In the Netherlands, where I live, our daily meals were
straightforward for a long time. Due to the discovery of different
parts of the world our food was influenced by the food customs of
these new countries. The Spanish discoverers brought back the potato
from the America's - our Dutch discoverers brought back spices and
herbs from the Far East. We also found out that the food in our
neighbour countries wasn't that bad, so European cooking was mingled
into our daily eating habits as well. So nowadays our daily food
varies from exotic to vegetarian. But we Dutch never seem to forget
our traditional home cooking though!
TRADITIONAL DUTCH COOKING
Stamppot / Mashed pot
This has been a traditional Dutch dish for a long time. The name
should give you a hint: it's mashed potatoes mixed with vegetabels
and sometimes also meat. The vegetables used are mostly sauerkraut,
curly kail or carrots & unions who are cooked on top of the
potatoes. Once the potatoes are done (20 minutes) the water is
strained off. A small lump of butter and some milk is added and all
ingredients are mashed and mixed well. For meat we eat baked out
bacon, a warm smoked sausage or a baked mincemeat ball with it.
This however is my favourite mashed pot dinner.
Ingredients per person:
5 large potatoes, 100 grams of raw sliced
endive, 100 grams of chopped bacon, 1 chopped union, 20 grams of butter,
2 dl milk, salt & pepper, 100
grams of smoked sausage
The potatoes are boiled with on top the smoked sausage. When done
take out the sausage and mash the potatoes. I take out my electric
mixer and mix the potatoes with the butter and milk until fluffy.
Bake the bacon until crispy (without any butter) - add the union and
bake until glazed. Then add the baked bacon / union and the raw
sliced endive through the mashed potatoes. Finally add salt and
pepper. Put the sausage on top. You can make some gravy out of a
package to go with it. I promise you it's absolutely *yummie* !
Koude schotel / Cold plate.
Another recipe that concerned traditional Dutch cooking was passed
down to me by my mother. We tend to eat this during hot summer days
or as a side dish at the barbeque. It originally was meant to be a
way to clean up the leftovers from the fridge, but later on it became
a dish of it's own. On holiday in the USA I prepared this dish for my
international travelling companions and our American guide. They
filled their tummy and still craved for more ;o)) Afterwards they
demanded to have the recipe .... ohh well .... that was a guarantee
that they liked it !
My mum's cold plate.
Ingredients to serve 4 persons (and more):
Basics: 10 medium sized peeled and
boiled potatoes, 200 grams cooked ham, 1 tin tuna or salmon, 2 medium
sized raw onions, 1 large sweet/sour apple, 1 tin mixed vegetables
(beans, carrots, peas etc), 4 medium sized sweet/sour pickled
gherkins, 2 tablespoons of small sweet/sour pickled small onions.
Dressing: 2 tablespoons of
mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 3
tablespoons sunflower oil, a dash of salt and pepper, a few drops of
Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
To garnish: 1 lettuce, 2 (8 minutes)
boiled eggs, 2 large tomatoes, a few pieces of well drained and
sliced pineapple and / or peach out of a tin, a few slices of salami
and or chorizo, a few small cubes of cheese, some tuna - salmon -
shrimps (out of a tin), radishes, asparagus rolled up in slices of
boiled ham, pickled gherkins and onions and pieces of cucumber or
anything you further more like.
Start by making the salad dressing - put all
the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well. Peel the apple and cut
into small cubes (like all of the basic ingredients are) and add the
apple cubes to the dressing. The lemon in the dressing will prevent
the apple turning brown. Put the bowl in the fridge. Take a new large
clean bowl for the basic ingredients. You cut into small cubes (as
big as dice): the potatoes, the cooked ham, the raw unions, the
pickled gherkins and - onions. Add the well-drained tuna / salmon and
mix. Add the mixed drained vegetables and mix all the basic
ingredients. Then add the salad dressing with the apple, but be
careful not to put in everything at once - it might be too much and
it could get to soggy then. Mix all the ingredients by tossing with 2
spoons. Put the bowl in the fridge.
Now wash the lettuce and divide the leaves
on 1 big plate (or 4 dinner plates) until the plate is covered. Put
the cold plate mixture on top of the lettuce and form it like the
shape of the plate. You can cover the top with some mayonnaise - but
if you don't like that there is no need. Garnish the plate with the
garnishing ingredients - you can put some on the top or at the edge
of the plate. Serve cold - with some wine and French bread.
Eet smakelijk (enjoy your meal) !