Restaurant Keizersgracht 238
Restaurant Keizersgracht 238
Marvel at evocative views of Amsterdam’s most romantic canal while dining at Restaurant Keizersgracht 238. Its elegant ambience comprises a charming terrace along the canal, garden seating, an open kitchen, and unique artwork.
Savor a culinary experience during lunch or dinner in Restaurant Keizersgracht 238 offering grilled specialties and local market-fresh ingredients products with a wide open window to the world. Entrées include fresh whole lobster from the grill with lime mayonnaise, fennel salad, basil oil, and new potatoes, as well as Côte de Boeuf and dry-aged Weiderund entrecote, each served with our 238 herb butter, béarnaise sauce, and onion rings. Meals can be perfectly paired with a bottle from our distinguished wine list. Superb cuisine, a distinctive selection of wines and a unique atmosphere make Restaurant Keizersgracht 238 an ideal choice for dining.
For more information please visit Restaurant Keizersgracht 238.
Slow Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 lamb shanks
4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, roughly sliced
2 red onions, unpeeled, roughly chopped
1 garlic bulb, unpeeled and halved
1 tin tomato paste
1 fresh bay leaf
5 sprigs thyme leaves
2 sprigs
300ml red wine
200ml port
500ml veal or chicken stock, or enough to cover the lamb shanks
Method
Preheat the oven to 150° C.
Heat the olive oil in a casserole and fry the lamb shanks for a few minutes, turning regularly, until browned all over. Remove from the casserole and set aside.
Add the vegetables and herbs to the casserole and fry for 5- 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and fry for a couple minutes to cook it out. Add the wine and port to the pot, bring to the boil and allow to reduce dor 5 minutes. Add the stock and return the lamb shanks to the casserole.
Cover the casserole with a lid and cook in the oven for 2½-3 hours, or until the lamb shanks are very tender.
To serve, remove the lamb shanks from the casserole and place onto serving plates. If the sauce is too thin, place it back on the heat and reduce until it has cooked down, intensified in flavour and has thickened slightly. Serve the lamb shanks with the sauce and vegetables poured over.
Delicious served with creamy mashed potato or soft polenta with loads of Parmesan.
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
Restaurant Het Bosch
It's a tough job eating so many delicious courses one after the other but, somebody's got to do it!
Restaurant Het Bosch is perched on the banks of ‘De Nieuwe Meer’ in Amsterdam. The gorgeous location is the perfect setting for this modern, glass-encased restaurant. The light interior overlooks the water through large windows and if you manage to tear yourself away from the view, the immaculate, modern open kitchen is also exciting to watch as the chefs orchestrate a symphony of food.
Het Bosch was opened over 30 years ago by Ferry van Houten and remains in the family to this day. Ferry’s son, Danny, is now Maitre Sommelier, and it’s quite clear that he spent much of his youth working in the restaurant. His warm welcome, knowledge of wine and service were impeccable.
The extensive wine list is an exciting read in itself. What stood out is the number of wines available by the glass. More places should take note of this, in our opinion. We also liked the exclusive Château Mouton Rothschild wine list. The restaurant has invested in a range of their wines in limited quantity. If you have the budget, why not splash out.
We were treated to a 6-course menu, which has to be said, was a gastronomic journey from beginning to end. Our highlights from the menu were the tartar of Limousin beef, which was part of a trio of starters. It was served with an inspired sorbet made from cornichon pickling vinegar. When Bernadette scrapes her plate clean, you know you’re on to a winner!
The melt-in-the-mouth cod with Israeli couscous paella, octopus and olive jus danced on the palate with an array of sweet and salty flavours and textures. The veal sirloin as main was perfectly pink and tender as can be.
Dessert was an amarena cherry chocolate brownie, almond ice cream, refreshing red fruit soup and yoghurt sorbet.
Danny matched each course to perfection with an accompanying wine. That’s not an easy task. What we witnessed was a harmonious balance between kitchen and front of house, working together to complement each other and creating a perfect experience.
This is the place to bring someone you love or the most discerning diner – it’s that good! Our only tip; make sure you wear loose clothing because you won’t be leaving anything on your plates.
For more information please visit Het Bosch.
Roast Duck Breast with Red Wine and Citrus
SERVES 4
Ingredients
4 duck breasts, about 150g to 200g each
rosemary sprigs or leaves
FOR THE SAUCE
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
250ml dry red wine
250ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
grated zest and juice of an orange
grated zest and juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO GARNISH
wedges of orange and lemon
Rocket or watercress
TO SERVE
roasted potato chunks
Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Score the fat of the duck with a sharp knife in a criss-cross fashion. Place in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat, skin-side down, to brown slowly and render the fat. Pour off the fat as it accumulates in the pan. Turn up the heat and cook the duck on the meat side for 1 minute. Remove to a roasting tray, tucking a sprig of rosemary under each breast.
To make the sauce, very gently cook the onion in the heated olive oil until softened and golden brown. Add the wine and reduce by two thirds. Add the stock and reduce by half. Remove the onion and discard. Add the sage, citrus zests, juices and honey and simmer for 5 minutes. Add a twist of black pepper and check the seasoning.
Pour the sauce over the duck and roast for 7-10 minutes. Allow to rest before serving, garnished with citrus wedges and rocket or watercress.
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