Gestoofde prei

This is going to sound so foreign to anybody who lives in Europe, but for the longest time I was unable to find prei, leeks, in the grocery store here in the US. Granted, I live in a rural area and am nowhere near a large city, but even when shopping in the capital of the state, I was not able to find any. It's only since a few years that they make an appearance, and at that still a spendy one: three stalks will near $4 easily. 

How different it is in the Netherlands! I am probably exaggerating a tiny bit, but just about anybody has a stalk or two of prei in their cart, sticking out of their shopping bag, or tucked underneath the snelbinders, those rubber straps on the rear rack of the bicycle. I did a quick search on the main Dutch grocery store website, and 2 stalks of leeks are 1 euro. One euro!!! Oh, the envy.... :-)

Prei features prominently in our cuisine: it's a key ingredient for many soups, casseroles, or as a main vegetable, like today's dish. They are considered a tasty vegetable that's valued for their fiber, nutritional content, and low-calorie profile. Not surprisingly then, leek agriculture in the Netherlands is a significant part of the country's vegetable trade, with the Netherlands being one of the key players in international leek trade alongside Belgium. 

The Netherlands produces between 90,000 and 100,000 tons of leeks per season, starting from late February or early March until the end of July or early August, ensuring a year-round availability that includes both summer and winter varieties. The main areas for leek growing is primarily in the North Brabant and Limburg regions, with more than half of this production destined for export. Well, I don't know where they're exporting it to, but it certainly isn't to my little corner of the world! 

One of the main reasons why I am so utterly pleased to finally have leeks within reach is because I absolutely love, love, love braised leeks. Because we grew up in Limburg, leeks were just about everywhere, and my grandma used to make these delicious leeks, braised in butter, with white wine and capers. It's such a simple dish, but so very satisfying! Leeks can also be served in a cream sauce, with béchamel, a cheese sauce, or sautéed with bacon. This is just one of the many ways. 

Makes four servings.

Gestoofde prei

3 large leek stalks

4 tablespoons (55 grams) butter

1 bay leaf

1 heaping tablespoon capers

1/2 cup (125 ml white wine)

1/2 cup (125 ml vegetable stock)

Cut the root ends off the leeks, and the darkest of the dark leaves at the top. (Don't discard them, but wash and slice them thin, and use them for soups, omelets or in casseroles). Cut the stalks into 3 inch pieces. Rinse under running water (if they're very sandy, cut in half lengthwise). Melt the butter in the pan, and add the leek stalks. Don't let them brown, but turn them over every two to three minutes until they start to soften a little bit. Add the bay leaf, capers, wine, and stock, bring to a simmer, turn down, cover with a fitting lid, and let them braise for about fifteen minutes. Check with a fork to make sure the leeks are tender and soft. Taste the sauce and see if you need to adjust the salt level. 

 

Gebakken Kaasplak

The other day, I was rummaging around in stacks of 1950's women's magazines looking for dinner ideas, as I often do. I love to see what dishes the men and women of my mom's and grandma's time prepared and ate. Sunday meals were certainly more elaborate as they appear to be nowadays, I would say, starting with a soup, then a main course (potatoes, meat and vegetables), and ending with a (dairy) dessert. Whatever was left of the meat, was frequently served the next day sliced for lunch, cold, with bread and pickles, or transformed into a new dish, often a casserole, or hot snacks like kroketten. Rice or elbow macaroni was cooked once, and a portion kept aside to turn into desserts for the next day, and vegetables that were left went into the soup, stamppots, or pan-fried until crispy. Nothing was wasted! 

On days that meat was not on the menu, I frequently saw something else in its stead: gebakken kaasplak, fried cheese slice. Recipes among the different magazines varied a little bit, so I ended up creating my own. I think it's my new favorite! 

It's a simple yet delicious dish made by breading a thick slice of cheese and frying it in butter until it's golden and crispy on the outside while remaining soft and melty inside. Pick your favorite cheese, and go for it! You can serve it as a meat substitute with dinner, as a hamburger substitute on a roll with fresh lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion, or as a snack with a dollop of mustard. 

Here in the US, cheese can be found pre-sliced, so-called deli-style. Each square is approximately 3.5 x 3.5 inches (8.5 x 8.5 cm), and weighs about 1 oz /28 grams each. Do not use floppy American cheese slices for this, but select sturdy Sharp Cheddar, Aged Gouda, or Pepper Jack slices. 

