Andijvie Stamppot met Spekjes en Gehaktballen / Dutch Endive Mash with Smoked Lardons and Meatballs

Dutch andijvie stamppot, or endive mash belongs in the category of Dutch stamppotten – ‘stamppot’ referring to any dish made from a combination of potatoes mashed with vegetables. This wintery dish in particular is made with floury potatoes and thinly-sliced, raw endives or escarole (Cichorium endivia) and its usually served with crispy smoked lardons. The contrast between the slightly crunchy endives and the creamy, rich potato puree is what makes this dish so tasty and from all the Dutch ‘stamppotten’ I’ve posted before (for example hutspot here and boerenkool here), this one is my favourite.

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As I said, this comfort food is usually made with floury potatoes and about half of the weight of the potatoes in raw endives. I say raw, but in an article posted on NEMO Kennislink, Jacques Meerman, author of Kleine Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse keuken (2015), is quoted as saying that “because the endives do not all fit into the pot all at once when cooking for an entire family, the endives are added little by little. Thus, we do not eat raw endives, but endives in different stages of being cooked” (loosely translated by me). Indeed, adding the raw endives only a handful at a time, does result in a mash containing vegetables ranging from fully cooked and wilted to more-or-less raw and crisp. Because of that, Meerman suggests that the dish, while usually thought of as very simplistic and basic, is actually a lot more interesting and refined than it seems at first glance.

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In the Netherlands, we like to serve andijvie stamppot with some freshly grated nutmeg, crispy fried smoked lardons or bacon cubes, and some of the rendered fat stirred through, but if you want to do it really well you will also serve it with either (crispy) pork belly slices (speklapjes), smoked sausage (rookworst), or a big, juicy meatball. Some people also like to enrich the puree by adding a handful of grated cheese (such as young-, or slightly-aged Gouda) or milk, or they add a spoonful of spicy mustard to give the mash some oomph. Mine here has got a splash of milk, a knob of butter and is served with both crispy, smoked lardons and a big juicy meatball (and its juices!), but you can easily adjust the recipe according to your own preference.

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Sources Cited

Marjolein Overmeer. “Eeuwenoud Nederlands Gerecht Bestaat Niet.’” NEMOKennislink, NEMO Kennislink, 8 Dec. 2017, www.nemokennislink.nl/publicaties/eeuwenoud-nederlands-gerecht-bestaat-niet/.

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Andijvie Stamppot met Spekjes en Gehaktballen / Dutch Endive Mash with Smoked Lardons and Meatballs

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Simple recipe for Dutch endives/escarole mash with smoked lardons and meatballs
  • Difficulty:Easy
  • Prep Time:30 mins
  • Cook Time:60 mins
  • Serves:4
  • Freezable:Yes

Nutrition per portion

Ingredients
  • for the meatballs:
  • 500g half-and-half ground beef and pork mince
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon ketjap manis (sweet soy), or tomato ketchup
  • 40g breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 100g butter
  • 200 - 250ml water (depends a little on the size of the pot), meatballs should be about 1/3 submerged
  • -
  • for the andijvie stamppot:
  • 600 -700g andijvie / endives or escarole (cichorium endivia)
  • 1.2kg floury potatoes
  • Splash of full fat milk (about half a cup, but add to taste)
  • 25g butter
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 350g smoked lardons (spekblokjes)
Method
For the meatballs:  
  1. To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef and pork meat, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of ketjap manis, breadcrumbs and a decent amount of salt and pepper. If you like, add other seasoning according to taste (such as garlic, or chili flakes). Make sure the ingredients are well mixed, but don’t overwork the meat as this will make the meatballs too tough.
  2. Shape the meat into 4 equally-sized slightly flattened balls.
  3. In a Dutch oven, or iron cast pan, melt the 100g of butter. When the butter is hot and the bubbles have disappeared add your meatballs and brown on all sides.
  4. When the meatballs are browned on all sides add the 150ml of water and put the lid on the pot. Stew the meatballs for at least 30 - 40 minutes until they are cooked through and have become soft and moist.
  For the andijvie stamppot:  
  1. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into similar-sized chunks. Add to a large (!) pot and cover with water and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.
  2. Meanwhile, separate the endive leaves and wash thoroughly. Cut into either thin strips or slightly roughly chopped strips (depending on your preference). Allow water to drain off very well. If you can, use a salad spinner, or clean kitchen towel.
  3. Add the lardons to a skillet over high heat. Sauté until slightly browned then turn the heat to medium low. Allow the lardons to release most of their fat and crisp up.
  4. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain off the water and allow some excess water to evaporate over low heat until the potatoes are slightly dry.
  5. Keep potatoes over low heat and add the butter and mash until butter has melted and the potatoes have fallen apart, then stir in about two-thirds of the lardons and (some of) the fat until well combined.
  6. Add the chopped endives by the handful, carefully stirring in the leafy veg until it has wilted slightly before adding another handful or two. In the meantime, warm up some (about half a cup of) milk in a small saucepan. Once all the endives have been added, stir in the warm milk bit by bit to make the mash creamier according to preference.
  7. To finish, season the mash with freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper to taste and add some salt if necessary (be carfeul, the lardons will have already added some salt).
  8. Serve warm with a meatball and the leftover lardons sprinkled on top. If you like, add some of the meatball juice (jus) as well, which we usually serve by making a little dent/well into the mash and pouring some of the juice inside.

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