7/6: Uruguay v Netherlands

This is sure to be an incredible game as the last Latin American country standing puts up a fight against what looks to be an all-European final. Our hearty feast, a celebration of all things fried, will keep you well nourished through all the fist pounding and jumping that this game is sure to inspire.

Holland fans can stock up on all things Dutch over at Typical Dutch Stuff, which sells everything from wooden clogs to frozen snacks. They are having a particularly large run on kroketten and bitterballen for the Cup games, so we presume these are the most popular game day snacks in The Netherlands. Thus, we've included recipes for both of those today but you can always order them frozen. Hup Holland Hup!
Luckily for us, they also offer a Recipe blog where you can delve further into the exciting world of Dutch cuisine beyond the Gouda. 


Dutch Chivito with Bitterballen/Kroketten 
Chivito, the Uruguayan national dish, appears a simple sandwich at first glance but is so much more! The dish was invented accidentally in a 1950's Punta del Este tourist restaurant for a woman who asked to eat chivito (goat in Spanish) and was served this sandwich instead by a kitchen that had apparently seen a run on baby goat. Typically prepared with think slices of churrasco and ham or bacon, our Dutch spin puts Kroketten in the mix for the beef.
Essentially the same as Bitterballen, a Kroket comes in a oblong shape rather than the traditional round ball. They are often served at cocktail parties or as a snack with a pre-dinner drink. Seldom made at home, Kroketten (the Dutch spin on the French croquette), are a typical bar snack, served alongside french fries like a Dutch Fish and Chips.
Mustard is entrenched in Dutch heritage and they take great pride in flavorful, artisan mustards made with whole mustard seed. Simply put, the yellow squeeze bottle will not cut it here.

Photo: Niclas on Picasa
Prepare the Kroketten:
½ lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 eggs, separated
2 T butter 
3 T flour
1 tsp lemon juice
Bread crumbs
Simmer meat with salt, onion, and bay leaf in 1 ½ cups of water until meat is well done ~1 hour. Drain off the liquid and bring to a simmer in a saucepan. Add butter and then flour, cooking until thickened. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of curry powder. Beat the yolks and add to the stock mixture. Pour over the meat. Chill until firm ~2 hours. Form into oblong meatballs, roll in bread crumbs, dip in whisked egg white and then fry in hot oil. Serve with Dutch mustard.
Assemble the Dutch Chivito:
Lightly coat two pieces of bread with Dutch mustard. Top with fresh mozzarella and toast slightly to melt. Add a few slices of thickly cut, freshly fried ham and then the freshly fried Kroketten. Top with a fried egg, and lettuce and tomato if you like. The key word here is really fried.

HEY! We've seen that cuisine before! Cook the foods of today's competing countries using other recipes: try our Slovak/Chilean take on the Dutch Uitsmijter breakfast or try our Danish, 'Burning Love,' take on the traditional Dutch Stamppot.  The taste of Uruguay first grazed our World Cup Food palletes during the second game of the Cup as they won against France and won us over with an incredible Dulce de Leche Crème Brulée and came to pair, coincidentally once again with French flavors during our Latino conquest of duck confit with confit ravioli.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Dining Guide tells you where and why.