Bilder & de Clercq's new recipes week 31
As you may know by now, we are the chefs behind Amsterdam hotspot, Bilder & de Clercq. Every week we develop 3 new recipes for the stores and we'll be keeping you updated with the week's newest recipes. This weeks new recipes are:
Herring Tartare
Ingredients
2 Dutch new herrings
1 shallot
small bunch chives
125 g tub creme fraiche
1 lemon
50 g mesclun salad
1 pack mustard cress
Method
Finely chop the chives. Cut the herring into 1/2cm cubes and place all the ingredients is a bowl.
Cut the lemon in half and add a few drops to taste to the chopped herring. Add 1 tablespoon creme fraiche and season with salt and pepper.
Finely slice the shallot into thin rings. Snip the mustard cress and mix together in a bowl with the mesclun salad.
Line 2 cups or ramekins with cling wrap, divide the the herring tartare between the moulds. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the salad and season with salt and pepper.
Unmould the herring tartare and top each with a teaspoonful of creme fraiche.
Arrange the salad around the tartare and serve with a wedge of lemon.
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
Bilder & de Clercq's New recipes week 30
As you may know by now, we are the chefs behind Amsterdam hotspot, Bilder & de Clercq. Every week we develop 3 new recipes for the stores and we'll be keeping you updated with the week's newest recipes. This weeks new recipes are:
Restaurant De Kas
De Kas firmly believes that food tastes best when it is prepared using the freshest ingredients, grown and harvested with respect for nature.
De Kas has its own greenhouses and garden near the restaurant, where they grow Mediterranean vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. They also have a large field about 10 kilometres from Amsterdam in the Beemster region, where they grow seasonal vegetables outdoors. The founder and owner of De Kas, Gert Jan Hageman, is in charge of the nursery. He can be found there every day, working the soil, planting, weeding and harvesting the finest herbs and vegetables for the kitchen.
De Kas’ chefs and wait staff regularly lend him a helping hand. Harvesting in the field takes place at sunrise everyday so that the restaurant’s guests can enjoy the freshest possible ingredients. From May to October, our guests are welcome to tour the nursery and garden in Amsterdam or attend a workshop in the field in the Beemster led by the green brigade. Because they are unable to grow everything they need them selves, they supplement the harvest with fresh ingredients purchased from environmentally farmers in the vicinity of Amsterdam.
History
In 2001, top chef Gert Jan Hageman, who had earned a Michelin star in Dutch haute cuisine, found a new direction for his own career and a new purpose for the old greenhouse that belonged to Amsterdam's Municipal Nursery, which dated from 1926, and was due to be demolished. With a lot of luck and help from the municipality and his family and friends, Hageman succeeded in converting the unique 8-metre high glass building into a restaurant and nursery.
Situated in Frankendael Park, between the Rembrandt Tower and the nineteenth century facades of Watergraafsmeer, De Kas is an oasis of calm for the fifty-thousand guests who dine there each year; either in the breathtaking dining room designed by Piet Boon, or - if weather permits - outside in the herb garden.
For more information please visit restaurantdekas, or call +31 20 4624562.
Sardines in saor
Ingredients
12 fresh sardines
flour for dusting
salt and pepper
60 ml olive oil, plus extra
2 onions
2 bay leaves
150ml white wine or rice vinegar
30 g-40 g sugar, or to taste
handful toasted pinenuts
handful sultanas
pinch of ground allspice
Method
Get your fishmonger to fillet the sardines for you. If they are unable to, this is how to do it. Ensure that the guts have been removed. With the spine of the fish pointing up towards you, gently press the fish on a board to flatten. Now turn the sardine over and you should easily be able to pull out the centre bone. Try and remove any little pin bones. Rinse the fish under cold water and dry well on a clean tea towel.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the sardines in the flour and fry in the hot olive oil until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Slice the onions and fry gently with the bay leaves and allspice in a pan with 4 tablespoons olive oil for about 20 minutes until soft.
Add the sugar and vinegar to the onions, followed by the pine nuts and sultanas. Take a small dish and place a layer of the onions in the bottom. Then layer the sardines on top. Repeat the process finishing with a layer of onions.
It's best to let this marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
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
Conservatorium Hotel
The Conservatorium hotel is a high-end luxury lifestyle hotel offering guests a unique access to the best of the local culture alongside amenities, service and design that compete at the highest level on a global stage.
