BitterBallen...Daring Cooks October Challenge بتر بولن وتحدي نادي الطبخ لشهر 10

The October Daring Cooks’ Challenge was brought to us by Andrea from 4pure. She introduced us to one of her family favorites which is soon to become one of yours, too. Welcome to the world of Dutch Bitterballen!

I have been so busy lately that I unfortunately missed few daring cooks and bakers challenges...Note to self...NEVER AGAIN!!!! These challenges as so much fun not to mention that they give us a huge enrichment on other cultures and food from around the world. The Daring Cooks Challenge for the month of Oct was to make Bitterballen...say again..."Bitterballen"..Yes you heard me...what are they? They are so darn delicious I don't know where to start!!! Thanks to Adndrea from 4Pure for this wonderful Dutch challenge.

In her introduction to the delicious appetizer she said and I quote " Bitterballen (a small deep fried kroket (croquette)) are a traditional Dutch snack available in every snack bar. It used to be a method to use leftover
 meat and was served as an entrée. Now it is a real treat which you can get anywhere around the 
Netherlands. In the Netherlands we eat about 300 million bitterballen portions each year (about 25 per person each year).

Bitterballens are filled croquettes made from a roux (a mixture of cooked flour and butter) that is made into a salpicon (by the addition of milk and/or stock and sometimes gelatine) to which the filling (meat, seafood or cheese) is added and then shaped into small balls which is breaded (crumbed) and deep fried until golden brown"

I made the cheese version of this as I had all ingredients (sort of) on hand...Here is Andrea's recipe with my little alterations to suit my family. My notes are in bold and underlined

Cheese BitterBallen

Ingredients

½ stick (½ cup) (4 oz) (100 gm) butter
¾ cup (180 ml) (4 oz) (110 gm) flour
2 cups (500 ml) milk
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons (1/3 oz) (10 gm) gelatin I added an extra 1/2 a tsp
3 oz (80 gm) old cheese or parmesan
3 oz (80 gm) soft cheese like brie, camembert (I used Elemental not quite very soft but I had it on hand)
3 oz (80 gm) matured cheese (I used old English Cheddar)
2 egg yolks (I didn't use eggs as they tend to be very eggy here in Jordan and the result turned out fabulous)
1/3 cup (80 ml) cream
salt and pepper at taste

Directions:

Grate the cheeses. Melt the butter. Then add the flour all at once and while stirring cook for another 3 minutes. Then add the milk, whisk very well and let it come to a boil (keep stirring). Cook at a high simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the egg yolks with the cream (if using them, I only added the cream)and whisk into the cheese mixture. Dissolve the gelatine in a little cold water and add to the cheese mixture. Take a cooled plate or oven dish (rinsed in some cold water) spread the filling out and cover with some plastic wrap and let cool for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (better to let it cool overnight).

Take three bowls and fill the first one with flour, the second one with the eggs and the third one with bread crumbs.

Take the filling and take a spoon of filling and make a ball of it. Roll it through the bowl with flour.

Roll the floured ball through the beaten egg and at last

Roll through the bread crumbs.

Place on a plate and repeat for the rest of the filling. Place the plate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, and heat your frying pan to 350°F/180°C (medium heat). Check the temperature by placing a small cube of bread in the heated oil it should sizzle and brown in a minute or two.

Deep fry the bitterballen for about 3 to 4 minutes until done (golden brown).

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:These bitterballen can be frozen (before you cook them in the frying pan) and stored for about 1 month. Add 1 minute of extra cooking time when you use them (you don’t need to defrost them).

Here are some tips that I found beneficial

- The heat of the oil need to be quite high in order to ensure that the balls are golden brown before the filling starts to ooze out of the crust

- Refrigerating the balls before frying helps and maybe freezing them is even better (need to try that next time)

Now here is the hero after I took my first bite...so cheesy and delicious...thanks Andrea for the great recipe!

الي فترة ما اشتركت بتحدي الطبخ بالمجموعة اللي انا فيها وزعلانة من حالي لانه جد حلو وبيفتح عيون الواحد على اكلات من مختلف انحاء العالم...تحدي الطبخ لشهر 10 كان من اندريا من الدنمارك لنوع من انواع المقبلات اللي ما بيخلى منها اي حفل او طاولة مقبلات وبتنعمل بحشوات مختلفة...منها اللحمة والسمك والجبنة...اسم المقبلات (بتر بولن)...وهي عبارة عن كروكيت معمول بشكل كرات خليني افرجيكم الوصفة واعطيكم بعض النقاط اللي غيرت فيها بما يناسبني...

كروكيت الجبنة الدنماركي (بتر بولن)

المقادير:

اصبع زبدة 100 غم

3/4 كوب طحين

2 كوب حليب

رشة جوزة الطيب

2/1 2 ملعقة صغيرة جيلاتين مذاب بالقليل من الماء البارد

80 غم جبنة بارمزان طازجة مبشورة

80 غم جبنة امنتال

80 غم جبنة شدر حادة

1/3 كوب كريما

ملح، فلفل اسود

للتغطيس: طحين، بيض، بقسماط

الطريقة:

نذيب الزبدة ونقلب الطحين قليلا ثم نضيف الحليب ونحرك باستمرار وسيسمك المزيج كثيرا نضيف البهارات وانواع الجبنة والكريما ونرفعه عن النار ثم نضيف الجيلاتين المذاب بالماء ونفرد المزيج بصحن باركس ونغطيها ببلاستيك ونتركها تبرد 24 ساعة بالثلاجة

نحضر الطحين والبيض المخفوق والبقسماط للتغطيس ونقوم بتشكيل كرات من الخليط (المفروض جمد منيح) ونغطس كل كرة بالطحين ثم البيض ثم البقسماط ونرجعها على الثلاجة لتبرد او ممكن تفريزها

للطبخ نحمي زيت غزير على حرارة عالية (يجب ان يكون الزيت ساخن لمنع الحشوة الداخلية من الخروج اثناء القلي)

تقلى الكرات من 3-4 دقائق لتصبح ذهبية ونضيف دقيقة زيادة اذا كانت مفرزة حيث تقلى وهي مجمدة

وكانت النتيجة رائعة...رح اجرب انواع تانية واشارككم فيها قريبا ان شاء الله...