Bitterballen
Savory Dutch meat-based snack
Bitterballen (plural of bitterbal) are a Dutch meat-based snack, made by making a very thick stew thickened with roux and beef stock and loaded with meat, refrigerating the stew until it firms, and then rolling the thick mixture into balls which then get breaded and fried. Seasonings in the base stew usually include onions, salt and pepper, parsley and nutmeg.
01Origin and name
The bitterbal derives its name from the type of beverage that it is traditionally served with: herb-flavoured alcoholic drinks called bitters in Dutch. Bitterballen are popularly served as part of a bittergarnituur, a selection of savoury snacks to go with drinks, at pubs or at receptions in the Netherlands.
Bitterballen are very similar to the more common croquette (kroketten in Dutch) in ingredients and preparation/cooking methods, as well as flavour, though the larger kroketten have a distinct oblong sausage shape, but with a similar diameter.
02Preparation
The ingredients are combined and cooked, then refrigerated for the mixture to firm up. Once firm, the filling is rolled into balls roughly 3 to 4 cm in diameter, then battered in a breadcrumb and egg mixture and deep-fried. They are typically served with a ramekin or small bowl of mustard for dipping along with toothpicks. They are mostly eaten in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, and Bonaire, and to some degree in Indonesia.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Bitterballen”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Bitterballen mosterd mayo.jpg by Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bitterbal.jpg by Riki1979, CC BY-SA 4.0
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