EUROPEAN CUISINE

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

DUTCH CUISINE

Dutch cuisine (Dutch: Nederlandse keuken) is formed from the cooking traditions and practices of the Netherlands. The country's cuisine is shaped by its location in the fertile North Sea river delta of the European Plain, giving rise to fishing, farming (for crops and domesticated animals), and trading over sea, its former colonial empire and the spice trade.

Traditionally, Dutch cuisine is simple and straightforward, with many vegetables and little meat: breakfast and lunch are typically bread with toppings like cheese, while dinner is meat and potatoes, supplemented with seasonal vegetables. The diet contains many dairy products and was relatively high in carbohydrates and fat, reflecting the dietary needs of the laborers whose culture molded the country. Without many refinements, it is best described as rustic, though many holidays are celebrated with special foods.

During the twentieth century, Dutch cuisine and diet changed. Influenced by the eating culture of its colonies (particularly the Dutch East Indies), it became more cosmopolitan and most international cuisines are represented in the major cities.

OLIEBOLLEN

Traditional Dutch oliebollen (literally, "oil balls") have often been called the precursor of the doughnut, the popular American treat. It seems very probable that early Dutch settlers took their tradition over to the New World where it evolved into the anytime-anywhere snack the doughnut is today. In Holland, they pretty much remain a seasonal treat: made and enjoyed specifically to ring in the New Year.

You will need two tablespoons to form and handle the dough, as well as a slotted spoon to remove the oliebollen from the hot oil. Oliebollen can be made with optional raisins and currants and even bits of chopped apple, but a seasonal snowfall of white confectioners' sugar and earthy ground cinnamon is a must.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 4 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups oil (vegetable or sunflower, for frying)
• Garnish: Confectioners' sugar
• Garnish: Ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this Dutch treat is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and frying.

Prepare the Yeast Dough

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon white sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to stand for 10 minutes (if the yeast doesn't bubble, discard and buy new yeast. The lack of bubbles means the yeast is no longer active).
3. Mix together the flour and remaining 1/4 cup white sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and the yeast mixture to the well.
4. Warm up the milk in the microwave just until it is lukewarm. Add half of the milk to the well in the flour and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Add the rest of the milk and mix until smooth.
5. Cover the bowl with a damp dishtowel and allow to rise in a warm area for about 1 hour. Once the dough has doubled, stir in the salt and let sit while you heat the oil.

Fry and Serve the Oliebollen

1. Heat the oil to 350 F in a large, deep pan or in a deep fryer. To check whether the oil is at the right temperature, stand the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If little bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.
2. Quickly dip two tablespoons into the oil and form small balls of the dough with the oiled tablespoons, carefully scraping and dropping the dough into the hot oil. The oliebollen will sink to the bottom of the pan and then pop right back up. You should be able to fry at least 6 at a time, but don't crowd the pan.
3. Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping when required. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.
4. Sieve confectioners' sugar over the oliebollen as well as a dusting of ground cinnamon and serve warm.

Tips

• The dough can be held for 1 or 2 hours covered with a damp dishtowel because the yeast will remain active. Then fry the dough as needed.
• If the fritters are uncooked on the inside, the oil is either too hot or too cold. The oil should not be hotter than 350 F/180 C. Oil that is too cold is often the result of frying too many oliebollen at one time.
• Allow leftover oliebollen to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for approximately two days.
• Leftovers can be warmed in a heated oven at 390 F/200 C for 15 minutes or in the microwave on high (850 watts) for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Leftovers also can easily be frozen and will keep in the freezer for about 2 months. To eat, allow to defrost and then warm as above.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking