Fritland ★ 4.2
Fritland in Brussels is the canonical late-night frites window behind the Bourse. At Rue Henri Maus 49. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Try: Mitraillette and frites
History
The mitraillette ('submachine gun' in French) emerged from Brussels' frituur counters in the late 20th century as a one-handed student meal: half a baguette split open, packed with hot frites and a slab of fried meat, drowned in andalouse or samurai sauce. Fritland on Rue Henri Maus is its canonical home, with the queue spilling onto the pavement after midnight on weekends. The dish has spread to Liege and Charleroi but Brussels owns the original.
Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 half baguette (sliced open)
- 300g floury potatoes, cut into 1cm frites
- 1 fried chicken schnitzel or 1 grilled merguez sausage or 1 minute steak
- Vegetable oil or beef fat for deep-frying
- 2 tbsp andalouse sauce (mayo, tomato paste, mustard, chilli)
- Salt
- Optional: shredded lettuce, sliced raw onion
Method
- Soak potato batons in cold water for 30 minutes, then dry thoroughly.
- Heat oil to 140C and blanch potatoes for 5 minutes; drain.
- Heat oil to 180C and fry potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crisp. Salt while hot.
- Pan-fry your chosen meat: chicken schnitzel, merguez or minute steak.
- Split the baguette down the side; line the inside with sauce.
- Pack the baguette with hot frites, then place the meat on top.
- Top with more sauce, optional lettuce and onion, fold the baguette closed.
Tip from the editors. Eat it standing up over the paper wrapper. The mitraillette is engineered to fall apart the moment you sit down.
Where to eat mitraillette
Mitraillette in Brussels
Maison Antoine ★ 4.5
Maison Antoine in Brussels' Place Jourdan runs late into the night, with the surrounding bars open later still. At Place Jourdan 1. Booking recommended.
Try: Frites in a paper cone
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