Ingredients
Bread
- half a baguette, or a demi-baguette
Chips
- 400 gfloury potatoes, cut thick
- beef dripping or oil, for frying
Meat, choose one
- 1frikandel
- or 1 cervelas sausage
- or 1 beef or chicken schnitzel
- or 2 merguez
Sauce, choose one or two
- andalouse
- samouraï
- mayonnaise
- curry ketchup
- sauce brésilienne
Optional
- shredded lettuce
- sliced raw onion
- sliced tomato
Directions
- Cut the potatoes into thick chips, about 1.5 cm square, which is the Belgian cut and much chunkier than a French fry.
- Rinse them in cold water until it runs clear, then dry them completely on a cloth. Dry them properly.
- Fry them first at 150°C (300°F) for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and pale with no colour at all. They should be limp and blond when they come out, and any browning here means the oil is too hot.
- Lift them out and let them cool for at least 10 minutes, or longer. Now raise the oil to 180°C (355°F) and fry them again for 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain them and salt them immediately, while they are still hot enough for the salt to stick. Meanwhile fry the meat: a frikandel takes 4 minutes at 180°C, a schnitzel about 3 minutes a side.
- Fry the meat separately from the chips, or the batter and crumbs foul the oil. Lay the fried meat along the bottom. Pile the hot chips on top of the meat, in a heap.
- Squeeze the sauce over the chips generously, in zigzags. Sauce goes on last and on top of the chips, so it soaks down through them rather than making the bread wet.
Technique
- A frikandel is a skinless fried minced-meat sausage and it is the classic filling.
- Belgian friteries offer dozens of sauces and choosing is half the ritual.
- It is enormous, and one is a full meal for most people.
Substitutions
- Good frozen oven chips, though the double-fried version is the real thing.
- Any fried sausage, burger or schnitzel.
Variations
- With merguez, which is common.
- Vegetarian, with a fried vegetable patty.
- With two sauces, which is normal rather than excessive.
History
A Brussels friterie sandwich whose name means submachine gun, the standard late-night student order.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mitraillette?
Mitraillette is a street food from Belgium: half baguette filled with fried meat, chips and sauce. A Brussels friterie sandwich whose name means submachine gun, the standard late-night student order.
How long does Mitraillette take to make?
Mitraillette takes 20 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 sandwich. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mitraillette?
Yes, within limits. Good frozen oven chips, though the double-fried version is the real thing. Any fried sausage, burger or schnitzel.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mitraillette?
Squeeze the sauce over the chips generously, in zigzags. Sauce goes on last and on top of the chips, so it soaks down through them rather than making the bread wet.
