Couch Culture Club - Netherlands
Hallo daar! WELCOME TO WEEK 9 OF COUCH CULTURE CLUB, WE’RE OFF TO The Netherlands
The land of artistic masterpieces, centuries-old windmills, tulip fields and extraordinary cuisine is where we are headed this week on the Couch Culture Club, yep you’ve guessed it…The Netherlands. From Amsterdam to Rotterdam this small country is bursting with culture and charm.
Create a quintessential Dutch night at home by cooking a traditional Dutch winter warmer a Stamppot with Rookwurst. Originating sometime in the 1600s, stamppot has been a favourite of the Netherlands for hundreds of years & rightly so! Pair this with a traditional Dutch liqueur Advocaat by shaking up a Dutch Courage cocktail. Then settle in for the night on the couch and learn about an incredible true story of two banker brothers in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam with the film The Resistance Bankers.
If you’re headed with us this week, we would love to see your photos you can send them to us on Facebook or via email
Dutch Stamppot With Rookwurst
INGREDIENTS
2 Rookwurst Dutch Sausage
1.5 kg potatoes
2 bay leaves
2 shallots
3 tbsp. butter
750 g curly kale
2 cups milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Wash, peel and cut up potatoes. In a large pot boil potatoes and bay leaves in salted water for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the kale and trim any coarse stems, then cut the kale into thin strips. Peel and chop the shallots. In a frying pan, melt 1 tbsp. of butter and saute the shallots for a few minutes before adding the kale and 2 tbsp. of water. Season and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
After the potatoes have cooked for 20 minutes warm the milk on the stove or in the microwave. Then remove the bay leaves from your large pot and drain, shake and dry the potatoes with kitchen towels before mashing them. Working quickly, add the warm milk and the remaining butter. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove pan from the heat and mix the cooked kale and shallots through the mashed potato mixture.
In the same heavy skillet used for the kale, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the sausages until nicely browned on both sides and heated through. Remove and slice then place ontop of the kale and potatoes. Serve hot with your favourite mustard or gravy. Serve and enjoy!
*Cooking the sausages is optional. You can also serve as-is from packet as they are smoked if preferred.
dutch courage
If you’ve ever been told to have a little Dutch Courage, here it is! This luscious cocktail champions a traditional Dutch liqueur Advocaat, a slightly thicker, custard-like version of eggnog liqueur.
Add 30ml Dry Gin, 30ml Advocaat, 30ml Freshly Squeezed lemon juice, 90ml Apple juice and a handful of ice into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a tall chilled glass and garnish with mint and apple.
Enjoy!
The Resistance Banker
This weeks film choice is an enthralling true story told by Dutch film director Joram Lürsen, The Resistance Banker. The film tells the story of banker brothers Walraven and Gijs van Hall in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam on their quest to help fund the Dutch resistance by creating an underground bank. You can watch it on Netflix by Clicking Here
