Stamppot is a traditional Dutch dish made with mashed root vegetables, often including potatoes, and meat. Its origin is uncertain, but it may have been created from leftover potatoes left by Spanish soldiers. Variations include using boiled greens or adding milk, butter, broth, or applesauce.
Stamppot is a traditional Dutch dish that is often served in the cold winter months. While its exact ingredients can vary greatly depending on the cook, it often consists of cooked root vegetables, mostly potatoes, but can also include other root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, carrots, or celery root, which are mashed together. To make the dish more filling, it is also often combined with meat. These meat pairings can include smoked bacon; rookworst, which is a Dutch style of smoked sausage; or strips of sautéed pork fat known as lardon.
The exact story behind the creation of stamppot is not conclusively known. A widely held belief is that the dish originated as a result of potato scraps left behind in the Netherlands by Spanish soldiers in the 16th century during the Eighty Years’ War. Prior to the 16th century, potatoes, the main ingredient in the dish, were not thought to exist in the Netherlands.
Stamppot is often made by first boiling potatoes in water until they are heated through and have a soft, pliable texture. If other root vegetables are used in the dish, they can be boiled together with the potatoes or in a separate pot. Once all of the root vegetables are cooked through and softened, they are mashed together with a potato masher, wooden spoon, or other flat-bottomed utensil, until combined into the desired texture. If meat is used in the dish, it is usually cooked in a separate pan and then added to the mashed vegetables.
Although the traditional stamppot recipe tends to be made primarily with potatoes and other root vegetables, there are common variations to the ingredients. Some versions of the dish may replace the root vegetables with boiled greens instead. Vegetables that are often substituted in the dish include collards, kale, endive, spinach or sauerkraut. Other ingredients may also be added to make the dish tastier or give it a creamier texture, such as milk, butter, broth, or applesauce.
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