Bitterballen, a Dutch traditional snack. Hereby I share with you three recipes with different fillings: beef, shrimp, and cheese. Serve them as a snack at your next party!
Sorry, due to some health issues I'm a bit late with publicizing this challenge (and I even hosted it). But here it is. I tought it was fun to do and hope that you all enjoyed it. I will look at your blogs!
Three recipes to prepare bitterballen
Recipe Source:
- Kaasbitterbal: Smulweb Peter Goossens
- Garnalen bitterbal: https://www.24kitchen.nl
Notes:
Bitterballen (a small deep-fried kroket (croquette)) is a traditional Dutch snack available in every snack bar. It's got the shape of a meatball and so they're also called Dutch meatballs. It used to be a method to use leftover meat and was served as an entrée. Now it is a real treat that you can get anywhere around the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, we eat about 300 million bitterballen portions each year (about 25 per person each year).
Bitterballen are filled croquettes made from a roux (a mixture of cooked flour and butter) that is made into a salpicon (by the addition of milk and/or stock and sometimes gelatine) to which the filling (meat, seafood, or cheese) is added and then shaped into small balls which are breaded (crumbed) and deep-fried until golden brown.
Salpicon refers to a preparation made of one or more ingredients that are minced or diced, and bound with a sauce. A roux is a mixture of fat and flour that is cooked until thick and bubblying.
Preparation time: 30 minutes and 2 hours or more waiting time
Equipment required:
- Deep fryer (or use a large skillet filled with 1 - 2 inches of sunflower oil)
- Saucepans
- Knives
- Bowls for breading (crumbing)
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Bitterballen filled with beef
For bitterballen
The traditional Dutch bitterbal with a beef filling. The recipe is easy and you'll get a very delicious snack.
Equipment
Ingredients
Beef filling
- 1⅓ lbs rump roast lean, cubed
4 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion
1 stick butter- 1 cup flour
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper salt and nutmeg- ⅙ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Breading
- 1 cup flour
2 eggs L, slightly beaten- 1 cup bread crumbs
Deep-frying
- oil for deep frying
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
Beef filling
- Cook the soup meat (cubed beef) in the beef stock with 1 teaspoon salt for about 2-3 hours, until it’s fork-tender. Let it cool to room temperature and finely slice the beef. Take 2 cups (500 ml) of stock and set aside.
- Slice the onion finely.
- Make a roux by melting the butter and glazing (browning) the onion for about 2 minutes.
- Then add the flour all at once and stir on heat for another 3 minutes.
- Add the stock, whisk well and let it come to a boil (keep stirring). The roux absorbs all the liquid. Cook at a high simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked soup meat (cubed beef).
- Add the nutmeg, pepper, and salt to the beef mixture.
- Take a cooled plate or oven dish (rinsed in cold water) spread the filling over the plate and cover with some plastic wrap and allow to cool down for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (better to let it cool overnight).
Breading
- Put three bowls in front of you and fill the first one with flour, the second one with the eggs (beat the eggs), and the third one with bread crumbs.
- Take the filling and take a spoon of filling and make a ball of it. Roll it through the bowl with flour, then the eggs, and at last through the bread crumbs.
- Repeat the breading (crumbing) process again if you wish.
- Place on plate and repeat for the rest of the filling. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Deep fry
- Heat your frying pan to 350°F/180°C (medium heat). Check the temperature by placing a small cube of bread in the heated oil it should sizzle and brown in a minute or two.
- Deep fry the bitterballen for about 3 to 4 minutes until done (golden brown).
- Serve mustard on the side.
Indication Nutritional Value (Per Person / Portion):
Calories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 7gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 223mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 110IUVitamin C: 1mgIron: 1mg
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Bitterballen with shrimp filling
For bitterballen
A recipe to prepare homemade shrimp bitterballen. Easy to prepare, a really delicious snack.
Equipment
- sauce pan
Ingredients
Shrimp filling
- 2 shallots
- ½ oz. chives
- ½ cup white wine dry like a caubernet sauvignon
- 2½ cups fish stock
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ ground black pepper
- 9 oz. shrimps small (prawns)
Breading
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 eggs size L, slightly beaten
- 1 cup bread crumbs
Deep-fryer
- oil for deep frying
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
Shrimp filling
- Peel and slice the shallots finely.
- Cut the chives into small pieces.
- Melt the butter and glaze (brown) the onion for about 2 minutes. Then add the flour all at once and while stirring heat for another 3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and stock, whisk very well and let it come to a boil (keep stirring). Cook at a high simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add the shrimp (prawns) and chives.
- Finally, add pepper and salt.
- Take a cooled plate or oven dish (rinsed in some cold water) spread the filling over the plate and cover with some plastic wrap and let cool down for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (better to let it cool overnight).
Breading
- Take three bowls and fill the first one with flour, the second one with the eggs, and the third one with bread crumbs.
- Take the filling and take a spoon of filling and make a ball of it. Roll it through the bowl with flour, then the eggs, and at last through the bread crumbs.
- Repeat the breading (crumbing) process again if you wish.
- Place on a plate and repeat for the rest of the filling. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Deep fry
- Heat your frying pan to 350°F/180°C (medium heat). Check the temperature by placing a small cube of bread in the heated oil it should sizzle and brown in a minute or two.
Indication Nutritional Value (Per Person / Portion):
Calories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 181mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 1mgIron: 1mg
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Cheese bitterballen
For bitterballen
This is the recipe for cheese bitterballen. A delicious Dutch vegetarian snack.
Equipment
- sauce pan
Ingredients
Cheese filling
- ½ stick butter
- ¾ cup plain flour
- 2 cups full-fat milk
- ½ teaspoons nutmeg grated
2 egg yolks size L
⅓ cup cream
2 teaspoons gelatine- 80 grams hard cheese parmesan, grana padano, pecorino, etc. - grated
- 80 grams soft cheese brie, camembert, cream cheese, etc. - sliced into small pieces
- 80 grams matured cheddar - grated
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Breading
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 eggs size L - beaten
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
Deep-Frying
- oil for deep frying
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
Cheese filling
- Melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan.
- Add flour all at once and stir to cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
- Add milk and bring to boil while stirring continuously.
- Bring heat to lowest and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring from time to time.
- While it is simmering, dissolve gelatin with about 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
- Add nutmeg. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cheese until well mixed in the sauce.
- Add in the dissolved gelatine and stir until well combined.
- Remove from heat and spread out the sauce in a baking dish or plate.
- Cool for about 30-60 minutes then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Breading
- After refrigeration, the mixture would have hardened. With a spoon, scoop out enough cheese mixture to form into a ¾ - 1-inch ball (2½ cm).
- Roll the ball in the plain flour; then dip in the beaten egg; then roll in the breadcrumbs. (The breading may be repeated if you want a thicker crust.) Do the same for the rest of the mixture.
- Place the balls on a plate and repeat for the rest of the filling. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- At this point you may freeze the bitterballen if you wish.
Deep frying
- Heat your frying pan to 350°F/180°C (medium heat). Check the temperature by placing a small cube of bread in the heated oil it should sizzle and brown in a minute or two.
- Deep fry the bitterballen for 3-4 minutes until golden. (For frozen bitterballen, add 1 more minute in cooking time.)
Indication Nutritional Value (Per Person / Portion):
Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 131mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 229IUVitamin C: 1mgIron: 1mg
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Sunita says
All your variations look great. Thank you for introducing me to these delicious meat balls.
andrea says
Glad to introduce you Sunita!