Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Netherlands

Goedenavond, grab your clogs, balls of cheese and red light globes we are in the beautiful Netherlands.

  

Long time Don't Boil The Sauce! readers of The Chow Down to Eurovision will be familiar with my connection to Amsterdam, my dear friend Chantal. 

The two previous Netherlands' Chow Down to Eurovision entries have been inspired by my travels and gifts from Chantal and this year is no exception.

I was thrilled when a Christmas parcel arrived from Amsterdam containing a book on Dutch food! She knows me so well! Grazie Bella!

Chantal also sent me the book that is now famous in my Twitter avatar.

(beard has grown a bit, might need a reshoot)

There is so much excitement in writing this post knowing that in a few weeks I will be back in Amsterdam having a croquette with Chantal. Since the last time I saw her she has become a mum to twins and I can't wait to meet the new family.

I know that as AB and I head to Schiphol and bid farewell to the Dutch family I will be wishing for just One More Night....Give me one more day!

Cue Ester Hart with One More Night, the golden diva came 13th in 2003.

Fresh from the tree out the back, you don't get fresher than that!

Dutch Apple Pie recipe adapted from Dutch Delight by Sylvia Pessireron
Ingredients

• 10-12 large apples
• 100g dried currants (soaked in warm water and drained)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 175g sugar
• 250g butter
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 500g self raising flour
• 50g almond meal
• Extra egg yolk

Method

• Pre heat oven to 190°C
• Peel, core and quarter the apples
• Slice apples thinly
• Coat apples with cinnamon and sugar
• Either in a food processer or by hand mix the sugar, butter, eggs, salt until smooth
• Add flour and knead until it comes together and is no longer sticky
• Grease and flour a 26cm springform round cake tin (original is 28cm, I went for height)
• Cover base and sides with about 1/4 of the dough mix, pressing to try and make it even
• Add almond meal to the base to avoid a soggy bottom
• Layer the apples and currents into the pie, alternating till you have none left
• With remaining dough lay strips on the top of the pie in a traditional criss-cross pattern (or for a Eurovision reveal of the inside, just roll out and cover as you would a..um..pie)
• Brush with beaten egg yolk
• Bake for 50 minutes till golden
• Allow to cool before removing from cake tin (I didn't wait and mine was very crumbly...which isn't really a bad thing really)
• Serve with cream and/or ice cream

What more currants?

It didn't slice up as beautifully as the pie I had in Volendam but the flavour took me straight back there.

 It is common now for many countries to send contestants from X Factor or The Voice but The Netherlands has opted to send a The Voice judge Trijntje Oosterhuis

 Teamed up with the song writing brilliance of Anouk the Netherlands will again send pure class to Eurovision 2015 with Walk Along.

Will Trijntje be able to go one better than the Common Linnets and will we be all dining on bitterballen and apple pie at Eurovision 2016?

I'll turn my chair for this one!
veel success!

Past Netherlands Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Chinese Tomato Soup

2013 Bitterballen



Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Netherlands

Goedenavond this is Netherlands calling from the beautiful canals of Amsterdam.

Our trip to Amsterdam in 2011 (can't believe it's 3 years already, get me to flight centre STAT) has inspired this year's entry for Chow Down to Eurovision 2014.

One of the things I love to do while travelling, apart from eat and check out the supermarkets, it see what's on TV.

I think it gives you a taste of the differences in culture by doing something you would normally do at home.

Sadly these days it seems to be more dubbed reruns of Friends and Seinfeld, though it was fun flicking on the TV to see Australian Master chef with Dutch subtitles.

Maggie Macneal (minus Mouth) sang Amsterdam which placed 5th in 1980 and provided a wonderful soundtrack to our trip.

I'm sure none of the Dutch people tired of my head appearing out of a boat in the canals singing Amsterdam, Amsterdam at the top of my lungs.....their only respite was when my mouth was full of croquette!

 

 

One of the "delights" of our Amsterdam trip was our hotel not only had tea and coffee making facilities but Cup-a-Soup as well, clearly no expense was spared!

Not content with the good old chicken noodle, it was Chinese Tomato, which we learnt was popular with children in Holland possibly due to the addition of sweet apple sauce.

AB as a tomato fan loved it but did declare that "the croutons were a waste of time" 

I come up with my own version, that doesn't require packets or a 27 hour flight.
There are some apple croutons that have been slipped in but allegedly they aren't a waste of time!

It's a bit more adult with the apple cider and apples rather than apple sauce.

Chinese tomato soup
Ingredients

• 1kg tomato topped and halved
• 2 large granny smith grated
• 700ml chicken stock
• 300ml apple cider
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 1 small thumb ginger grated
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 3 tbsp. kecap manis
• 1 green chilli sliced finely
• 1 tbs. dark soy (use light for a lighter colour...obviously)
• 2-3tbs. brown sugar
• 1/2 an apple extra for croutons (optional)
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Method

• In a large saucepan add oil, ginger, garlic and chili
• Add the apples and tomatoes and stir to coat in oil
• Add apple cider and bring to the boil
• Add chicken stock
• Add kecap manis, sugar and soy
• Simmer on low for 20 minutes
• Blend with a hand blender
• Roughly cut extra apple into small pieces and coat in lemon juice
• Drain any extra juices and sprinkle apple croutons onto soup, or stir through (these aren't a waste of time I have been informed)

After Anouk got The Netherlands to the finals last year after an 8 year absence will The Common Linnets' Calm After The Storm continue the trend or start another drought?

I'm hoping for rain!

veel success!

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Netherlands

Only one dish that can represent The Netherlands this year the croquette. This choice was easy as it is my first meal in Amsterdam after my beautiful friend Chantal picked AB and I up from Schiphol airport. I sorry we smelt so bad, 30 hours is a long time travelling even at the front end of the plane. A quick shower and risking life and limb on the Amsterdam stairs at the hotel and we were ready for dinner. No need to wait for a table or translate a menu, just pop €1.60 into the slot and open the little door to feast on a piping hot crumbed saucy treat of deliciousness. I knew Amsterdam was famous for what they sold in windows but I had no idea it could be so tasty. The Netherlands proved to be a foodie mecca with all the cheese on display (read free tourist lunch), apple pie, ostrich, and I even did the down the gullet moment with a hearing. I have no idea how many croquette I had during my week time there but I don't believe the Netherlands was hit too badly by the GFC, you're welcome.

 

Almost as entertaining as the Eurovision songs is the what seems like 3 hours now of voting. It is the chance for every country's presenter to have their moment on the world stage, which many use wisely and other just seem to miss the mark by miles. One classic voting moment was in 1998 when Conny van den Bos was talking about her participation in the contest and Ulrika Johnson asked "a long time ago was it?".(4min mark on video) From then on AB and I had a new measurement of time, when was it? "it was when that Dutch woman was in Eurovision" The second clip is Conny's entry in 1965 and given the feisty rhythms if Conny and Ulrika were in a cage fight my money is on Conny!

 

 

This recipe is based on a bitterballen recipe from Dutch Cooking Today given to me by the lovely Chantal.

Veal Croquettes

Ingredients

• 400g diced veal
• 1 litre of beef stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• 6 black peppercorns
• 50g butter
• 50g flour
• salt
• pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• flour
• 2 eggs
• breadcrumbs

Method

• Make a bouquet garni by tying together a sprig of rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley and oregano.
• In a saucepan put the meat, stock, bouquet garni, and peppercorns then simmer for 1 hour.
• It is ready when the meat is falling apart
• Strain the meat and reserve the stock
• Discard the peppercorns and bouquet garni
• Pull the meat apart with a fork
• In a large saucepan melt the butter
• Add the flour and stir to combine
• Slowly add some stock while whisking to make a smooth sauce
• As the sauce thickens add more stock a little at a time, you might not use all the stock.
• While whisking let the sauce cook to thicken further for a few minutes, it should be a "thick shake" consistency
• Add the meat back to the sauce
• Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
• Pour the sauce into a flat baking dish and refrigerate over night.
• You can make either big croquettes or smaller bitterballen
• Form the sauce in to the required shape and coat in flour, egg and breadcrumbs
• In hot oil, fry for 2-3 minutes till crispy and warm in the middle (you might need a few/several test subjects)
• Drain in a metal colander over a bowl to retain the crispness while draining
• Serve with mustard and gherkins or fries with mayonnaise
• If you make different types, e.g. beef and veal a little polenta in the breadcrumbs with help telling them apart



 

 

 

Will Anouk and Birds make it to the Eurovision Final this year?

veel succes!