Mushroom ‘Stamppot’ with Watercress and Mature Cheese
Europe prides itself on having created the best recipes wit potatoes. They're a humble vegetable, incredibly versatile and cheap. Mash in any form is in our opinion one of the best food there is. Here is a traditional Dutch 'Stamppot' which has been given a modern twist.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1kg floury potatoes
300gr mixed wild mushrooms
100g piece mature aged cheese
1 bunch watercress
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch chervil
2 tablespoons olive oil
splash of milk
50g butter
salt and pepper
Method
Finely chop the garlic cloves. Peel the potatoes and place in a pan of cold water with salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until soft.
Clean the mushrooms and cut the cheese into cubes. Heat a frying with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Fry the mushrooms over high heat. Add the garlic and fry for a further 1 minute over a medium heat.
Drain the water from the potatoes and mash until smooth with a splash of milk and 50g butter. Keep the mash warm.
Add the cheese cubes to the potato and stir until they melt. Remove the stalks from the watercress and roughly chop the leaves. Mix through the potato, warming through gently. Season with salt and pepper.
Pick the chervil leaves. Divide the ‘stamppot’ between 2 plates and top with the wild mushrooms. Scatter over the chervil leaves and serve.
Nederlands
voor 2 personen
Ingrediënten
1kg kruimige aardappelen
300gr gemengde wilde paddenstoelen
100gr belegen boerenkaas
1 bos waterkers
2 teentjes knoflook
1 klein bosje kervel
50gr boter
2 eetlepels olijfolie
scheutje melk
zout en peper
Bereiding
Snijd knoflookteentje fijn. Schil de aardappelen en doe ze in een pannetje met koud water en zout. Breng ze aan de kook en kook in 15 minuten gaar.
Maak de paddenstoelen schoon. Snijd de kaas in kleine blokjes.
Verwarm een koekenpan met 2 eetlepels olijfolie. Bak de paddenstoelen op hoog vuur goudbruin en voeg dan knoflook toe en bak 1 minuut op middelmatig vuur mee.
Giet het water van de aardappelen af en stamp de aardappelen met wat melk en een klontje boter tot een smeuige puree, houd warm.
Voeg kaasblokjes toe en verwarm tot kaas gesmolten is. Snijd steeltjes van de waterkers af, snijd de waterkers grof en meng het door de puree, verwarm licht. Breng op smaak met zout en peper.
Pluk de kervel. Verdeel de stamppot over 2 borden en leg de padddenstoelen er bovenop. Bestrooi met de geplukte kervel en serveer.
green tomato chutney
A perfect way to preserve fresh green tomatoes. Serve with cheese or cold cuts.
Ingredients
1,5 kg green tomatoes, roughly chopped
600g light brown sugar
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
700ml malt or cider vinegar
salt, to taste
Method
Place all the ingredients into a large, heavy based can over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for about 50 minutes until the chutney has thickened.
Pour the hot chutney into sterilised jars and seal.
White Gazpacho
An unusual version of the traditional Gazpacho made using bread, garlic, almonds and grapes. It has an amazing creaminess and sweet and sour flavour. Serve as a small shot before lunch or dinner.
Serves 8 in shot glasses
Ingredients
2 cups cubed stale white bread from a baguette or sliced bread (crusts removed)
375ml cold water, divided
1/3 cup whole, blanched almonds
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
2 cups diced, peeled English cucumber (about 1 large cucumber)
3/4 cups green grapes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Chives for garnish (optional)
Method
Place the bread cubes in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup water on top to soften them.
Place the almonds and garlic in a blender and purée until finely ground. Add the shallot, cucumber, grapes, oil, vinegar, salt, and softened bread to the blender along with the remaining 1 cup water. Purée until smooth. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Add more water to the soup as needed to achieve desired consistency. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serve in bowls or glasses and garnish with sliced grapes, almonds, and chives, if desired.
Hummus
Hummus is an amazing dish. It's cheap to make, full of protein, healthy, vegan and can be taken in all directions with the addition of different spices and herbs.
Here is the definitive basic recipe for hummus.
Serves 6
Ingredients
250g dried chickpeas
10g baking soda
2 cloves garlic, crushed
275g raw tahini
the juice of 1-1,5 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1 sprig flat leaf parsley
selection of toasted seeds -we used equal quantities pine nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
olive oil
Method
Soak the chickpeas for a minimum of 12 hours in water with 5g of the baking soda. Drain off the water and bring the chickpeas to a boil with fresh water and the remaining 5g baking soda. Ensure that the chickpeas are covered with at least a 3cm layer of water. Once boiling, cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat. The chickpeas are ready when they start to fall apart, about 45 minutes but don't be alarmed if it takes double the amount of time.
Drain the chickpeas but make sure you save all the cooking water. Allow to cool slightly and blend the chickpeas in a food processor. Add the garlic, raw tahini, and the juice of 1 lemon. Blend for at least 10 minutes in the food processor. Add small amounts of the reserved cooking liquid to thin the hummus. Make sure to leave it a little thicker than the creamy puree it will eventually become.
