Netherlands. The one country we,
Indonesians, have a lot of history with. Any of you been there before? The
Dutch has a lot of tasty food. During my recent visit there, I was finally
reunited again with my favorite Dutch snack food, the infamous Kaassouffle.
Little is known who actually
invented Kaassouffle. But legend has it, it is inspired by Dutch people who
have been to Indonesia and tried Indonesian Gorengan
(Literal meaning: Fried Things). But making authentic Indonesian Gorengan
is rather hard in Dutch. They don’t have rice noodle to make the Risol, or Tofu to make Tahu Isi.
So
they improvise.
What with? Cheese of course! Dutch got tons of it, so why not
wrap it in thin dough, bread it, and deep fry?
My version is a rather easy
approach to the dish. This is what I call Lazy Kaassouffle.
For 2 Servings, you will need:
4 Slices of white bread.
4 Slices of Strong Cheese. Dutch goes with Gouda. But again, as always, cheap Cheddar will work fine too. Keep in mind, flavor will be rather mild.
2 Eggs for coating
1 Eggs for sealing the stuffing
300 Grams of Breadcrumbs. Dutch uses Panko-like breadcrumbs but
with smaller size.
Enough oil for frying.
Ready? Here We Go!
Step 1 – Cut off all the crust from the bread. If your bread isn't square already, cut it into squares. Get a rolling pin,
or if you don’t have one, get a round drinking glass and use it as a makeshift
rolling pin. Do this on all of the bread.
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| Off with the first |
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| Off with the second |
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| Off with the crusts! |
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| Now this people, is a 'Rolling Pin' |
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| "Keep rollin' rollin' rollin" - Fred Durst |
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| Ooow, it's flat and tiny |
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| Let's flatten it even more! |
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| Flat and limp, gotta love it! |
Step 2 – Get a piece of the bread, then unwrap your cheese, and
place it on the center of the bread. Crack an egg, whisk it, and brush it to the edges of the bread to create a glue before sealing it with another slice of bread. Use a fork, and seal the edges by pressing it. See the picture if you
got no idea how to do it.
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| Empty pockets |
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| First drop |
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| Second drop |
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| Give the edge an egg wash |
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| Seal |
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| Press with a fork! |
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| Sign, sealed, ready for fryer! |
Step 3 – Crack your eggs, lightly whip it. Get a separate plate and
pour your breadcrumbs. Dredge the bread with the eggs and then the breadcrumbs.
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| Egg - Breadcrumbs |
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| Dredge with eggs |
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| Coat with breadcrumbs |
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| All wrapped up and ready to go |
Step 4 – Heat your oil on high heat. We’re going to flash fry the
bastard in just under 2 minutes on each side. Just keep on a lookout on the
color. When it’s golden and lovely, it’s ready.
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| Hot oil, get ready to meet your buddy |
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| First side. 2 minutes or less |
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| Second side after the flip, another 2 minutes |
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| Crunchy and ready |
Here's a few tips to create a memorable Kaassoufflé;
- Use white bread as they tend to be softer than whole wheat.
- Ensure the cheese is in room temperature before putting it inside the bread. This will ensure the cheese melt perfectly despite the short period of frying
- Watch it, watch it, watch it. Panko burns easily on high heat, so ALWAYS keep an eye on it.
- Feeling fancy? mix the breadcrumbs with herbs such as parsley or dill, add a touch of Paprika. Hmmm mmm!
- Strong cheese like Gouda or Edam will give you more authentic taste. But it doesn't come cheap. That's why i substitute with Cheddar
Kaassouffle is every bit of love
you will need for the day! Trust me, make one, and get hooked for life!
Peace
xx
