Qualifications: Accredited Food Safety Supervisor
I’m a home cook with a love for hearty, comforting dishes! There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending a Sunday in the kitchen, letting something simmer away on the stove and taking my time to put together a meal. I love experimenting with new recipes, or taking simple dishes and refining them, spending time learning new techniques and sourcing the right ingredients to elevate a simple dish.
For three years, I lived in Amsterdam with my Dutch partner, and it was there that I was introduced to bitterballen, the Dutch version of a croquette. These golden, crispy bites are filled with a rich, slow-cooked pulled beef and roux centre, coated in a crunchy panko breadcrumb crust, and served with tangy mustard on the side. They’re the ultimate beer snack, and you’ll be sure to find them on the menu at any bar in the Netherlands.
To me, there’s nothing more Dutch than sitting on a terrace in the late afternoon sun, with a plate of bitterballen and aflutje (small beer) in hand. It’s a tradition we’ve missed since moving to the Southern Hemisphere, especially since the bitterballen we’ve found here just don’t hit the same.
Inspired by a heritage-themed dinner party we hosted for friends, I decided to learn how to make authentic, quality bitterballen myself. I spent hours tweaking recipes and picking up tips from famous Dutch chefs. My partner (the official “taste tester” and true Dutchie) can vouch for their authentic taste, and our friends—who’d never heard of bitterballen before—now request these every time they visit.
