Introduction

Dutch cuisine = hip

The Netherlands boasts exceptional local produce
and unique culinary traditions. Thankfully, more
and more people are starting to appreciate that
fact: Dutch cuisine is hip. From braised meat to
rolled herring and from mash pot to croquette
appetizers, each makes a perfect addition to any
culinary circle. For years top chefs have sworn by
the local produce and such distinctive delicacies
as Texel lamb, Zeeland bacon, Groningen mustard
and Limburg asparagus. This is produce with a
history and a compelling story. Whether they’re
incorporated in traditional dishes or in innova-
tive, award-winning cuisine with no more than a
cursory nod to the past – people want to redisco-
ver the local taste of where they’re eating. Rather
than some boring, standard version of a dish that
could be served anywhere in the world, people
are searching for the more distinctive tastes of the
terrain, the surroundings and the climate of where
they happen to be. For decades the Dutch main
focus has been on distant lands, the discovery of
exotic produce and foreign culinary cultures; but in
recent years they’ve seen a renewed interest in the
preservation of what’s attractive and wholesome
in the Dutch culinary tradition. Hence the return to
delicious, fresh and home-grown produce.
 Introduction

Daily Dutch cuisine

The low-lying, fertile Dutch soil has invariably For close to two centuries, Dutch sailors had a
produced a wide and varied range of crops: monopoly on the trade in such spices as nutmeg,
grains such as barley, rye, wheat and oats; mace, cloves and cinnamon. In the seventeenth and
legumes and vegetables along with fruit such as eighteenth centuries, these spices became common
apples, pears, cherries and berries. The changing in a wide range of dishes and even now they are
seasons provide an even greater wealth of ingre- still used to flavour traditional recipes. Ingredients
dients; each season showcasing another facet of and preparation methods were adopted from the
crop development. Spring yields mainly tender, former Dutch colonies of Indonesia and Suriname.
leafy vegetables; summer and autumn give us Nowadays, nothing says ‘Dutch’ more than nasi (In-
an abundance of fleshy vegetables, legumes and donesian fried rice). Mediterranean influences were
fruits while in winter, tubers, roots and cabbages embraced in the nineteen fifties and dishes such
abound. Traditionally, even fish, meat and game as spaghetti or pizza became as much a part of the
are seasonal. Just think about the ‘seasons’ Dutch menu as braised meat with potatoes.
for herring, lamb and other various types of
game. The North Sea strongly influences on the
culinary culture by supplying fish and seafood
like the renowned Zeeland mussels as well as
lobster, herring, sole and cod. At the same time,
the flatland is perfectly suited to sheep and cattle
husbandry, which provide meat and a multitude
of dairy products that have earned the Dutch
the nickname ‘kaaskoppen’ (cheese heads). The
daily Dutch cuisine has always been open to
culinary influences from other parts of the world.
 Introduction

Mash pot
Nothing is quite so Dutch as mash pot. This dish
is symbolic of the simple, nutritious cuisine of
the Dutch forebears. Mash pot is centuries old,
but still loved today because it’s easy to prepare,
keeps well and is especially tasty, filling and
hearty. It’s hard to imagine potatoes not being a
part of any staple diet, yet they are absent from
the earliest mash pot recipes. The potato actually
didn’t become commonplace until the eighteenth
century, long after it had been introduced into
our country by explorers who had returned from
America. Medieval one-pot-dishes were often
made with peas, turnips, oats or barley and
combined with vegetables and meat and refer-
red to as ‘potage’, ‘hotchpotch’ or ‘pot meal.’ A
seventeenth-century recipe for hotchpotch not
only called for onions and carrots, but for par-
snips too. These once ‘forgotten vegetables’ are
now easier to come by, so this historical, healthy
dish is simple to make.
 Introduction

Herring
For centuries, herring has been amongst
the most important fish catches in Holland.
The fish used to be eaten salted or dried.
Dutch herring is still gutted in the traditi-
onal manner (the removal of entrails and
gills) and salted. The first young herring
of the season, at the start of July, is called
the Hollandse Nieuwe (New Dutch Her-
ring). The term ‘maatjesharing’ (‘maiden
herring’) is officially used from October
onwards. Herring, which is caught later in
the season, are also smoked or formed into
rollmops (rolled pickled herring).

