Hutspot (Dutch Carrot and Onion Mash)

About This Recipe

Hutspot is the second pillar of Dutch stamppot tradition alongside boerenkool and is the dish eaten throughout the Netherlands on October 3rd — the national Leiden Relief Day, commemorating the Spanish siege of Leiden in 1574. Legend says that when the Spanish army retreated, they left behind a pot of hutspot — the Leiden citizens found it and ate it, breaking a months-long famine. Whether true or not, the dish has been eaten on this date for 450 years. Unlike boerenkool (which is green), hutspot is orange-gold from the carrots and naturally sweet. It is traditionally served with beef ribs (klapstuk) slow-braised in the same cooking water.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gfloury potatoes(peeled and quartered)
• 400 gcarrots(peeled and sliced 2cm thick)
• 2large onions(roughly diced)
• 50 gbutter
• 100 mlwarm milk
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 tspgrated nutmeg
• 4beef short ribs or braising steak(optional, braised separately in stock)

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil together

   Place potatoes, carrots and onions in a large pot. Cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook 25–30 min until everything is completely soft.

2. 2

   Drain and mash

   Drain very thoroughly. Return to pot over low heat for 1 min to steam off excess moisture. Add butter, warm milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mash roughly — hutspot should have visible pieces of carrot and onion, not be smooth.

   A potato masher gives the correct rough texture. A food processor produces an uncharacteristically smooth result.

3. 3

   Taste and finish

   Taste and adjust salt. The carrot sweetness should come through clearly.

4. 4

   Serve

   Mound hutspot on plates. Top with braised beef rib if serving with meat. Pour any meat braising juices over the mash as a gravy.

Variations

• •

  Add parsnip alongside carrots for a more complex sweetness

• •

  Stamppot met worst: add sliced smoked sausage on top

• •

  For a richer version, replace half the milk with double cream

• •

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

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Add a splash of milk when reheating to restore the consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions