The Dutch Kitchen

The Dutch use more exotic spices, like pepper, ginger, and cloves, than any other Western country. And not just a little bit more, but a lot more. There is a lot of classic Dutch food that you can prepare practically anywhere in the world, and that is what this cookbook is all about. I chose recipes that I personally feel are distinctly Dutch and well-known in the Netherlands. All recipes in this book are simple and classic, easy to cook, and without any pretensions. They are what my grandmother, the baker, and the butcher served me in the 1970s in the Netherlands.
We will start by looking at classical soups. The next section is about stews and other meat dishes. Then we will explore the heart of Dutch cooking: stamppotten, vegetables mashed with potatoes, of which mashed boiled onions, carrots, and potatoes, called Hutspot, is the classical example.
This is followed by other main courses, a bit more refined, like chicory rolls or asparagus. Desserts are next, and these are mainly simple but delicious variations on custard: chocolate and caramel-coffee being a few examples. Side dishes like pickled cucumbers or onions come next, followed by snacks like three types of croquettes, fish fritters, and smoked mackerel.
There is quite a long section on cakes and cookies. The Dutch have fairly unique baking traditions, again using loads of butter (boterkoek and spritsen) and spices (speculaas), and of course the famous stroopwafels and poffertjes. Some alcoholic treats follow, like advocaat, Dutch eggnog.
The book finishes with explanations of some kitchen techniques and tricks that will make your life easier, a section on how to ferment and pickle (sauerkraut!), a section on making good stocks, and finally, an explanation of Dutch cheese.


Example:


Witlofrolletjes (WHIT lof ROHL ah chis) are rolls of Chicory or Belgian Endive with ham from the oven.
When I was a child, I always had witlof prepared by my grandmother, always in the form of witlof rolled in slices of ham, topped with grated cheese and breadcrumbs, baked in the oven (the only dish I knew that came from the oven, in fact). I still remember the oven dish: oval, ceramic Delft blue, and although I hated the witlof, because I found it too bitter, I loved the browned crispy cheese on top.


Ingredients (serves 4 - 6)
1 kg/ 2 pounds chicory
100 ml / 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
250 grams / 1/2 pound ham
200 grams / 7 ounces grated cheese that easily melts, like semi matured Gouda, or Emmental
100 grams / 3 ounces butter in small cubes
100 grams / 3 ounces bread crumbs

Remove the outer leaves of the witlof if they look wilted or brown. Put the sugar and the milk in a pot and stir on low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the witlof, put the lid on, and braise until the witlof is very soft and easily pierced with a fork. This may take between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the size and the age of the witlof.
When they are soft, take them out and put them on you cutting board, until they are cool enough to handle. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350°F. When you can handle the witlof, gently squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You can cut them in half lengthwise if they are very large. Put salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg on them. Now roll each witlof in a slice of ham, and put them in oven dish that is large enough to hold them in one layer, reasonably tightly to each other. Place the butter cubes between them, put the cheese on top, and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the cheese. Place in the oven, and bake until the cheese and the edges of the witlof are brown, this will take around 30 minutes.