Sea bass crudo

Bring 1 l water to the boil with 60g salt. Cool for at leat 2 hrs. Then add 200g sea bass and pickle during 10 mins

Mix 5tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lime, the zest of 1/2 lime, a pinch of sea salt and 1tsp Togarashi.

Slice the fish very thinly. Serve with samphire.

A Blendbrothers recipe

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Butternut squash with currants, olives and ricotta

Put two tablespoons of the oil in a medium saute pan on a medium-high heat, then add 1 peeled and finely chopped red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for four minutes, until softened but not browned. Add 1,5 tsp tomato paste, 4 peeled and crushed garlic cloves and a teaspoon and a half of maple syrup, and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. 

Stir in 350g cubes (1-1,5 cm) butternut squash, a half-teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper, then turn down the heat to medium and fry, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes, until the squash is soft but still holding its shape.

Meanwhile, put 2tbsp sherry vinegar in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat. Once it’s bubbling, take off the heat, stir in 25g dried currants and set aside to plump up.

When the squash is ready, stir in the vinegar and currant mixture, 70g pitted and halved olives, a teaspoon of maple syrup and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and cook gently for three minutes more. Set aside to cool slightly – give it at least 15 minutes – then stir in 1 tbsp oregano leaves and 2 tbsp shredded basil leaves.

In a small bowl, combine 120g ricotta, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper. Divide the ricotta mix between two plates, then top with the warm squash mixture and 25g well toasted pine nuts. 

Drizzle over a final tablespoon of oil and serve warm or at room temperature, with focaccia to tear, scoop and eat alongside.

(Here Ottolenghi's original recipe, and 2 more)

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Spaghetti and (not) meatballs with fried oregano

Heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan). First, make the sauce. Put a 400g tin plum tomatoes, a teaspoon of Aleppo chilli (pul biber), 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tbsp tomato paste, 1,5 tsp caster sugar, 2 peeled and crushed cloves of garlic, 200ml water, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper in a medium 20cm x 14cm oven dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway, until reduced by about half.

To make the 'meatballs', put 1,5 tbsp oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. 

Add 1/2 peeled and finely chopped onion, 1 peeled and finely chopped (in the foodprocessor) carrot, the leaves of 2 sprigs of thyme and 1/2 tbsp oregano leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the onion has softened and lightly coloured. Add 2 peeled and crushed cloves of garlic, 150g chestnut mushrooms (coarsely chopped in the foodprocessor) and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes, until nicely browned, then take off the heat and leave to cool


Once the mushroom mix is cool, stir in 1 tbsp toasted and roughly chopped pine nuts, 35g cooked brown rice, roughly blitzed in the foodprocessor, 1/2 teaspoon of Aleppo chilli, 15g grated  parmesan, 1 egg, 30g Panko breadcrumbs and 15g finely chopped parsley, and mix well to combine. 

Divide the mix into 6 parts, roll these into balls, making sure they’re tightly compacted. Wipe out the pan, then put it back on a medium-high heat with two tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the meatballs, turning them gently, for seven to eight minutes, until evenly coloured all over. 

Carefully transfer the balls to the tomato sauce dish, turn them gently with a spoon to coat, then return the dish to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, to heat the meatballs through.

Meanwhile, make the crisp oregano. Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add 1,5 tbsp oregano leaves and fry, stirring constantly, for two minutes, until they start to darken and turn translucent. Take off the heat and pour through a sieve set over a small bowl.

Cook 120g spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water for about seven minutes, or according to package directions, then drain, reserving three tablespoons of the cooking water.

Carefully lift the meatballs from the sauce and transfer them to a plate. 

Stir the spaghetti and reserved cooking water into the tomato sauce until nicely coated, then divide between two shallow bowls, top with 3 meatballs each and then with the crisp oregano and its oil. 

Sprinkle with extra parmesan, and serve.

(Here Ottolenghi's original recipe and 2 more)

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Tartare of sea trout and bulgur

Wash and drain 25g bulgur, then soak in 75 ml cold water and 1/2 tsp sea salt during 30 mins.Then drain and dry.

Slice 200g sea trout (or salmon) into 5mm cubes.

Finely slice a shallot and 1/2 red chili.

Toast 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/3 tsp ground coriander and 1/3 tsp piment

Mix the fish, the bulgur, the shallot, the chili and the spices.

Season with black peper and 1 tsp salt. Cover and keep cool in the fresh, not longer than 1 hr.

