CHEF FOR STARTERS: A TASTE OF EUROPE

CHEF FOR STARTERS: A TASTE OF EUROPE

Here is the Dutch Bitterballen recipe covering the country of Holland. Full profile and other recipes will be in new book .

Dutch Bitterballen

These are a tasty starter that are often served as a snack in Dutch bars and cafés, and may also form part of a selection of fried finger foods. Originally they were made from  left over beef stew like a ragout, but for this recipe I use minced beef.

While often translated as 'bitter balls' they do not have a bitter taste. The name, in fact, refers to the tradition of serving these deep-fried snacks with bitters, such as ‘Jenever’ but nowadays they are more often enjoyed with beer.

There are countless variations on this recipe from vegetable, cheese and even shrimps but this beef version is a classic. Serve with mustard, such as Dijon or make a Dijonnaise dip.

Ingredients  (for 16 balls)

50g onions finely diced

300g minced beef

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

80g grated Dutch Gouda cheese

1/2 t-spoon cumin

5g fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

50g butter

50g flour

250ml beef stock

Seasoned flour, 2 eggs and Breadcrumbs to coat

Method

1.     Sauté onions and garlic in butter/oil

2.     Add the mince and cook until the mixture is light brown.  Place in a bowl

3.     Add the grated Gouda cheese, chopped parsley, cumin and seasoning.

4.     In a small saucepan make a basic light brown sauce by lightly browning the flour and butter ‘roux’.

5.     Gradually add  the hot beef stock, and cook out gently for a 5-10 minutes

6.     Add this very thick mixture to the cooked beef. This binds the bitterballen.

7.     Cool in a fridge then divide the mixture into approximately 16 balls. You can vary the size depending on your needs.

8.     One way to get even size balls is by actually rolling the mixture on your kitchen table using a little flour into a thin strip, then dividing equally before you roll each into a ball.

9.     Set up a ‘crumbing station’ by dipping the balls into seasoned flour, then eggs and then breadcrumbs.

10.                         Deep fry at 170c until golden brown.

11.                         Serving ideas:  *Dijonnaise mustard and mayo or sweet chilli sauce

Garnish:  Lemon wedges and fresh herbs

Dijonnaise

Mix in one tablespoon of Dijon to 4 tablespoons of REAL Mayonnaise.