Bitterballen
Little balls of beef ragout, breaded and fried, dipped in mustard: the snack of Dutch brown cafés, with a beer.
Ingredients
- 400 g stewing beef
- 1 onion and 1 carrot
- 50 g butter
- 60 g flour
- 400 ml of the stock from the meat
- 1 gelatine leaf (optional)
- Nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper
- 2 eggs and breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying and mustard
How to make it at home
- Simmer the beef with the onion and carrot, covered with water, for 1½ hours. Shred it very finely and keep the stock.
- Make a roux with the butter and flour, gradually add the stock and cook until you have a very thick sauce.
- Add the meat, parsley, nutmeg and soaked gelatine, season and chill in the fridge until firm.
- Roll into small balls and coat them in egg and breadcrumbs twice.
- Fry them at 180 °C for 3–4 minutes and serve with mustard.
The trick: Double coating: that way they don’t burst when fried.