Tomorrow night, the Red Devils take on Spain in the World Cup quarterfinals, and let’s be honest: the evening will be decided as much on the field as in the bag of fries. As it turns out , the “Andalouse”—despite its name that evokes Seville—is a purely Belgian invention, first marketed in 1963 by La William, a local family-run business. Translation: Tomorrow, we’re going to beat Spain at their own game —and here’s the homemade recipe to do it, ready in five minutes flat.
The Real Homemade Andalouse
For one bowl (4 hungry people) · 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 200 g of mayonnaise (homemade or store-bought—we’re not judging)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ red bell pepper, seeded and very finely chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet, or smoked for the adventurous)
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, or a dash of harissa
- A splash of lemon juice
- Salt, pepper
Instructions
- Chop the bell pepper and shallot as finely as possible—or give them a quick whizz in the food processor if you’re in a hurry; kickoff won’t wait.
- In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise and tomato paste until you get that beautiful, instantly recognizable orange color.
- Add the bell pepper, shallot, paprika, chili pepper, and lemon juice. Mix.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and chili to your liking… and your level of patriotism.
- If you have time, let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge: the flavors will meld, and the sauce will be even better. Otherwise, go for it—it’s already amazing.
All that’s left to do is whip out the fries, crack open a Belgian beer, and hope the Red Devils are as effective as your Andalouse.
Did you know?
The “Andalouse” may have a name that evokes the sunshine of Málaga, but it’s never set foot in Spain. It’s a 100% Belgian invention, first marketed in 1963 by La William, a local family-run business. La William was the first to bottle the famous orange-colored sauce. Since then, this “traitor” has conquered fry shops far beyond our borders: today, you can find it as far afield as France, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Not bad for a sauce that, here at home, accompanies the weekly ritual of one in five Belgians: the cone of fries.
