- Janny de Moor - https://www.jannydemoor.nl/en -

West Frisian pancake

Ingredients

Serves two:

West Friesland is a region in the Province of North Holland where the land is so perfect for growing cauliflower that it produces 60 % of this vegetable in the Netherlands. Cauliflower is mentioned in the first cookbook published on Dutch territory, written by doctor Carolus Battus (1593). He simmers his Blom-Coolen in the broth of a castrated ram with ram’s fat or butter and seasons them with ginger powder. Never the less Doctor Van Beverwijck considers cauliflower prepared this way  in his book Schat der Gesontheit (Treasure of Health, 1642) aengenamer (more agreeable) and lighter to digest than normal cabbage.

In his time bloemkool was still very expensive, for it had to be imported from Italy or Crete. This changed at the end of the 17th century when the cultivation in North Holland started. It was an enormous effort to drudge the cauliflowers through the ditches of ‘The domain of thousand islands’ with flat boats that had to be lifted over dykes. But the Dutch cauliflower appeared on the market.

And yes, already very soon with the notorious thick white milk sauce. The perfect  Dutch kitchen maid (De Volmaakte Hollandse Keuken-Meid 1761) calls this very good food. There is a lot of disputing about tastes!

See for another recipe for cauliflower on this site: Cauliflower pies with egg salad.

 

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