The word ‘stamppot’ is difficult to translate, but the words ‘stew’ or ‘hotchpotch’ come closest to what we mean. ‘Stamppot’ is probably the best known Dutch meal and we guess the average Dutch family eats a ‘stamppot’ once a week, mostly in the winter. What is it? It is a mash of potatoes and (raw) vegetables, usually combined with meat. For the meat you best choose cubes of ‘ontbijtspek’, which can be translated as bacon but cannot be compared with the original English bacon. The Dutch ‘onbijtspek‘ is very lightly smoked, sometimes a bit too salty, belly pork. You can use many kinds of vegetables in a stamppot, such as carrots, spinach, sauerkraut, kale and even apples.
Of all ‘stamppotten’ the ‘stamppot andijvie’ is probably the most famous. Don’t let the horrible name scare you off. It is certainly worth trying and you will impress your friends with a very Dutch meal.
Ingredients
400 grams ‘andijvie’ (endive)
1 kilo ‘aardappelen’ (potatoes)
250 grams of ‘ontbijtspek ‘
Milk
Pepper
Salt
Wash the ‘andijvie’ and cut it in small pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them in even parts, cook them about 25 minutes before you mash them. We never use an electric hand whisk, because we find it makes the mash gluey. We prefer using a potato masher (‘aardappelstamper’). You can buy one for a couple of Euros at Blokker or Hema in the centre of the city. For the mash, bring the milk to the boil and add the milk to the potatoes bit by bit until you have the right consistency.
In the meantime, on a low fire, start baking the ‘ontbijtspek’. If you think the meat is too salty, pour some boiling water over it and leave it for a while. After you drained it, you can start frying it in a frying pan. Once the ‘ontbijtspek’ is done, you will end up with a lot of excess fat. Use kitchen paper to take the remaining fat off the ‘ontbijtspek’. Don’t throw away the excess fat in the pan because you can use it for the finishing touch of your ‘stamppot’.
Finally you add the ‘andijvie’ and the ‘ontbijtspek’ to the mashed potatoes. Season with pepper. Be careful with salt, because the ‘ontbijtspek’ is salty enough. If you wish and if you don’t mind the extra calories add one or two spoons of the fat you left in the frying pan. Serve with mustard.