Cheese heads
The Dutch are not called ‘kaaskoppen’ (cheese heads) for nothing: dairy plays an important role in the
traditional cuisine. Our cheeses from Gouda and Edam are renowned throughout the world. Ripening
gives these cheeses a firmer structure and more pronounced flavour. ‘Young’ cheese ripens for four
weeks; ‘old’ cheese for about ten months. Its strong flavour makes old cheese great for seasoning
dishes. Particularly distinctive cheeses are Frisian Clove Cheese with cumin seeds and cloves in
addition to ‘Messeklever’ cheese from a region in North-Holland. The Messeklever is totally different
from other famous Dutch cheeses: it’s pale, has a soft (sticky) middle and a mildly salty, fresh and
creamy taste. Dutch goats’ cheese is traditionally made into semisoft cheeses, but nowadays soft
cheeses are also produced, such as ‘brie’.
 Introduction

Pearl barley
A number of recipes in this book call for
pearl barley. This is polished barley. The husk
and bran layers (an inedible hull around the
kernel) are removed and the grains polished
until they are nice and round. Barley and
pearl barley used to be eaten quite a lot –
it was even the staple diet for farmers in
certain regions of the country for centuries.
Now it’s in vogue again because it’s healthy
and very versatile. You can add it to stews,
for example, or use it as the basis for a type
of ‘risotto’.

Dutch croquettes
Although the earliest known recipes can be
traced back to France, the croquette has
been made uniquely ours. Croquettes are
now considered a quintessential Dutch dish
and are highly regarded as such. Croquettes
used to be a good way to use up leftovers. By
far the most common is the meat croquette
followed by the shrimp croquette. They are
surprisingly easy to make. Give the recipe on
p.23 a try.
 Introduction

Season dishes
‘Seasonal fare’ used to be very common because,
quite simply, there was no other option. But the
arrival of the supermarket changed all that, and it
became increasingly normal for every type of
produce to be available all year round. And yet,
seasonal cooking is once more in the spotlight
because it has so many advantages. When the
distance from the land to your plate is as short as
possible, you’re able to enjoy the freshest produce.
You’ll definitely notice the difference. At harvest
time, when the vegetable or fruit is cut off from
nutrients and water, it literally starts to ‘eat itself’.
Sugars are then converted into starch and as a
result the sweet taste becomes bland. This is
especially discernible in corn and legumes. Vitamins
are also lost in this way. Fresh vegetables and fruit
that are available in supermarkets out of season
consume a lot more energy; making them more
harmful to the environment, especially when they
are imported and wrapped individually in plastic.
A final argument in defence of seasonal cuisine:
it’s loads of fun! At first glance, the choice seems
to be somewhat limited; but because of that, you
discover new, less common varieties of vegetables
and fruits that you might not have otherwise been
willing to try. In this book, you’ll find recipes calling
for Jerusalem artichokes (topinambour), parsnips,
pearl barley and purslane. In this way, Dutch cuisine
becomes an exciting journey of discovery!
 Contents

Spring
Starter
17 Grandma’s beef broth with pearl barley
19 Lettuce with bacon and Gouda cheese croutons
21 Sourdough toast with herring salad and pickled onions
23 Shrimp croquettes with lemon dip
Main course
25 Grilled pikeperch with beer sauce and broad bean salad
27 Leek mash with lamb meatballs and beetroot chutney
29 Pizza with cauliflower, Messeklever cheese and purslane
31 Asparagus with ham, egg and roasted Jerusalem artichokes
Dessert
33 Rhubarb crumble with yogurt ice cream
35 Raspberry mousse with white chocolate ‘floes’

Summer
Starter
38 Tomato soup with baby leeks and meatballs
40 Shrimp cocktail with whisky sauce and caramelized onion
42 Battered fish with ravigote sauce and green pea salad
Main course
44 Rocket mash with Zeeland bacon, sweet and sour onion and homemade gravy
46 Salted cod, beans and oven-roasted purée
48 Dutch mussels in cider with bunched carrots and cream cheese
Dessert
50 Dutch trifle with summer fruit and dark chocolate
52 Ice cream cake with butterscotch sauce and strawberries
 Contents

Autumn
Starter
57 Limburg mustard soup with goat’s milk brie and chives
59 Wild boar croquette appetizers with cranberry-blueberry dip
61 Baked beetroot salad with yogurt dressing and rolled herring
Main course
63 Grandma’s meatballs with chicory mash and mushrooms
65 Braised meat with star anise, syrup and baked apple
67 Oven-roasted North Sea cod crusted with herbs and served with parsnip
69 Pearl barley ‘risotto’ with celeriac and Tuscan kale
71 Ham, cheese and egg dish with rolled pork, cervelat sausage, onion and garden cress
Dessert
73 Small apple-almond tarts with vanilla sauce

