World Culture Tour: Belgium/Netherlands Part 1 - Stoverij and Stoemp

We're now in the Dutch area of Europe in our World Culture Tour, specifically in Belgium and The Netherlands. As our entry into this area we decided to make stoverij with a side item of stoemp for dinner. Likely, you've never heard of those things. I sure hadn't. Stoverij, or carbonnade flamande, is a Belgian beef stew.  Stoemp is a Belgian dish of mashed potatoes and mashed carrots. The stoverij was pretty good, not the beef stew your mom made...unless she was Belgian, but it was still decent. Stoemp on the other hand ended more in a 50/50 scenario in our house. I liked it, but the combination of mashed potatoes and mashed carrots didn't fly for everyone.  Stoverij Ingredients

• Stew beef

• Dark Ale

• 2 Bay Leaves

• Olive Oil (to coat the pan you cook in)

• 4.5 tsp Garlic (minced)

• 1 chopped onion (big)

• 2 sliced carrots

• 1 Tbsp tomato puree

• 1 cup Pancetta

• Parsley

• 1.5 cup Beef Stock

Directions

1. Marinate the beef overnight in the dark ale along with the garlic and the bay leaves. 

2. Remove the beef from the marinade the next day, but don't get rid of the marinade just yet. Pat the meat dry and cover with the flour, then cook in a pan that has been coated with the olive oil.

3. Remove the meat from your pan and put to the side. Add the carrots, onion, and pancetta to that pan and cook those. 

4. Add all these ingredients along with the beef, beef stock, remaining marinade, and tomato puree to a casserole dish and cook in the over at 300 degrees F.  Cook for 2 hours.

Stoemp Ingredients

1. 2.5 cups diced potatoes

2. 1.5 cups sliced carrots

3. .5 cup bacon bits (optional)

4. 4 Tbsp butter

5. .5 cup heavy cream

6. 1/2 tsp Salt

7. 1/2 tsp pepper

8. 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes, carrots, and salt in a pot until the veggies are tender.

2. Smash the potatoes and carrots after draining the water, leaving them a little chunky...so do it by hand, no mixers!

3. Add bacon if you'd like.

4. Stir in the butter, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

5. Serve!

The plan for the rest of our Belgian/Nederlander trip --> 

Movies

• Diary of Anne Frank

• Smurfs

• A Dog of Flanders

• Dik Trom

• King of Belgians

• Sudden Death (Muscles from Brussels)

• Everyman’s War

• Battle of the Bulge doc

• The Windmill

• Hitman’s Bodyguard

• Winky’s Horse

• Adventures of Tintin

• History Documentary

Music – Jacques Brel, Nederpop, Traditional Dutch Music, Barrel Organ, Dutch Clog Music Food - Carbonnades Flamandes / Stoverij, waffles, fries, Speculoos, chocolate, stoemp Stories – ups and downs, cock and the fox, boar with the golden bristles, spinhead and snow white, cat and cradle Craft - windmill craft http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/netherlands/mwindmill.htm Custom – Dutch Folk Dance

Check out more of our World Culture Tour.