Astarpungar (Icelandic Love Ball Doughnuts)

Raisin-studded Astarpungar

It has long been my theory that all the world’s cuisines share a great many methods and techniques that have resulted in similar products popping up all over the world. Astarpungar are the Icelandic equivalent of Doughnuts (or Gulab Jamun or Beignet or Churros or Caribbean dumplings). Whilst their older cousin, the Kleina, is more abundantly available in Icelandic cafes and supermarkets, it is this raisin studded variant, that I found more enjoyable and a darn sight easier to make.

These fried balls of sweetened dough are soft and fragrantly sweet beneath their golden crust. The best Astarpungar I tried in Iceland were delicately flavoured with cardamon, lemon and a hint of vanilla. Traditional recipes only really suggest the addition of the cardamon, but I believe a combination of the three gives a more complex flavour profile that is ultimately more satisfying to eat (apologies to the purists!)

Love Balls are leavened with baking powder as opposed to yeast, meaning there is no real need for proving. In fact the majority I tasted were fairly dense inside, so I am only resting the dough/batter for a short time.

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Level: medium
Methods: enriched dough/batter
Skills: deep-frying

Time: 45 min
Makes: around 24 Love Balls

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Ingredients
2 eggs
75g caster sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1tsp lemon zest
220g plain flour
3tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp cardamom
190ml whole milk
50g raisins (soaked in warm water to plump up)

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Method

1. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a measuring jug. A fork will do for this job.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt together into a large mixing bowl.

3. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring all the time. The mix will still be quite dry at this point.

4. Next, carefully add the milk, to make a thick batter-like dough that can almost hold its shape. You are unlikely to need all of the milk, so work slowly.

5. Fold in the plump, softened raisins. Rest the dough for ten minutes whilst preparing to fry.

6. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°C.

7. Use two spoons to shape the dough into crude balls shapes. You may use your hands to perfect the shapes, but use plenty of flour as the dough is sticky.

8. Fry the balls in batches of 6 for 3-4 min, or until they are a delicate golden brown and well puffed. Make sure you turn the balls several times during frying to cook evenly.
Tip: it is advisable to cut open your first Astarpungar, to check it is cooked through. If not, decrease the temperature to 170°C and cook for longer. Undercooked dough is unpleasant to eat and can cause an upset stomach.

9. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

10. Repeat until all of the dough is used up.

Destination#1 / Reykjavik, Iceland

Bitterballen (Dutch beef ragout croquettes)

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A portion of bitterballen

Bitterballen are a popular snack at bars and cafes all around the Netherlands and it’s easy to see why. Like all the best snack foods, these delicacies are deep fried to perfection. Inside that crisp exterior lies an unctuous and deeply savoury beef ragout, speckled with aromatic herbs and a hint of nutmeg. Best served with a mild mustard dip (dijon works well) and a cold crisp lager. For my younger readers, try these as a starter or squished between two doorstop sized pieces of white bread.

Often translated into English as merely “bitter balls” the name is not indicative of a bitter acerbic flavour. Instead it is a reference to the old Dutch tradition of enjoying these snacks with shots of alcoholic bitters such as Jenever.

Bitterballen and Kroketten (the original cylindrical variant) can be traced back all the way to 1691. As with any well established recipe, various additional ingredients and flavourings may appear depending on the source. But this is what I consider to be the definitive version. The addition of gelatine helps to create a filling that is easier to work with and has a more pleasant, substantial mouthfeel.

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Level: high
Methods: roux
Skills: braising, pane, deep-frying

Time: 3.5 hours (a lot of this is cooking/cooling time)
Makes: around 24 Bitterballen

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Ingredients
For the shredded beef and stock:
400g stewing beef
1 small onion
5-6 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 clove
A few sprigs of thyme
1 beef stock cube (optional)

For the sauce:
40g butter
50g flour
1 shallot, chopped (or one small, finely diced onion)
200ml milk
200ml beef stock (reserved from cooking the meat)
2 sheets gelatine
Salt, pepper and a little nutmeg, to taste
1tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1tsp Dijon mustard

For the coating:
Flour, egg and fresh breadcrumbs

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Method

1. Place the beef in a large pan with just enough water to cover the meat (400-500ml will do). Bring to a steady simmer over a low heat.

2. Skim off the foam and add the onion, peppercorns, bay leaf, cloves, thyme and stock cube. Allow to simmer for approximately two hours or until the meat is tender.

3. Strain the beef stock and set aside to use later.

4. Allow the meat to cool, then shred with two forks.

5. Now begin making the sauce. Melt the butter in a pan, over a medium heat, with the shallots.

6. Then add the flour and stir to make a basic roux paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour.

7. Slowly add the stock and milk, stirring all the time to make a glossy, pale-brown sauce. Let it simmer for ten minutes, stirring regularly until quite thick.

8. Meanwhile dissolve the gelatine in cold water. When ready add to the sauce along with the rest of the ingredients and the beef. Allow to cool.

9. When fully cool roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into neat, even-sized balls – you should get about 24 in total.

10. Pane the bitterballen. Do this by rolling each ball in flour, whisked egg and finally breadcrumbs.
At this point you can rest the balls, then coat a second time for a more robust coating.

11. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°C.

12. Fry off a couple at a time. The balls take about 3-4 minutes to cook fully. But don’t worry too much about timings, the filling is already cooked so you are in no danger of food poisoning – just aim for a deep golden brown.

Gevulde Koeken (Dutch Almond Paste Cookies)

Gevulde Koeken are to the Dutch, what chocolate chip cookies are to the Americans, or shortbread to the Scots. These oversized and decadent biscuits can be found all over the Netherlands. The pastry like shell, surrounds a soft, buttery filling of Amandelspijs (almond paste) that is reminiscent of frangipane. They are best enjoyed fresh with a cup of coffee or tea.

The ubiquitous Gevulde Koek

Ingredients

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For the almond paste:

125g ground almonds
125g caster sugar
1 egg
1-2tbsp milk
1/2tsp almond extract

For the cookie dough:

300g plain flour
200g cold butter, cut into cubes
150g caster sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp water
1 egg
12 almond halves to decorate

Method – Makes 12

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1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the cubes of butter. Rub in with your finger tips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Stir through the sugar and baking powder. Add the water and bring together with your hands to form a dough. Cover in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge.

3. To make the almond paste, add the almonds, caster sugar and egg to the food processor and blitz.

4. Add the milk and almond extract then process again. The mix should have the consistency of soft smooth peanut butter.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C.

6. Roll out the biscuit dough on a floured work surface. Cut out rounds with a (preferably fluted) cookie cutter.

7. Put half of the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then top with a generous spoonful of the almond paste (you could use a piping bag for greater control).

8. Moisten the edges of the biscuit base with water and press the other rounds on top, making neat, smooth domes. Seal gently with your fingers.

9. Press half an almond on top of each biscuit. Beat the egg and brush the biscuits with it.

10. Bake for 25 min or until puffed and a deep golden colour.

PROLOGUE – Friesland, Netherlands

Before embarking on my round the world trip this September I took the time out to visit Friesland in the Netherlands.

It it was intended to be a prologue for my travels and so I thought I would post it here.

Dutch cuisine turned out out to be hearty, comfortingly familiar and somewhat gezellig (look it up: we don’t have a word for it).

But what amazed me most was the speciality foods, the baked goods and the pub grub. I shall post examples of my favourite recipes soon.

P.S. Love and thanks to Ewout, Erik and Douwina.