In the meantime make a salsa from 30g hacked black olives, the finely sliced peel (discard the rest) of 1/2 preserved lemon, 5g hacked parsley and 1,5 tbsp olive oil

Use a mandoline to make very thin chips from a peeled Jerusalem artichoke and deep fry in archaide oil, drain on kitchen paper and add a bit of salt

Serve a shown, with some lemon oil 

(Here the original recipe in Flemish)

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Pita bruschetta, avocado, radish and coriander

Slice the bottom from a garlic bulb, pack in alufoil and roast in a hot (190°C) oven during 40 mins. Press each clove to remove the sweet pulp and mix with 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp pul biber (the Turkish pepper)

Cut the meat of 3 avocado's, add 1 heaped tbsp of hacked coriander and the garlic dressing

Halve 2 pita's lengthwise, brush the rough sides with oil and roast for about 2 mins under a very hot grill till nicely brown and crispy, but be alert not to burn them.

Serve as shown with thinly sliced radishes

(Another Jigal Krant recipe)

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King oyster mushroom, miso, liquorice

Slice 2 king oyster mushrooms lengthwise and make a crisscross pattern with a sharp knife. 

Rub in 1 tsp white miso and brush allover with olive oil, then bake them for 10 mins in a hot (180°C) oven

Use a kitchen burner to blacken the tops, grate some liquorice root (zoethout) over them, a little bit of salt and some isot biber (the Turkish black pepper)

Serve as shown with sea aster (lamsoren) to create a small landscape

(A Jigal Krant recipe)

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Paté truffles

Break 5 speculaas biscuits into the blender, turn it on the create a fine powder. 

If you live outside the Netherlands or Begium: cut 2 slices of ginger bread in small cubes, dry them in the oven (125 C) for one hour, then pulverise in the blender.

Mix 80g duck paté with 1 tbsp red port, divide in 4 parts and use both hands to create 4 small balls. Cover them with the powder.

Do the same with 80g wild boar paté and 1 tsp armagnac.

The third ball is made from pigeon paté with pistachio nuts.

Serve the duck balls with cranberry compote, the pigeon balls with apricot jam end the boar with onion compote

(Here Stephany Bex' original recipe in Dutch)

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Fish and potato gratin

Preheat the oven at 200°C

Wash and slice 2 leeks, sweat the rings in 25g butter

Peel and thinly slice (using a mandolin is best) 500g waxy potatoes (I used Gourmand)

Cut 300g fillets of haddock or whiting in bite size chunks

Butter an oval casserole, cover the bottom with the leek and 50g samphire.

Sprinkle with 50g grated cheese (I used Old Amsterdam)

Then add the fish (I added some left over brown shrimps as well) season with salt and pepper, 1 tsp thyme leaves and again 50g grated cheese.

Finish with the potato slices, each one covering 80% of the previous one. Stick 4 laurel leaves between the potatoes. Add another tsp thyme leaves and some ground paprika.

Whisk 200ml double cream with 1 grated clove of garlic and some pepper, then pour over the potatoes.

Finally cover with 50g grated cheese, cover with alu foil and bake in the hot oven for 45 mins.

Then raise the temperature to 220°, remove the alu foil and bake for another 12-15 mins to create a gold brown top. Feeds 6.

(Here Yvette van Boven's original recipe in Dutch)

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Chicken, lemon and artichoke soup

First make the stock. Peel 1 onion, cut it in half and put it in a large saucepan or casserole. Add 800g chicken thighs (bone in) and a handful of wings, 2 carrots, 1 stick of celery, snapped in half, 6 peppercorns, 4 thick coins of ginger and 5 sprigs of thyme. Pour in 2 litres of water and bring to the boil.

Lower the heat, partially cover with a lid and simmer for 50 minutes, checking the water level from time to time.

Peel 2 Jersusalem artichokes (aardperen), then cut them into large chunks. In a large pan heat 1 tbsp groundnut oil, then add the artichokes and let them cook for 10-15 minutes, until lightly coloured, stirring from time to time. Ladle in 1.5 litres of the chicken stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the artichokes are fully tender.

Remove the chicken pieces from the stock and set aside. (You may have some stock left over, so carefully strain it through a sieve or colander into a bowl or large jug and discard the aromatics. Cool, then store it in the fridge until needed.) Remove and discard the chicken skin. Pull the meat from the bones, then tear or slice into strips and set aside.

Blend the artichokes and stock with a stick blender or ladle into a jug blender and reduce to a thick, creamy textured soup. Stir in the shredded chicken.

To finish, finely chop a handful of parsley and stir in. Check the seasoning adding salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. (You may not need the entire lemon.) 

Peel and slice 2 more artichokes, then fry them in the oil in a shallow pan for 7-10 minutes until tender and golden. Add them to the soup and then pull the thyme leaves from a few sprigs and sprinkle (which I forgot) on top at the last minute 

(Another great Nigel Slater recipe)

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Scallops, Jeruzalem artisjok, red wine sauce

Peel 125g Jeruzalem artichokes, cut into even pieces and boil in 1/2 dl milk and 1/2 dl double cream. Drain (keep some of the liquid). Mash with 5g butter, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and curcuma.

