The shrimp croquette (croquette de crevette in French or garnaalkroket in Dutch) is one of Belgium's most popular culinary delights. In honour of the dish, Brussels' tourist agency Visit.brussels has once again crowned the best shrimp croquette in the region.
From the rich filling of shrimp and béchamel – where binding, structure, balance and the quality of the fish are key – to the crispy crust, several criteria define the excellence of a shrimp croquette. These are all points that Visit.brussels considers when awarding points in its 'Best shrimp croquette in Brussels' competition.
For the fifth time, the agency selected a winner from the many dining spots in the capital serving the famous snack, which is best served with a wedge of lemon and deep fried parsley.
"Each year, the prize for best shrimp croquette goes to the chef who managed to create the most successful version of one of the showpieces of our gastronomy," said Visit.brussels' spokesperson, Jeroen Roppe.
The winner of this year's edition was Bouillon, located on Rue des Dominicains in the city centre. "Bouillon can now boast the title of best shrimp croquette in Brussels for a year," Roppe said. Food lovers can enjoy a duo of croquettes here for €12.20.
Credit: Bouillon
Brasserie Ommegang, also in the city centre, and Lola in Sablon, complete the top three.
People were invited to enter the Brussels competition in July. Participants had to meet two criteria: own an active business (restaurant, canteen, counter or food truck) in the Brussels-Capital Region and offer homemade shrimp croquettes on the menu.
A total of 15 establishments took part: Aux Armes de Bruxelles, Bouillon, Brasserie Ommegang, Crush, Kroket, La taverne du passage, Le Petit Bistro, L'harmony, Les caves d'Alex, Les petits oignons, Les trappistes, Le variétés, Lola, Toucan Brasserie and Zotte Mouc.
The jury electing the winner consisted of culinary journalists, people from the public and the winners of past editions, who all used a scoring grid to enter the points. Brasseries Georges won the coveted title in the two previous editions.
