Dutch Winter Stamppot
Why I Love This Recipe
My parents are from farming families in the Netherlands. Growing up we ate a lot of "meat and potatoes" type of comfort food. Every Halloween my mother would prepare what she called "Witch's Stew" which consists of two traditional Dutch recipes, Hachee and Stamppot. She probably called it that to make us want to eat it, with the result being that we all love it and try to have it every year at this time of year. The following recipes are from "Let's Go Dutch" by Johanna (van der Zeijst) Bates.
Ingredients You'll Need
Dutch Winter Stamppot:
8 large winter carrots, peeled and sliced coarsely
3 very large onions, peeled and sliced thinly
3-4 C. water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. butter
10 medium potatoes, peeled and cut up
3/4 C. butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 C. pure maple syrup (Optional)
Directions
Place the carrots and onions in a 6-qt. Dutch oven along with the water, salt and 1 tsp butter. Boil until tender.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender in a separate pot.
Drain the carrots and onions, reserving 1/3 cup of the boiling liquid.
Return the carrots, onions and 1/3 cup reserved liquid to the Dutch oven.
Drain the potatoes and add them to the Dutch oven. Mash the carrots, onions and potatoes until well incorporated.
Add the 3/4 cup butter and salt and pepper to taste.
The dish should be a lovely "Halloween" orange, from the carrots.
Optional: heat the maple syrup and pour over the stamppot.
To serve, plop a portion of the Stamppot in a bowl or on a plate and make a well in the center.
Ladle some of the beef Hachee in the middle and enjoy.