Shave 1/2 artichoke (unpeeled) into thin slices and deep-fry crispy in 160°C oil. Season with sea salt

Slice 1/2 shallot finely and sweat in butter, Add a sprig of thyme and deglaze with 1/2 dl red wine and 1 dl jus de veau. Season with salt and reduce till 1/3 is left.

Put through a sieve, add 1/2tbsp cream and whisk, one at the time, 50g cubes of ice cold butter to make the sauce

Panfry the scallops, 1 min per side and season with sea salt

Serve as shown

(Here the recipe from Njam in Flemish)

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Smoked salmon blini

In a large bowl whisk 2 tbsp buckwheat flour with 3 tbsp all purpose flour, 1 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 egg yolk and 60ml milk.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until it holdS soft peaks. Gently fold the egg white into the batter until combined. Fold the 2 tablespoons melted butter into the batter.

In a large heavy cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat about 1/2 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, spoon level 1 tablespoons of the batter (about 6 at a time) into the skillet and cook until bubbly and dry on top, about 1 minute. Flip the blini and cook until golden on the bottoms, about 45 seconds more. Transfer the blini to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining batter.

Stir 2tbsp creme fraiche with 2 tbsp mayo and 1 tbsp horseradish cream.

Put 2 tsp of this mix on each blini, then some samphire, smoked salmon and some capers.

Finely grate some fresh horse radish on top and a sprig of dill

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Walnut-crusted monkfish in lemon wine sauce

Preheat oven to 220°C

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. 

Pat 2 monkfish fillets dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place on prepared baking sheet 1/2 inch apart. 

For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine 40g panko, 25g chopped walnuts and 20g Parmesan. Mix in 2 tbsp melted butter, 1/3 tbsp horseradish, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp dill and some lemon zest to form a crumbly mixture. Divide panko mixture evenly atop fish and press gently to adhere. 

Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on top of fish. 

Bake until cooked through, 12-15 minutes. 

For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp chopped shallots and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Turn heat to high and add 100ml white wine and 1tbsp lemon juice. Boil until liquid is reduced, about 6-8 minutes. 

Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 tbsp butter until melted. 

Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve over crusted monkfish.

(Here the original recipe from Bite Me More)

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Spicy linguine, with n'duja and sweet cherry tomatoes

    In a non-stick pan warm 1 tbsp olive oil, halve and then slice an onion and sweat for about 5 min.

Add 60g n'duja (from a jar) and warm softly (it burns easily).

Add 200g halved sweet cherry tomatoes, fold them in the warm nduja and continue cooking. Stir in 40g halved sweet&sour cornichons and 2 tsp capers.

Leave to simmer for 4 mins. till the tomatoes start giving up their juice. Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil, taste and stir in some ketchup to sweeten if preferred .

In the meantime cook 125g linguine.

Drain the linguine, toss with the sauce, folding the sauce trough the pasta

(Recipe by Nigel Slater)

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Braised venison, apple sauce, red cabbage, gratin dauphinois

Mince an onion and 2 cloves of garlic, slice a celery stick and cut a big carrot into small cubes

Sweat 3 mins in 50g butter.

Add 400g cubes of venison, dust with flour and and brown the meat on all sides.

Add a bottle of brown beer, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 200ml game stock, 2 sprigs of sage and tear 2 or 3 slices of ginger bread to add as well.

Bring briefly to the boil, then simmer for 2 hours.

After 1 hour add 6 sliced shiitake and 100g peeled pearl onions.

Taste and season with salt and pepper 

Take the lid of for the last 30 mins to thicken the sauce.

Serve with gratin Daupinois, red cabbage and apple sauce

(Based on a recipe by Janneke Philippi)

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Caramelised chicory, scallops and a scallop crisp

Cut 400g chicory and caramelise in 40g butter during 30 mins. Season with pepper, salt and nutmeg. 

With your meat cleaver flatten 2 scallops till 1 mm thickness. Steam them during 5 mins and cool.

Warm 50ml jus de veau, add 2 tsp cognac and let de alcohol evaporate. Then add 20ml double cream and 1/2 tsp thyme leaves, bring to the boil and stir well to make the sauce.

Halve 8 hazelnuts and roast them in a hot pan.

Deep-fry the flattened scallops in 150°C arachide oil till golden brown,

Halve 4 scallops and panfry in a very hot pan in clarified butter, 30 sec per side

Use a serving ring to plate the caramelised chicory, cover it with the slices of scallop and finish with the scallop crisps.

Spoon the sauce around, with the hazelnuts.

Inspired by Peter Goossens

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Cheeky pork, chanterelles and smoked eel..

