Recipe

Recipe: Barge - BBQ Roasted Beetroot

11.08.2026 · Lorenz Verstraete

The restaurant

Barge is a contemporary gastronomic restaurant in Brussels where Chef Grégoire Gillard serves a seasonal surprise menu focused on local products and sustainable gastronomy. With refined, nature-driven cuisine and a strong connection to his producers, Barge creates a unique culinary experience where pure flavours and respect for the rhythm of the seasons take centre stage.

The recipe

Geuze glaze & beetroot

Place the Liège syrup, verjus, beetroot juice, geuze and soy sauce in a saucepan. Gently reduce until a syrupy glaze that coats the back of a spoon.

Boil the mini beetroots in plenty of salted water until cooked through. Drain, peel and cut them in half lengthwise.

Brush the beetroots generously with the geuze glaze. Then smoke them for approximately 20 minutes with toasted hay in a closed barbecue or smoker.

Afterwards, briefly grill the beetroots on the barbecue until they are nicely coloured and caramelised.

Beetroot fries

Peel the large beetroots and cut them into fine julienne. Fry them for about 10 minutes at 160 °C until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt.

Béarnaise with anise hyssop

Bring the geuze, white wine vinegar and red onion to a boil and reduce by half. Allow the reduction to cool.

Combine the reduction with the egg yolks and whisk until light and airy. Gently heat while continuously whisking until a light sabayon forms.

Gradually add the clarified butter while continuing to whisk. Season with salt, pepper and finely chopped anise hyssop.

Serving

Arrange the grilled beetroots on the plate. Spoon the béarnaise next to or partially over the beetroots.

Finish with the crispy beetroot fries and the herb salad of anise hyssop, yarrow, purslane and violets.

Ingredients

For 4 people

Beetroot

8 mini beetroots
salt

Gueuze Glaze

100 g Liège syrup
50 g verjus
200 g beetroot juice
200 g gueuze
50 g soy sauce

Beetroot Fries

2 beetroots
frying oil
salt

Anise Hyssop Béarnaise

200 g gueuze
75 g white wine vinegar
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 egg yolks
400 g clarified butter
fresh anise hyssop, finely chopped
salt
black pepper

Herb Salad

anise hyssop leaves
yarrow (achillea)
purslane
violets
other fine herbs and edible flowers to taste

The pairing

Intensity in wine and food is one of those things that is often discussed, but also where many often miss the mark. Take Riesling, for example; it is by far one of the most aromatic grapes out there. Picking it a day later can sometimes mean that the fruit is so ripe and intense that the acidity is flattened, and the taste is bland. And turn the pepper mill too much or reduce a sauce too far, and your balance is lost. It was such a great experience to see how meticulously they work with each product in Barge's kitchen. From farm to table, they want to keep everything as pure and minimalistic as possible. The flavours on this dish are so overwhelming and intense, but you can taste the balance with every bite. Riesling, at its best, can handle all that power like no other, and Veldenzer Kirchberg has been my hidden gem from this winemaker for years. Slightly less known than the GG (Grand Cru further in the village - Brauneberger Juffer), but precisely because the vineyards are located on a dried-up riverbed and a hill with an eastern orientation, you get so much more in this Riesling. Hints of grapefruit, kale, ripe stone fruit, and even a touch of iron. Riesling? The real thing!

The wine

Veldenzer Kirchberg 'Dry' - Martin Conrad 2022

€20,50

Check out the wine

Recipe: Barge - BBQ Roasted Beetroot

The restaurant