Bitterballen are small, fried meatballs usually served as appetizers or snacks. Usually made of beef, and sometimes veal, they are very lightly seasoned and coated in bread crumbs. Bitterballen are a Dutch snack and are essentially the same as kroketten, or croquettes, with the one exception being that kroketten are shaped like sausages.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
10 minutes
+ 10 minutes resting
+ 10 minutes resting
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1⅔ cup beef broth
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Nutmeg, to taste
- Curry powder, to taste
- 10.5 oz minced beef, pre-cooked
- 1 egg
- Breadcrumbs, as needed for coating
- 1 qt vegetable oil
- Mustard, as needed for serving
Directions
- Melt butter. Add flour and sauté for a few minutes.
- Gradually add beef stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
- Simmer gently, stirring, until sauce is quite thick.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and curry powder. Remove from heat.
- Add minced beef and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool.
- When mixture is cool enough to handle, roll into 1¼-inch balls.
- Crack egg into small bowl and lightly beat. Cover plate with breadcrumbs.
- Dip each ball into beaten egg, and then roll it in breadcrumbs.
- When all bitterballen are coated, heat oil in a pan suitable for deep frying. Fry bitterballen in batches until crisp on the outside and cooked through.
- Serve hot, with mustard on the side for dipping.
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