Season 4 pig's cheeks with salt and pepper. Then brown them in a couple of minutes on both sides in butter.

Roughly hack 1/2 onion, 1/2 shallot, 1/2 celery stick, 1/2 leek and 1 carrot and add to the meat with a laurel leaf and a sprig of rosemary.

Deglaze with 125 ml white wine and add 1tbsp beef broth paste, bring to the boil for a minute and then simmer softly for 2 hours.

In the meantime hack 50g chanterelles, 1/2 clove of garlic, 1/2 shallot and cut 1/2 filet of smoked eel into small cubes. Season with salt and pepper and softly broil in butter for a few minutes.

Cut the green of 2 spring onions into rings and stir into the mushroom mix.

Then brown the white parts in butter.

After 2 hours take the cheeks out of the pan and use a sieve to remove and discard the veggies. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp balsamic cream to the stock and reduce a bit.

Use a serving ring to put the mushroom/eel/spring onion mix onto the plates.Then the cheeks.

Finish with a few slices of smoked eel, some enoki and himeji mushrooms, some foie gras and a fried spring onion. Finally some toasted sesame seeds, cress and a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce.

(Here a video of Piet Huijsentruijt making his recipe)

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Yellowtail sashimi on papadum

20g raw Dutch yellowtail slices (sustainable tuna) on a crispy papadum, with sushi ginger, wakamé and wasabi mayonaise. Finished with wasabi sesame seeds.

Raw salmon can be used as an alternative. With wasabi furikake

(Here the original recipe)

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Grilled king prawns with mango salsa

To prepare the prawns, bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Blanch 6 prawns for 30 seconds, drain and cool in iced water. Remove the heads, peel and de-vein, and place them on a chopping board

Heat a large griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Grill the prawns for 1 minute on each side, then remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly

In the meantime, prepare the mango salsa. Peel and finely dice the mango, place in a bowl and add 1/3 finely chopped red onion, 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds, 1/2 deseeded and chopped tomato, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp lime juice and 1/2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Season with salt and pepper to taste and use metal pastry rings to create neat rounds on serving plates

Top with the grilled king prawns and sprinkle with lime zest and chopped coriander. Serve immediately, enjoy!

(Here Andrea Soranidis original recipe)

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Green asparagus, scallops, romesco sauce

Preheat an oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3. Place 50g blanched almonds in one baking tray and 25g fresh breadcrumbs in another. Place both in the oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown, then leave to cool

Once cool, place the almonds in a food processor and blitz to a coarse powder (you could also do this in a pestle and mortar if preferred). Scoop a spoonful out to use as a garnish, then add the breadcrumbs and 1,5 chopped garlic cloves.

Blitz once again, then add 125g roasted piquillo peppers (from a jar), 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1,5 tbsp sherry vinegar and blitz once more to create a smooth paste.

With the motor still running, gently drizzle in 100ml olive oil until you have a yielding sauce trying to hold its shape. Season to taste with sea salt, then cover and set aside at room temperature

Serve with green asparagus and halved scallops, garnish with the almond powder


(Sauce recipe Charlie Hibbert)

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Tofu 'prawn' cocktail

Begin with the oven-dried tomatoes. Preheat an oven to 150°C/gas mark 2. Mix 1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves with 1 tsp olive oil, salt and black pepper

Halve 10 cherry tomatoes and place cut-side up on a baking tray. Drizzle the oil over and place in the oven for 30–35 minutes. When ready, the tomatoes will have dried out a little and intensified in flavour. Set aside

Toast 1/2 nori sheet in a hot dry pan for a few seconds until it starts to change colour and crisp up. Snap into pieces then blitz into a powder using a spice grinder or blender. Tip the nori powder into a bowl and mix with 1/2 tbsp cornflour, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of salt.

Dice 100g tofu into 1x1cm cubes and drain well on kitchen paper. Then place in a bowl. Toss in a little lemon juice then set aside

To make the Marie Rose sauce, mix 1,5 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp ketchup and 1/8 tsp soy sauce together, then season to taste with a few drops of Tabasco, lemon juice, salt and pepper

Wash and chop a baby gem and dice an avocado. Place in a bowl with some dill sprigs and dress with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Divide between 2 bowls

Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a generous amount of olive oil – you want the base to be completely covered in oil. Working in batches, dust the tofu in the cornflour mixture, then fry until crisp on all sides

Lift out the tofu using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, then season with salt

Leave the tofu to cool a little – you want it to be warm rather than hot so it doesn't wilt the leaves. Top the bowls with a handful of tofu and some tomatoes, then dress with spoonfuls of the sauce

Finish with extra dill sprigs and a light dusting of smoked paprika

(Here the original recipe from The Kitchen)

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