Posteleinstamppot (Purslane Mash)
Posteleinstamppot
A rare summer stamppot of succulent purslane wilted into potato — lemony, faintly saline and green, an old kitchen-garden dish from before spinach ruled.
IIStamppot & the Mash- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
Long before spinach became the default green, the Dutch kitchen garden grew postelein — purslane — a low, fleshy, sun-loving herb with a lemony, faintly salty snap. It appears in eighteenth-century Dutch cookery among the summer potherbs, and it gives something almost no other stamppot can: a mash for warm weather. Where the whole tribe of these dishes belongs to dark, cold months, posteleinstamppot is green and bright and unmistakably of July.
A green with its own flavour
Purslane is not just a spinach stand-in. Its thick, succulent leaves carry a gentle acidity and a mineral, near-saline edge that reads as fresh rather than earthy. That character is fragile, and the one rule is barely to cook it: a minute in a dry pan to collapse the leaves, no more. Push it further and the succulence turns to slither and the lemon note vanishes. Because, like spinach, it holds a great deal of water, press it dry after wilting or the mash will slump.
An old-garden supper
This is a modest dish with a long pedigree — the kind of thing a Golden Age or eighteenth-century household grew a bed of and mashed through the summer's new potatoes. It asks for a floury, firmish mash to carry the mild leaf, a shallot softened with it, and the restraint to let the purslane's own brightness show through the butter.
A summer stamppot, lemony and green — proof the mash was never only a thing for the cold.
Serve it the way the older leaf mashes were always served: quartered hard-boiled eggs pressed into the top, and a scatter of crisp bacon for anyone who wants the salt.
“Barely cook the purslane — a minute in the pan is plenty. Its charm is a lemony, slightly saline freshness that long cooking flattens to nothing.”
Ingredients
Serves 4
The mash
- 800 gfloury potatoes — peeled, in chunks
- 500 gpurslane — postelein, thick stems trimmed
- 1shallot — finely chopped
- 150 mlwarm milk
- 40 gbutter — cold
- 1 pinchgrated nutmeg
To finish
- 3eggs — hard-boiled, quartered
- 100 gsmoked bacon — spekjes, optional
- to tastesalt and pepper
Method
- 1
Boil the potatoes
Cover the potatoes with salted water and boil until fully tender. Purslane is watery and mild, so keep the potatoes floury and firm to give the mash backbone once the greens go in.
- 2
Wilt the purslane briefly
Wilt the washed purslane with the chopped shallot in a dry pan for just a minute or two, until it collapses. It cooks in moments — overdone, it goes slippery and loses its fresh, lemony snap.
- 3
Press and chop
Tip the wilted purslane into a sieve and press out the water, then chop it roughly. Like spinach it carries a lot of moisture, and a wet mash is the main risk with any leaf stamppot.
- 4
Mash firm
Drain and dry the potatoes, then mash with warm milk, cold butter and a little nutmeg, keeping it on the stiff side. Purslane's mild acidity brings a gentle brightness the butter should cushion, not drown.
- 5
Fold and top
Fold the chopped purslane through until the mash is flecked green, season, and fold in the bacon if using. Serve with quartered hard-boiled eggs — the classic partner for these older leaf mashes.
In the kitchen
The tools that make this recipe easier.
- EssentialPotato ricer ↗
The route to lump-free stamppot and mash.
Crowning the mash
Stamppot is a canvas: a well of gravy and something smoked or pickled.
- Rookworst — smoked sausage, sliced into the well
- Jus — a pool of dark gravy in the centre
- Piccalilli or zuur — sharp pickles to cut the richness
- Speklapjes — crisped pork belly for kale stamppot
Questions from the kitchen
What is purslane and where do I find it?+
Postelein is a low, succulent kitchen-garden green with thick, juicy leaves and a lemony, faintly saline taste. Look for it in summer at markets and greengrocers, or grow it — it thrives in warm weather.
Why is this a summer stamppot?+
Almost every stamppot is a winter dish, but purslane is a heat-loving summer green. It gives one of the very few warm-weather mashes, lighter and fresher than the cold-season ones.
Can I use winter purslane instead?+
Winter purslane (claytonia) is a different plant with a similar succulent leaf and works as a substitute out of season, though summer postelein has the truer lemony bite.
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