Serge Driesen is a member of the ‘33 Master Chefs of Belgium’ and of the ‘Disciples of Escoffier’. In his ‘t Vrouwenhuys, located in the estate of the Corsendonk Priory, this jovial chef serves up gastronomic fare based on quality Belgian products. Naturally Driesen cooks with Corsendonk beers, but he also looks beyond the Priory’s walls. "We should not only be proud of our national drink", he feels, "we should also give it the attention it deserves on our tables". Driesen goes on to say, "Using beer in the kitchen calls for practice and experimentation, but I can assure you of one thing. If you drink wine with a dish in which beer has been used correctly, then it should jolly well be a good brand. If not it will be nowhere near as good as the beer, certainly as far as subtlety is concerned! Beer is like a little angel splashing on your tongue".

POUCH OF SOLE AND SAVOY CABBAGE IN A THICK SAUCE OF
CORSENDONK® ABBEY PALE, WITH TRUFFLE AND DEEP-FRIED LEEKS

Ingredients 8 filets of sole 200 g of savoy cabbage cooked and then stewed in butter pepper and salt nutmeg 3 finely chopped shallots 1-12 oz. bottle of Corsendonk® Pale 1.5 dl of shrimp or fish fumet knobs of ice-cold butter truffle slices deep-fried slivers of leeks 4 edible flowers Serves 4

Preparation Place two sole filets crosswise on top of each other and fill them with the stewed savoy cabbage seasoned with pepper, salt and nutmeg. Repeat for four servings. Fold the pouches firmly shut and steam them for 10 to 12 minutes in a pressure cooker or steamer. In the meantime prepare the sauce. Reduce the Corsendonk® Pale with the shallots and the fumet to a third. Then strain the sauce and stiffen it with the knobs of butter, after removing it from the heat. Season with pepper and salt. Place the sole pouches in pre-heated dishes and spoon the sauce over and around them. Finish off with slices of truffle and slivers of leeks. Decorate with an edible flower. Enjoy with Corsendonk® Abbey Pale Ale.