Bitterballen (plural of ''bitterbal'') are a

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

meat-based snack, made by making a very thick stew thickened with

roux Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or Cooking oil, oil on the stove top, blended until smoo ...

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. Most recipes include

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...

and there are also variations using

curry powder Curry powder is a spice mix for curry originating from the Indian subcontinent, adapted from but not to be confused with the native spice mix of garam masala. History As commercially available in Western markets, curry powder is comparable t ...

or that add in finely chopped vegetables such as carrot. The ''bitterbal'' derives its name from the type of beverage that it is traditionally served with: herb-flavoured alcoholic drinks called ''

bitters A bitters (plural also ''bitters'') is traditionally an Alcoholic drink, alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a Bitterness (taste), bitter or bittersweet Flavoring, flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of 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 A croquette (; ) is a deep-fried roll originating in French cuisine, consisting of a thick binder combined with a filling, which is then breaded. It is served as a side dish, a snack, or fast food worldwide. The binder is typically a thick b� ...

(''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.

Preparation

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 A ramekin (, ; also spelled ramequin) is a small dish used for culinary purposes. Name The term is derived from the French ', a cheese- or meat-based dish baked in a small mould. The French term is in turn derived from early modern Dutch ', ...

or small bowl of

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...

for dipping along with toothpicks. They are eaten in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles,Caribbean Croquettes: Bitterbal
/ref> and Bonaire, and to some degree in Indonesia.

References

External links

The Dutch Table - Bitterballen
{{Dutch cuisine Dutch cuisine Beef dishes Deep fried foods Snack foods Meatballs

Preparation

See also

References

External links