Hutspot — Dutch Mashed Vegetables

About This Recipe

Hutspot is one of the Netherlands' oldest and most symbolically important dishes: a hearty mash of potato, carrot and onion boiled together and roughly mashed with generous butter. It is inseparable from Dutch history — according to legend, it was the abandoned meal left by the retreating Spanish army during the Siege of Leiden in 1574, found by a young Dutch boy and now celebrated every year on 3 October (Leidens Ontzet, or Leiden's Relief). Whether or not the story is true, hutspot has remained a beloved Dutch comfort food for centuries, typically served with stoofvlees (slow-braised beef in beer) poured over the top, or with sausage. Unlike French mashed potato, hutspot is intentionally chunky — a rough, textured mash full of character.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gfloury potatoes(peeled and quartered)
• 400 gcarrots(peeled and roughly diced)
• 3 largeonions(roughly diced)
• 60 gbutter
• 100 mlwarm milk
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 0.5 teaspoonwhite pepper
• 0.5 teaspoonnutmeg
• 600 gbeef stew or braised short ribs(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil together

   Place potatoes, carrots and onions in a large pot with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20–25 minutes until all vegetables are very tender.

2. 2

   Drain and mash

   Drain thoroughly. Mash roughly with a potato masher — hutspot should be chunky, not smooth. Add butter, warm milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mash and stir until combined.

   Do not use a food processor or blender — hutspot should have texture and character, not be a smooth purée.

3. 3

   Serve

   Serve in deep bowls or plates, topped with slow-braised beef stew and its sauce. The sauce should run into the mash.

Variations

• •

  Stamppot boerenkool: the same technique but with kale instead of carrot.

• •

  Stamppot with sauerkraut (zuurkool) is another popular variation.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of milk.

Frequently Asked Questions