Winter
Starter
76 Classic pea soup with Dutch smoked sausage and bacon
78 Chive pancake puffs with smoked salmon and fish roe
80 Winter crudité with piccalilli dip
Main course
82 Dutch fried rice with sausage, curly-leaf kale and free-range eggs
84 Beef stew with stewed pears and red cabbage salad
86 Sauerkraut ‘Hawaii’ gratin
88 Baked sole with sweet onion and lobster butter
Dessert
90 Rice pudding with cherries, vanilla cream and Dutch spiced biscuit
 Garnalenkroketjes

Shrimp croquettes
with lemon dip
starter or snack, 4 servings

1 Melt the butter in a pan (do not allow to brown). Add the flour and mix
well. Keep stirring and allow to cook for a further 2 minutes on a low
flame. Stir and pour in the bouillon and the milk and bring to the boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the squeezed-out gelatine
sheets, shrimp, parsley, cayenne pepper and egg. Season the shrimp
ragout with salt and pepper to taste. Add a little lemon juice if desired.
60 g butter Allow the ragout to cool, then cover with cling film and put in the fridge for
80 g flour 1½ hours.
150 ml fish bouillon
150 ml milk 2 Mix the two types of breadcrumbs together and set aside.
5 gelatine sheets, soaked in cold
water 3 Divide the ragout into 8 equal portions. Use your hands and carefully
200 g Dutch shrimp roll into croquettes.
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
¼ tsp cayenne pepper 4 Gently roll the croquettes first through the flour, then the egg whites
1 egg and finally through the breadcrumbs. Place them on a plate and freeze for
50 g breadcrumbs 30 minutes.
50 g panko (Japanese
breadcrumbs) 5 To make the dip, mix the mayonnaise, mustard and yogurt together. Stir
3 tbsp flour in the chives, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4 egg whites
50 g mayonnaise 6 Deep-fry the croquettes for approximately 4 minutes until golden brown.
20 g Dijon mustard
30 g Greek yogurt Tip You can keep uncooked croquettes for up to 2 months in the freezer.
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chives, sliced in thin rings Preparation: 55 minutes
Rest: 2 hours
Additional:
cling film
deep fryer

Spring 23
 Oma’s gehaktballen met andijviestamppot

Grandma’s meatballs with

chicory mash and mushrooms
main course, 4 servings

1 Mix the mince beef and mince pork, egg, breadcrumbs, nutmeg and ground
cloves in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture in to
4 large meatballs.

2 Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the meatballs until evenly brown.
Turn the flame lower and add the tomato purée, ketjap manis and 200 ml of
water to the gravy. Allow the meatballs to cook for approximately 20 minutes
in the gravy.

3 In the meantime, boil and drain the potatoes. Add the chicory and sour
500 g mince, (half beef cream and mash together with the potato masher. Season the mashed potato
/half pork) to taste with salt and pepper.
1 egg
50 g breadcrumbs 4 Heat the olive oil in a pan on a high flame. Sauté the garlic and add the
½ tsp nutmeg mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes until light brown.
½ tsp ground cloves
50 g clarified butter or ghee Tip For a delicious vegetarian alternative, substitute the meatballs with a
1 tbsp tomato purée spicy tofu. Dice 300 g of tofu and fry in olive oil until crisp. Add 1 tsp of
2 tsp ketjap manis sambal and ½ tsp of ground paprika. Serve the mash pot with piccalilli and
1 kg floury potatoes, peeled pickled onions.
400 g uncooked chicory, washed
and chopped Preparation: 1 hour
50 ml sour cream
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
200 g mushroom mix, rinsed,
larger pieces chopped

Additional:
potato masher

Autumn 63
 Rijstebrij met speculaas

Rice pudding with cherries,

vanilla cream and Dutch biscuit
dessert, 4 servings

1 Bring the milk and caster sugar to the boil. Add the pudding rice and
bring to the boil once more, while stirring. Turn the flame lower and
allow the pudding to gently cook for 12 minutes. Stir now and again to
prevent burning.

2 Add the raisins to the warm rice pudding and stir in well.
3 Pour the cherries together with the syrup into a small pan and add
the cinnamon sticks and star anise. Place the pan on a medium flame
and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the flame and leave the
cherries to cool.

4 Whip the whipped cream with the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla seeds
until it forms soft peaks.

5 Crumble the Dutch spiced biscuits into large pieces and set aside.
6 Fill 4 glasses or bowls with equal portions of the rice pudding. Top
with the cherries and a little of the syrup. Add a dollop of whipped 1 l full-fat milk
cream and a few pieces of the Dutch spiced biscuit to garnish. 2 tbsp white caster sugar
200 g pudding rice
Preparation: 30 minutes 100 g raisins
1 jar of cherries in syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
200 ml whipped cream
2 tbsp sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
8 Dutch spiced biscuits

90 Winter