Originally founded in 1275, present-day Amsterdam is bursting with history and rife with countless museums and galleries. The city is undergoing a palpable arts-led renaissance that is feeding both local and international resurgent appetites for travel to Amsterdam.
A destination for world-class food and drink venues
All dining venues at The Conservatorium hotel are under the helm of celebrated Dutch-chef, Schilo van Coevorden, whose style of food has continuously evolved throughout the years, adapting and adopting traditions from all over the world while retaining the virtues of simplicity and focus on locality and seasonality. Guests, local residents, and visitors are able to soak in the first morning sunlight with the finest coffee, teas, and cakes from The Lounge where they can absorb the daily news from the comfort of the various plush oversized sofas located in the elegant glassed Atrium space. Set to become a cornerstone for both social gatherings and informal business meetings, The Atrium also boasts an informal Brasserie offering classic and light all-day dining including salads, sandwiches, and seasonal plat du jour.
In addition to The Brasserie, the hotel’s specialty restaurant — located on the first floor and overlooking The Atrium and the Paulus Potterstraat (home of the Van Gogh and Stedelijk museums) – offers local dishes from regionally sourced ingredients while magnificent open-plan kitchens enchant the restaurant’s guests. For drinks, Tunes Bar by Schilo is the ultimate watering hole in the city for sophisticated mixology, with an internationally inspired drinks list, a separate elevated smoking lounge, chic décor, DJ, and gourmet tapas style food.
Amterdam’s vibrant center
Ideally located in the heart of the city’s major museums cluster (Museumplein) and the Royal Concertgebouw, and parallel to the prestigious designer-fashion district of P.C. Hooftstraat and Van Baerlestraat, The Conservatorium hotel offers unrivalled proximity to all of the capital’s cultural destinations. While nestled in “Oud Zuid” (The Old South), art lovers will be delighted by the proximity of world-class offerings from such venerated arts institutions as the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk, and the Van Gogh Museum. For those seeking bohemian shops, independent restaurants and cafes, or a meander in the Vondelpark, the hotel is remarkably close by. It is also just a short stroll from the charming lanes of the Jordaan neighborhood. Be it on foot or by bicycle, guests of the hotel will be able to leisurely discover the gabled houses dotting the grand canals from the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th Century while simultaneously exploring the vibrant and bustling business (Zuidas) and design quarters nearby.
Piero Lissoni: The Dutch Golden Age meets Contemporary Italian Design
Hotel Conservatorium Amsterdam occupies the famous site of Amsterdam's former Sweelinck music conservatorium. Originally built at the end of the 19th Century and conceived by the renowned Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel as the Rijkspostspaarbank Building, the construction heralded an urban regeneration of the Museumplein, an area which had been left previously derelict. Knuttel was praised for his ability to fuse simplicity and functionality, and the award-winning Milan-based architect, furniture and interiors designer Piero Lissoni has embraced this tradition through the re-incarnation of this spectacular building 100 years later.
Against the backdrop of the building's incredibly rich history, the hotel has been consistently imbued with Lissoni's signature style. Known for his austere lines, demure fabrics and shades of grey that are occasionally dotted by the appearance of bright accents, Lissoni is considered one of the most prominent and exciting contemporary Italian designers. His clean designs are a hybrid of modernist and contemporary chic and contrast playfully with the on-going bath of natural daylight throughout the building's airy spaces.
Outstanding furnishing from leading manufacturers such as Cassina, Living Divani and Vitra sit prominently in all communal spaces and are complemented by Piero Lissoni’s own custom-made furniture and lighting while accent pieces such as vintage Asian rugs provide a sense of familiar comfort. According to Lissoni "The sophisticated simplicity of the hotel was conceived with the hope of creating a personal atmosphere and ambience whereby guests and visitors alike instantly feel naturally at home. This balance of beautiful design and hospitable warmth is key to all of my projects and a key facet to my collaborations with The Mamilla and The Conservatorium hotel."
Pioneering guest rooms
The Conservatorium Hotel is comprised of 129 rooms and occupies eight floors with room categories in the property ranging from superior, deluxe, grand deluxe and suites of varying sizes. Paying homage to the building’s original lofty ceilings and almost half of the rooms have been configured into stunning duplex layout with oversized functional windows and exposed structural beams. The rooms, all with natural daylight and double glazed windows, range in size from 30m2 to a spacious 170m2.
