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.
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
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
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.
Mastication / Destination 