Dutch Stamppot

Central European food is always very hearty and comforting! On that theme, today's recipe is Stamppot - a Dutch staple - which is made with mashed potato (and other vegetables, if you like) along with kale, endive or other greens, and usually served with a smoked and spiced Dutch sausage called rookworst - think of it as Dutch bangers and mash. It can also be served with other meat such as bacon or stew.

I've opted to stick with the traditional recipe shared by my Dutch friend and only use kale and potato, but you could easily add carrots, onion, sauerkraut, leeks and other vegetables if you like. For serving, the rookworst is placed on top of the mash - either whole or sliced - and a well is made in the middle of the potato for gravy. Mustard is often also added to the side of the dish, and it is occasionally served with apple sauce.

One of the national dishes of The Netherlands, Stamppot is simple, comforting, satisfying and perfect for a quick meal.

Stamppot ingredients

• Floury potatoes for mashing - see mashing varieties if you're not sure what to use.
• Rookworst sausage which is a Dutch smoked sausage, typically around 275-350g (10-12 oz) in weight. Substitute with Kielbasa if you can't find Rookworst. More info about Rookworst.
• Kale - curly kale is traditional, but you can use other greens like silverbeet, cavolo nero, or endive.
• Butter and milk for the mash, along with salt and pepper to taste and optionally a little ground nutmeg.
• Seeded mustard or apple sauce, to serve.

Gravy

Gravy is often served with Stamppot. It's optional; if you want to make it you'll need:

• Butter.
• Plain flour.
• Beef stock.

How to make Stamppot

Check out the recipe card further down the post for comprehensive instructions.

Stamppot is simple to make and only takes around 20 minutes!

1. Pull the leaves off the kale stems and slice them.
2. Cook the potatoes.
3. Add the rookworst to the potatoes.
4. Make the gravy.
5. Add the kale to the potatoes.
6. Mash and serve!

Dutch Stamppot

Unrated

Sam Knight

Potato Winter Quick weeknight meals Dutch cuisine

Prep	Cook	Total
10 mins	20 mins	30 mins

Serves 4

One of the national dishes of The Netherlands, Stamppot is a hearty meal of mashed potato and kale, served with a Dutch sausage called rookworst. Perfect for a hearty winters meal!

• 1kg mashing potatoes, peeled and cut into equal size chunks see note 1
• 2-4 rookworst sausages a Dutch spiced and smoked sausage, see note 2
• Bunch of curly kale, leaves torn from stem and finely sliced see note 5
• 70g butter or more to taste
• 150ml milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Ground nutmeg, to taste optional

For the gravy (optional)

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 250ml (1 cup) beef stock stock cube, powder or concentrate is fine

To serve

• Seeded mustard
• Apple sauce optional

Steps

1. Cook potatoes - add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook, covered, for around 5 minutes before continuing with the next step.
2. Cook rookworst - add the rookworst to the potatoes, or to a separate pot with water.
3. Make gravy - if serving with gravy, add the butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir well to combine. Cook the flour for 30 seconds, and then slowly pour in the beef stock, whisking to incorporate as you do so. Bring to a simmer and reduce until thickened, stirring occasionally. When the gravy has thickened, reduce heat to low and continue to stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
4. Cook kale - when the potato is just tender and the rookworst is warmed, add the kale to the potato. If cooking the rookworst with the potato, place the kale under the rookworst. Cook until the kale is softened, around 3 minutes.
5. Mash - drain the water from the pot. Put the rookworst aside. Add the butter and milk and mash to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Season the mash with nutmeg if using.
6. Serve - place the stamppot on a plate. If using the gravy, use a spoon to make a well in the middle of the stamppot. Pour some gravy into the well and then place the rookworst on top. Add a little seeded mustard or apple sauce to the side of the plate if desired.

Notes

1. Potatoes - cutting the potato into equal size chunks will make them cook at the same time. For the best mashed potatoes, use high-starch, floury variety because it'll break down easily during cooking, resulting in a fluffy and creamy texture. Avoid waxy potatoes because they don't mash well - the post details which potato varieties to use if you're unsure. Take care not to overcook the potatoes because they will disintegrate in the water.
2. Rookworst - this is a Dutch sausage which is smoked and spiced, and can be easily identified by its horseshoe shape. It can however be difficult to find - try continental delis or butchers if you can't find it at your supermarket. Kielbasa is a good substitute, alternatively use your favourite sausage.
3. Cooking rookworst - rookworst is usually sold cooked. It's typically simmered until warmed through, but can also be warmed in a skillet, or sliced and fried.
4. Rookworst serving size - typical sausages are around the 275-350g (10-12 oz) mark. Each sausage will serve 1-2 people depending on appetite.
5. Kale - you can use other greens if you can't get kale or don't like it. Alternatives include endive, silverbeet or cavolo nero. Just make sure you remove the woody stems. I end up with around 200g (7 oz) after stripping the leaves from the stems and this amount of kale works well.
6. Other vegetables - I've stuck with the traditional stamppot recipe but you can include other vegetables like carrots, onions, leeks, sauerkraut, etc. See other vegetables for more information.