Foods Unique to the Netherlands
Andijvie Stampot
This dish is from the canon of "Typical Dutch" meals. In English it roughly means "Mashpot with Endive." It is considered the greatest Dutch comfort food. It incorporates a sensation of flavors that is sure to remind any Netherlander of home. Stampot is typically consumed during the winter months, and is considered a hearty aid to warding of the damp and chill of Dutch rains. Luckily for me, my wonderful host mother Christel van den Brom of Nijkerkeveen saw fit that I try this amazing dish during my stay with her family this summer.
There are two components to this dish: 1. The Mashpot, 2. the braised meat with mustard. This first part of this dish can vary in different ways, from the types of the potatoes used, to the type of vegetable mixed in. For the classic dish use the following general recipe:
Cook two to three Russet potatoes per person in boiling water until tender, then prepare as one would for mashed potatoes adjusting the thickness with butter and/or water as desired. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare copious amounts of speck, or bacon until crispy. Drain and reserve. Chop up one small endive per person, or one large for a family. The amount of endive should be enough to distribute evenly throughout the pot with the bacon.
Once the potatoes are ready, mix and fold the endive and bacon until evenly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The stampot should be kept warm until ready to serve.
The second component of this dish is the braised meat. Traditionally this is simply meat cooked in its own juices as an au jous to be served over top of the stampot. Often this is also Speck, but is sometimes pork or beef. First cook the meat in a pot until it begins to caramelize. After it has caramelized, add just enough water to cover and simmer until absolutely tender.
Fritjes
People often assume that the United States is the French Fry capital of the world, but they would be wrong. Pound for pound, the Dutch consume nearly three times as many french fries per person in comparison to the united states.
Dutch french fries or fritjes are unique. Instead of the usual tomato ketchup, the Dutch will often consume their fries with Curry Sauce, Joopie Sauce, Dutch Mayonnaise, Satay Sauce, Mustard, onions or the dutch Fritjesaus. Curry Sauce, as is suggested by the name is a sweet sauce flavored with classic curry spices, it is like a cross between barbecue sauce and curry. Joopie sauce is an Indonesian creation that incorporates the flavors of mustard, onion, garlic and turmeric and is also a featured flavor for Lay's Potato Chips in the Netherlands. Dutch Mayonnaise is a tangier and safer to consume cousin to American Mayo-many people don't even refrigerate it! Satay sauce is an Indonesian delicacy made for meats such as chicken. It is a peanut butter sauce seasoned with the flavors of Indonesia, it is also sold as Pindasaus (Peanut Sauce).
For Netherlanders, Fries are a multi purpose food. They serve well as a snack, a meal or a side dish with other foods. Almost every city has a Fritjes Shop, where you can by them fresh, hot and salted for as little as two Euro.