Bitterballen

Bitterballen: Step by Step

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1. Melt the butter and cook the onion 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the flour and cook 3 minutes to a pale roux.

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2. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, whisking each addition smooth before the next, until you have a very thick paste that pulls away from the pan.

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3. Stir in the beef, parsley, Worcestershire, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes more.

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4. Spread into a tray lined with cling film to about 2 cm deep, press film onto the surface, and refrigerate at least 4 hours until completely firm.

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5. Cut into 24 squares and roll each into a ball with wet hands.

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6. Roll each ball in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Then repeat the egg and breadcrumbs for a second coat.

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7. Chill the coated balls 30 minutes.

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8. Heat the oil to 180°C / 355°F and fry six at a time for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden.

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9. Drain on a rack and rest 2 minutes before eating — the inside is genuinely molten. Serve with mustard.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Keep an Eye on These

1. Thicker than seems reasonable. If it is spreadable when cold, it will burst.
2. Double crumb, always, and chill after coating.
3. Rest two minutes before biting. The filling comes out of the fryer very hot.

About This Recipe

The filling is a roux-based ragout taken far thicker than a sauce — thick enough to slice when cold — because it has to hold a shape at room temperature and then liquefy in the fryer. A double crumb is not optional: a single coat splits and the filling escapes into the oil.

What to Serve It With

Grainy Dutch mustard · A cold pilsner · A jenever

Leftovers

Freeze coated and uncooked for 2 months; fry from frozen at 170°C / 340°F for 6 minutes.

Quick Answers

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (how much frying oil the food takes up cannot be known from the recipe). Why some recipes have none.

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