Chapter · Vis & Zeevruchten

Fish & the Sea

Raw herring tipped back by the tail, Zeeland mussels and oysters, smoked eel, and kibbeling from the market stall.

Holland

Gerookte Zalm op Toast (Smoked Salmon Toast)

Gerookte Zalm op Toast

Cold-smoked salmon on toasted sourdough with lemon-dill cream, capers and cress — a light, modern Dutch plate for lunch or the borrel table.

20 minBeginner

Fish

Zeeland

Paling in 't Groen (Eel in Herb Sauce)

Paling in 't Groen

Fresh eel gently poached in a vivid green sauce of spring herbs — chervil, sorrel, parsley and spinach — a river dish of the Scheldt borderlands.

55 minIntermediate

Fish

Holland

Gemarineerde Haring (Pickled Herring)

Gemarineerde Haring

Herring fillets steeped in a sweet-sour vinegar marinade with onion, bay and peppercorns — the keeping herring of the Dutch larder, sharp and bright.

30 minBeginner

Fish

Zeeland

Mosselen met Friet (Mussels & Fries)

Mosselen met Friet

A steaming pot of Zeeland mussels with a heap of twice-fried Belgian-style friet and mayonnaise — the great shared supper of the Low Countries.

60 minIntermediate

Fish

Holland

Gerookte Makreel (Smoked Mackerel)

Gerookte Makreel

Whole mackerel brined and hot-smoked to a burnished gold, its oily flesh turned firm and savoury — eaten flaked on rye or whipped into a pâté.

75 minIntermediate

Fish

Zeeland

Hollandse Garnalen (Dutch Brown Shrimp)

Hollandse Garnalen

Tiny North Sea brown shrimp, hand-peeled and served sweet and briny on buttered bread or bound into a classic garnalencocktail.

45 minIntermediate

Fish

Holland

Lekkerbek (Large Battered Fried Fish)

Lekkerbek

A whole battered fillet of white fish, deep-fried crisp and golden — the bigger, sit-down cousin of kibbeling from the Dutch fish stall.

35 minBeginner

Fish

Holland

Stokvis (Stockfish with Potatoes & Mustard Sauce)

Stokvis

Dried, soaked stockfish gently poached and served with potatoes, rice, mustard sauce and fried onions — an old Amsterdam feast-day dish.

70 minIntermediate

Fish

Holland

Gebakken Kabeljauw (Pan-Fried Cod)

Gebakken Kabeljauw

A thick fillet of cod floured and fried in butter until golden and just set, finished with lemon and parsley — the plain, perfect Dutch fish supper.

22 minBeginner

Fish

Zeeland

Zeeuwse Oesters (Zeeland Oysters)

Zeeuwse Oesters

Flat and creuse oysters raised in the tidal flats of the Oosterschelde, shucked and served raw on ice with lemon, shallot vinegar, and rye.

30 minIntermediate

Fish

Zeeland

Zeeuwse Mosselen (Zeeland Mussels in Broth)

Zeeuwse Mosselen

Plump Zeeland mussels steamed open in a pot with leek, celery, onion and white wine — the autumn ritual of the Dutch southwest.

32 minBeginner

Fish

The East

Gerookte Paling (Smoked Eel)

Gerookte Paling

Freshwater eel hot-smoked to bronze, its fat rendered silky and its flesh richly savoury — the great delicacy of the Dutch inland waters.

130 minAdvanced

Fish

Holland

Kibbeling (Battered Fried Cod Bites)

Kibbeling

Golden nuggets of battered white fish from the market stall — crisp outside, steamy within, served in a paper cone with garlic-herb sauce.

40 minBeginner

Fish

Holland

Hollandse Nieuwe (Dutch Salted Herring)

Hollandse Nieuwe

The first young herring of the season, mild-cured and lightly salted — tipped back by the tail with raw onion, the most Dutch bite there is.

30 minIntermediate