Gebakken kaasplak

8 square slices deli style sliced cheese

2 eggs

1 cup panko or breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons (55 grams) butter

Whole grain mustard

Lay out the cheese slices. Spread a teaspoon each of mustard on four slices and top each with a second slice. Beat the two eggs in a shallow dish. and pour the breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. 

Dip one of the stacked cheese slices in the egg, turn it over to coat the other side, and lift it out of the egg. Let it drip, and then coat the cheese with breadcrumbs on all six sides. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. 

Heat the butter in a frying pan. Dip the breaded cheese in the egg again, then again in the breadcrumbs and put them in the frying pan, repeating until all four cheese patties are in the pan. On medium heat, fry all sides of the cheese patties until golden brown, about five minutes. Serve warm.

Suikerbeestjes

"Er was er eens een suikerbeest" starts a sweet poem by famous Dutch author Annie M.G. Schmidt, about an animal made of sugar, a suikerbeest. "Suikerbeestjes", small sugar animals, are an old-fashioned Dutch confectionary, particularly associated with the celebration of Sinterklaas. These sweets are made in various shapes and colors, resembling small animals, and are crafted from sugar. 

Historically, suikerbeestjes were quite expensive due to the high cost of sugar, which had to be imported into the Netherlands. However, with the discovery and cultivation of sugar beets in the country, the cost of sugar and subsequently suikerbeestjes decreased significantly. Nowadays, they have lost against factory made sugary candy, and only a few professionals and home cooks will engage in the tradition. 

And it's not an easy feat either: the boiling sugar is poured into traditional wooden molds that are held together with clamps, and left to cool. As you can imagine, these sugar creatures can be quite fragile. In Schmidt's poem, the suikerbeestje's mom warns him and says "Pas dus maar op dat je niet breekt", be careful that you don't break.  

Well, I don't have the wooden molds, but I did want to make something sugary for Valentine's Day, especially since "suikerbeestje" can also be a romantic name for a lover. Valentine's Day is celebrated in the Netherlands, but it's a relatively new tradition that only gained popularity in the mid-1990s, influenced by the spread of American culture. 

I picked two types of sugary confections, both associated with Sinterklaas: suikerbeestjes and borstplaat - and decided to try both. I used a heart-shaped silicone, heat resistant mold. The suikerbeestjes turned out to be hard as a rock, which is the intention I guess, and were just too big of a lump of sugar - they would do great with a smaller silicone mold, and in the shape of an animal to honor its name. The borstplaat was softer, more tender to the palate, and was perfect for nibbling on while drinking a cup of coffee - and ultimately won out. Borstplaat can be described as similar to fudge but differs in its consistency, being flatter and more brittle. The main ingredients in borstplaat are sugar and cream. 

The sugar can be enhanced with flavoring and food coloring. Be careful when pouring the sugar as it is incredibly hot, and allow the candy to sit overnight before removing it from the molds. If you live in a humid environment, it is probably of the essence to consume these as soon as possible, as the sugar will attract moisture. Makes 6 hearts.

Suikerbeestjes

For suikerbeestjes 

1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar

1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract

3 tablespoons water

For borstplaat

1 cup (200 grams) white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract
3 tablespoons milk, water or heavy cream

Optional: edible glitter or sprinkles

Place the silicone mold on a solid surface, for example, a cutting board, so that you can easily move it out of the way while the sugar sets up. If you want to  use edible glitter or sprinkles, add a pinch to the bottom of each shape. 

Use a pan with a thick bottom, and make sure that the pan is tall enough to allow for the volume to double or triple. Mix the sugars with the vanilla and the liquid in the pan, and bring to a boil on a medium hot stove.  Stir frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to stir as the sugary syrup starts to bubble up and become "woolly", displaying a white, bubbly surface (see picture). 

Stir for three or four minutes, and then dip a fork in the hot sugar. Lift the fork up. If the syrup coats the tines of the fork without dripping off, it's ready to be taken off the stove. In the photo on the right, you can still see sugar crystals so it needs a few more minutes. 

Once off the heat, stir down the sugary mixture, until all the big bubbles have gone - this will ensure a nice, solid candy. Stir in a drop or two of food coloring if you wish, and stir until you have the desired color. Carefully pour the hot sugary mess into the molds. 

The sugar will set pretty quickly on the outside, but the inside will still be scalding hot, so don't be fooled. Allow it to sit in a safe place for several hours or overnight to set up. 

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