Season with about 1 teaspoon salt and a little extra lemon if necessary. Only when the hummus is perfectly seasoned, then you can thin it down for the last time with some of the reserved cooking liquid.
If you're not going to eat the hummus immediately, store covered in the refrigerator. Taste the hummus before your serve it. It will most likely need a little extra salt and lemon juice and a touch of the cooking liquid to get the right consistency.
Smear the hummus with the rounded part of a spoon neatly on to a plate. Make crator in the middle. The trick is to hold the spoon still while your turn the plate. Garnish the hummus with parsley leaves, the toasted seeds and olive oil.
You can also garnish with cooked chickpeas, parsley and paprika powder, slow cooked pulled beef or hard cooked eggs.
Shakshuka
One of our favourite vegetarian dishes to come from the Middle East, Shakshuka is dish of eggs poached in a pepper and tomato stew. To spice things up a bit, we add a little harissa.
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
1-2 tablespoons harissa
1 tin tomato puree
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tins peeled tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 eggs
1 small tub Greek yoghurt
Method
1
Slice the peppers and onions into thin strips and finely chop the garlic.
2
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Fry the peppers for about 10 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Add the harissa, the tin tomato puree and the cumin to the pan and fry for a further 10 minutes.
3
Add the tin of tomatoes, salt, pepper and 200 ml water to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
4
Make 8 ‘wells’ in the sauce. Gently crack the eggs into the wells. Place a lid over the pan and cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until the egg whites have set and the yolks are still soft. Swirl the egg white through the sauce using a fork so that it sets quicker, if you wish. Season with salt and pepper.
5
Place the Greek yoghurt in small bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
6
Divide the sauce and eggs between 4 plates. Serve with the Greek yoghurt.
Delicious served with fresh bread or pita.
Roasted Chicken with Heritage Carrots and Fennel
Serves 4
Ingredients
1,8 kg whole free range or organic chicken
1 lemon
1 small bunch thyme
5 cloves garlic
olive oil
50 g butter
salt and pepper
2 bunches heritage carrots (12-16 carrots)
2 fennel bulbs
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 C - 200 C. Cut the lemon into quarters. Fill the cavity with the lemon segments, thyme and garlic cloves. Rub the butter all over the chicken and drizzle with some olive oil.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper making sure you don't forget to season in the cavity as well. Place in a roasting dish, breast side down and roast for 45 minutes.
In the meantime, peel the carrots and slice diagonally. Trim the hard outer layer away from the fennel and roughly slice. After the 45 minutes, take the chicken from the oven, turn over and baste with the juices in the pan. Add the carrots and fennel around the chicken, mixing them well with the juices. Add a little salt and pepper. Return to the oven for a further 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes before carving and serving with the roasted carrots and fennel.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
Spaghetti Vongole
Serves 4
Ingredients
400 g spaghetti
1 kg vongole or clams
1 red chilli pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley
olive oil
120 ml white wine
salt and ground black pepper
Method
Place the vongole in a bowl of cold water to soak. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. Remove the seeds from the chilli and chop finely together with the garlic.
Place the pasta in the pot of boiling water and cook for about 10-12 minutes until al dente.
In the meantime, begin with the sauce. Drain the water from the vongole. Heat a pan with 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the chilli and garlic and fry for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the vongole and white wine. Mix well, bring to a boil and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the vongole for about 3-5 minutes until they have all opened, shaking the pan every so often.
Finely chop the parsley and stir through the vongole. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the spaghetti and combine with the vongole. Divide between 4 plates and finish with a good drizzle of olive oil.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
Scallops with Garlic Butter and Spinach
For 2 as a starter
Ingredients
4 scallops
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
300 g baby spinach
30 g butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Heat a wok with 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir fry the spinach for 2 minutes until wilted. Drain as much liquid from the spinach as you can. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
Lightly season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fry the scallops for 1 minute on each side until golden brown and still slightly translucent in the middle. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminium foil.
Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper and place on a medium heat. Finely chop the garlic and parsley.
Add the butter to the pan and as soon as it begins to foam, add the garlic and parsley. Swirl the pan to mix the ingredients.
Season with salt, pepper and ± 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Return the scallops to the pan with the butter.
Divide the spinach between 2 plates and place the scallops on top. Spoon over the garlic butter and serve with a wedge of lemon. Delicious with crusty bread to mop up the juices.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
Red onion soup
Ingredients
15 g butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 large red onions
1,2 litres vegetable stock
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 slices French baguette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
50 g grated Gruyere cheese
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Method
Halve the onions and slice thinly. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan and add the onions. Sweat them gently until soft, about 30 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar, thyme and bay leaf to the pan.
Add the stock to the pan and increase the heat. When the soup boils, turn down to a simmer and cook gently for a further 10 minutes.
Preheat the grill. Spread the mustard on the slices bread and top with the grated cheese. Transfer to an oven tray.
Place the tray under the grill for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Divide the soup between 2 bowls and place the grilled cheesy bread on top.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours