dough strips and brushed with beaten eggs for a nice finish. In some versions, the ham is stuffed with duxelles, a combination of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs. Ham Crust is usually served in slices, hot and with accompaniments such as Madeira or Port wine sauce, potatoes, beans, fresh pasta, a green salad or braised celery.
Quetschentaart is a pie traditionally made with a type of plum called damson. The plums are stoned, halved and put into a sweet pastry dough base before being baked in the oven. The pie is covered with halved plums arranged in overlapping circles and served with sprinkled sugar on top.
If you want to do it by yourself, you will find the recipes of the dishes described above on the website of Visit Luxembourg. Bon appétit!
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