Any highlighted suites: The Van Baerle Suites - are large 65 square meter suites with 4,5 meter high ceiling. The rooms offer a large seating area and working space with free wireless internet and state-of-the-art in room entertainment. The spacious bathroom with natural day light features a solid stone oval bath, large walk-in closet, separate rainfall shower, deluxe amenities and a bathroom LCD mirror TV. The Concerto Suite - is a unique duplex suite of 90 square meter with a separate seating area. This contains a dining area which is complimented with a service area, free wireless internet, state-of-the-art in room entertainment and features natural daylight through the architectural historic windows. The very spacious bathroom has a freestanding oval stone bath tub and a separate rainfall shower as well as deluxe amenities and bathroom LCD mirror TV. The bedroom on the duplex level offers a beautiful view on the Stedelijk Museum. The I love Amsterdam Suite - is a beautiful triplex suite of 155 square meter with a view of the Amsterdam skyline. Located on the top floor, the original wooden beams and historic architecture define the space. The suite is divided in three levels with a spacious bathroom. The Penthouse - of 170 square meters features a large living room and dining room with a support pantry for special events. A large 8oinch screen to use as private cinema. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking Amsterdam and the historical Conservatorium Hotel facade.
For more information please visit conservatoriumhotel, or call +31 20 5700000.
Artistic Portraits
We were recently asked to contribute to a final exam for a young gentleman, Tobias Groot, completing a project for his photographic study. After taking pictures of us in action cooking, we were asked to pose for portraits in a rather unconventional way. These are the results which we love and we hope that he passed his exams with flying colours!
Photos © Tobias Groot
STACH
Stach knows what's tasty. Amsterdam urban people work hard, have busy social lives, want to live consciously and healthy and want to enjoy life. For these busy urban people, Stach invented the STACH concept: Daily fresh take-away meals, salads and soups, fresh bread, and tasty products to celebrate life. Our products are selected from local kitchens and suppliers. STACH's prepared fresh foods save precious time from our customers. STACH will think about what is good for you, so you can spend your time on other important things as friends, work, sports or family. And sharing some food together is, of course, the best!
For more information please visit STACH-food.
SLA
We know food can be dangerously irresistible. That’s why all you’ll find at SLA are salads, juices, soups and snacks so full of flavor you’d forget they’re hearty and healthy, too. Bringing the best of both worlds, without the frills. We just eat.
SLA brings you an abundance of healthy guilty pleasures that give you all-day energy, rather than a short sugar rush. SLA spots the purest ingredients packed with flavor, and turns them into delish dishes. All you need to do is choose… whether you’ll eat in, or out. You can take-away, too.
SLA guides you through the maze of food that works. Both for your body, and (of vital importance!) our planet. Everything you’ll find at SLA is good food. Behind the scenes, we work hard to make it even better. Day in, day out. Our purposeful passion for good food means that SLA is continuously ‘under construction’. In close collaboration with our suppliers we’re constantly striking the balance between quality, locality and the seasons. We learn and improve by doing. And by eating, of course. Just like you do.
At this point, we can guarantee all our meat and poultry is 100% organic, just as the grain-based and dairy products we use (incl. eggs). Fruits and vegetables are 90% organic. Our beer is locally brawn, the wine worthy of our food and the coffee served with the fairest flair.
Locations:
Ceintuurbaan 149, 1072 GB, Amsterdam
Opening hours Monday-Sunday: 11:00-21:00
020-7893080
Westerstraat 34, 1015 MK, Amsterdam
Opening hours Monday-Sunday: 11:00-21:00
020-7893019
Claude Debussylaan 35, 1082 MC, Amsterdam
Opening hours Monday-Friday: 08:00-21:00
020-2333490
For more information please visit ilovesla
Wüsthof knives
A good set of knives are essential for every chef. Without them, we can't do any of the cutting, trimming and shaping of ingredients that is an integral part of food preparation.
They are so important that professional chefs carry their own personal portfolio of knives. Sharpness is critical, so too is matching the correct tool to the job.
We believe in having a few basic knives in your kitchen. They are the chefs knife, bread knife, vegetable knife, tomato knife and filleting knife. Also important is a steel, to keep them sharp and at their best.
Our knives of choice are by Wüsthof. The name Wüsthof first appeared as a factory in the records of the Duchy of Berg in 1814. It was in that year that the family's ancestor, Abraham Wüsthof, founded his "factory for fine steel wares", which is now known as the Dreizackwerk. The business has remained in the family ever since. Over the past 200 years, their products have established a reputation above all for their quality and functionality. Wüsthof is recognised worldwide as a specialist in outstanding knives.
We are proud to have Wüsthof as a partner of Amsterdam Flavours.