Chron Cooks ft. Esmee Van Brandenburg and Lisa Van Pieterson: Hutspot

Esmee Van Brandenburg and Lisa Van Pieterson/ The Hofstra Chronicle

You don’t have to be a Flying Dutchman or live in the Netherlands housing complex to experience a taste of the Netherlands. You can still savor a bit of Dutch cuisine by following this recipe.

As exchange students from the Netherlands (the country), we present to you a very Dutch meal: Hutspot. It’s basically mashed potatoes with vegetables mixed in, usually eaten with rookworst (smoked sausage) and gravy.

Roughly 500 years ago, from 1573-1574 during the 80s war, the Spanish army tried to capture Leiden. Throughout this time, the food supplies had decreased tremendously. Citizens were starving to death. After the siege of Leiden on Oct. 3, the tale goes that a brave young man went to the abandoned camps of the Spanish Army and found a pot filled with hutspot. This dish then became the symbol of surviving the famine. Next to white bread and herring, Hutspot is still eaten to this day on Oct. 3 to celebrate Leids Ontzet (the siege of Leiden).

Ingredients:

750 grams potatoes (1.65 pounds)

750 grams carrots (1.65 pounds)

1 large onion

25 grams butter (1 ½ tablespoon)

50 milliliters of milk (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)

A pinch of salt and pepper

Smoked sausage

Veggie option: Vegetarian meatballs or any kind of your liking

Instructions:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces. Next, slice the onion into half rings. Peel the carrots and chop them into smaller pieces.

2. To a deep cooking pan, add the potatoes, carrots and onion. Fill the pan with water until the ingredients are fully submerged, and add a pinch of salt for taste. Let it come to a boil, and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the chosen meat as its packaging states.

4. Once the vegetables are tender, drain the water and use a potato masher to mash everything together. It’s okay if there are a few small bits remaining.

5. Incorporate the butter and milk into the mashed stew, and season it to your liking with salt and pepper.

6. Serve the hutspot with the sausage. Do you want to eat like a real Dutchy? Make a well in the Hutspot to make a place for the gravy.

7. Congrats! You have made the foundation of Hutspot. You can also add more vegetables, such as leek, or experiment with different combinations. Enjoy!