1945–60s · De Wederopbouw

The Rebuilding

Reconstruction plainness, the school-taught frugal kitchen, and the snackbar frying its first kroket.

Holland

Zure Bommen (Giant Dill Pickles)

Zure Bommen

The snackbar's "sour bombs" — big whole cucumbers brined with dill, garlic and mustard seed until crunchy and sharp, the classic bite alongside fried Dutch snacks.

25 minBeginner

Stews

Holland

Gehaktballen (Dutch Meatballs in Gravy)

Gehaktballen in Jus

The great Dutch meatball — one fist-sized gehaktbal per person, browned in butter and braised in its own dark jus. The Wednesday-night heart of the table.

80 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

Borrel

Holland

Gehaktballetjes (Cocktail Meatballs)

Gehaktballetjes

Small spiced Dutch meatballs for the borrel — juicy gehakt bound with rusk and nutmeg, browned and served warm on cocktail sticks with mustard.

40 minBeginner

Borrel

Holland

Berenhap (Meatball & Onion Skewer)

Berenhap

The "bear bite" — a snackbar skewer of fried gehaktbal and raw onion, drenched in satésaus, the Dutch peanut sauce, and eaten straight from the stick.

50 minBeginner

Stamppot

Holland

Spinaziestamppot (Spinach Mash)

Spinaziestamppot

A springtime green mash of wilted spinach folded into buttery potato, lifted with nutmeg and often a hard-boiled egg — lighter and fresher than the winter stamppotten.

35 minBeginner

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

Stamppot

Holland

Rauwe Andijviestamppot (Raw Endive Mash)

Rauwe Andijviestamppot

The quick post-war favourite — cool raw endive shredded into hot mash so it half-wilts, keeping crunch and bite, with bacon and a molten butter well.

35 minBeginner

Stews

Holland

Suddervlees (Slow-Simmered Beef)

Suddervlees

The plain, patient Dutch weeknight braise — beef slices left to sudderen, to murmur on the lowest heat, until tender in a simple dark gravy.

195 minBeginner

Borrel

Groningen

Eierbal (Groningen Deep-Fried Egg)

Eierbal

Groningen's proud snackbar oddity — a whole boiled egg wrapped in savoury ragout, breaded and deep-fried, split open and eaten with mustard or piccalilli.

70 minIntermediate

Soups

Holland

Kippensoep (Dutch Chicken Soup)

Kippensoep

The Dutch chicken soup made when someone is under the weather — a clear homemade broth with shredded chicken, vermicelli, leek and a little parsley.

110 minBeginner

Borrel

Zeeland

Garnalenkroketten (Shrimp Croquettes)

Garnalenkroketten

Zeeland's finest croquette — sweet North Sea brown shrimp bound in a delicate bisque ragout, breaded and fried, served with lemon and deep-fried parsley.

75 minAdvanced

Tomatensoep (Dutch Tomato Soup with Meatballs)

Soups

Holland

Tomatensoep (Dutch Tomato Soup with Meatballs)

Tomatensoep met Balletjes

The Dutch tomato soup of childhood — a smooth, faintly sweet tomato broth with tiny meatballs and vermicelli, the plate-lunch classic done properly.

70 minBeginner

Griesmeelpudding (Semolina Pudding with Redcurrant Sauce)

Cheese

Holland

Griesmeelpudding (Semolina Pudding with Redcurrant Sauce)

Griesmeelpudding met Bessensap

A turned-out semolina milk pudding, pale and quivering, flooded with tart red bessensap — the frugal Dutch dessert that outlived austerity.

35 minBeginner

Cheese

Holland

Vanillevla (Dutch Custard Vla)

Vanillevla

The pourable vanilla custard every Dutch fridge holds — thin enough to drink, rich enough to be pudding, the dessert of a thousand weeknight tables.

25 minBeginner

Bread

Holland

Broodje Kroket (Croquette Roll)

Broodje Kroket

The Dutch lunch of legend — a hot, crisp beef croquette crushed into a soft white roll with a stripe of mustard. Crunch, molten ragout, and cool bread.

50 minIntermediate

Borrel

Noord-Brabant

Frikandel (Dutch Fried Sausage)

Frikandel

The Netherlands' most-eaten snack — a smooth, skinless minced-meat sausage deep-fried dark, split and loaded with mayo, curry and onion as a frikandel speciaal.

40 minIntermediate

Groentesoep met Balletjes (Vegetable Soup with Meatballs)

Soups

Holland

Groentesoep met Balletjes (Vegetable Soup with Meatballs)

Groentesoep met Balletjes

The clear Dutch vegetable soup — a good beef broth bright with carrot, leek and celery, dropped with tiny gehaktballetjes and a handful of thin vermicelli.

120 minBeginner

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

Kaassoufflé (Fried Cheese Soufflé Snack)

Borrel

Holland

Kaassoufflé (Fried Cheese Soufflé Snack)

Kaassoufflé

The snackbar's molten heart — a slab of Dutch cheese sealed in crisp breadcrumb, deep-fried until it billows and the centre runs to stretchy gold.

35 minBeginner

Bread

Holland

Tosti (Dutch Grilled Ham & Cheese)

Tosti Ham-Kaas

The Dutch toasted sandwich — ham and Gouda pressed between white bread until the cheese runs and the crust ridges golden. Café comfort in ten minutes.

11 minBeginner

Borrel

Holland

Bitterballen (Crisp Ragout Croquettes)

Bitterballen

The crown of the Dutch borrel — crisp breadcrumbed spheres of slow-cooked beef ragout that ooze when you bite them, served with sharp mustard and cold beer.

70 minIntermediate

Stamppot

The East

Boerenkool Stamppot (Kale & Potato Mash)

Boerenkoolstamppot met rookworst

The definitive Dutch winter plate — potatoes crushed with curly kale, a well of gravy, and a coil of smoked rookworst laid across the top.

50 minBeginner

Borrel

Holland

Kroketten (Beef Ragout Croquettes)

Kroketten

The crisp-shelled Dutch croquette — a slow beef ragout set firm, breaded, and deep-fried, eaten from a paper cone with mustard or crammed onto a soft roll.

70 minIntermediate

Bread

Holland

Uitsmijter (Fried Egg on Bread with Ham & Cheese)

Uitsmijter

The Dutch lunch-counter classic — two or three fried eggs over ham and cheese on buttered bread, edges crisp, yolks loose, ready in minutes.

13 minBeginner