Going Dutch in Fulton
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| Joyce Tiesman and Sue Housenga demonstrate how to make the Dutch pastry, oliebollen, at the second Wild Winter Wednesday on Jan. 11. Dutch immigrants Patti Ritzema and Audrey Postma taught Tiesman and Housenga to make oliebollen, also known as fat balls, in the 1970s when Dutch Days began and they made them for the festival the next 25 years. They began the baking day at 4 a.m. to start the yeast and made 12 to 14 batches with each batch making 10 to 12 dozen oliebollen. The balls are deep-fried and dusted with sugar. Traditionally, the Dutch serve oliebollen on New Year’s Eve, but they are also enjoyed at festivals throughout the year, according to the Fulton Chamber of Commerce. (Submitted photo) |
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FULTON – They came, they watched, they took notes, and they tasted. Then, hopefully, they went home and tried to make it.
Nearly 50 people recently filled the Windmill Cultural Center, just across the street from Fulton’s authentic Dutch windmill, for a presentation on oliebollen, a traditional “doughnut” popular in Holland and well-known in this Dutch community.
Joyce Tiesman and Sue Housenga demonstrated step by step how the delicious pastry is made, making a batch from scratch, starting with the yeast and ending with dozens of the sweet-smelling pastry balls offered to the audience to try. Many people came back for seconds, and some bought a bag to take home.
The pair answered every question as they fried the oliebollen, or “oil balls.”
They had learned from the masters: Dutch immigrants Patti Ritzema and Audrey Postma taught Tiesman and Housenga the art of making oliebollen in the 1970s, when the town’s annual Dutch Days festival began.
They made them for the event for the next 25 years. At first, the popular pastry balls were made at Unity Christian School and taken to the fire station for the “morning coffee,” where they were sold until there were no more.
The oliebollen-makers would begin baking at 4 a.m. They had to come early to start the yeast. They and their helpers made 12 to 14 batches of 10 to 12 dozen oliebollen each – somewhere around 2,000 of the little balls.
“By 6 a.m. that morning, the people were lined up to buy them,” Tiesman said. “We sold dozens before we even got them to the fire station. It was hours until we got done. The state then said we could not transport them, so we had to start making them at the fire station.”
After 25 years, Tiesman and Housenga passed the oliebollen-making to younger cooks. The late Dick Abbott, who ran the Cottage Pastry bakery in Fulton, also made some of them. Now Sweetheart bakery in Clinton makes the Dutch pastry.
The women use 2 gallons of canola oil to fry the oliebollen in large pans on top of the stove. They do not use electric deep fryers, because they can better control the heat of the grease, which should be about 375 degrees, with the burners, they said.
They do not change out the grease when they are cooking, but they do “clarify” it by cooking a peeled, raw potato in it.
After the balls are deep-fried, they are drained on paper towels and dusted with sugar. Some cooks use powdered sugar, but these ladies use granulated sugar, because powdered sugar is “too messy.” They also may be left plain.
In Holland, the Dutch serve oliebollen on New Year’s Eve, but in Fulton, they are most popular during Dutch Days, which are held the first weekend in May.
Here is how to make them, according to two Dutch ladies who know of what they speak:
Oliebollen
2 tablespoons dry yeast (or 2 packages)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 quart milk
8 eggs
9 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon rind
16 ounces raisins
2 gallons canola oil
Mix yeast, water, and sugar in a large bowl, stir just enough to mix. Let yeast work and foam. Do not stir again. (If you can see the yeast bubbling up, it is working.)
Warm milk in a pan. Do not get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.
In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs. In another large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Combine milk, yeast mixture, and eggs, then stir. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, and stir in raisins. Place in a warm area to rise. Heat shortening or oil on stove.
Drop by tablespoons into hot grease (or deep fryer). The grease should be kept at 375 degrees. Use two spoons, one to scoop up the batter and another to push the batter off the first spoon into the grease. Brown on both sides. (The batter will turn over by itself as it cooks. If it doesn’t, give it a little nudge.)
When the oliebollen ball is golden brown on all sides, take it out and place it on paper towels to drain. On some of the larger balls, the cooks peeked into the middle with a small knife to make sure they were done.
Roll the oliebollen in sugar while they are still hot or warm. Or you can shake them in a bag of sugar.
These freeze well, but if you are freezing them, do not roll them in sugar until they come out of the freezer.
Another Dutch dish that looks easy and appetizing is called:
Uitsmijter
Serves 1
2 eggs
Butter
2 slices white bread – lightly toasted
2 thin slices of boiled ham
2 large slices of cheese, preferably “oude kaas” (aged Gouda)
Salt and pepper
Melt some butter in a frying pan and fry eggs sunny side up. Once the bottoms of the eggs
are set, take the pan off the heat and put the lid on it. The steam will allow the eggs to firm up a bit. Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread, if desired. Place the slices of bread on a plate (open-faced). Top with the cheese, ham, and fried eggs. Season to taste.
Stoking the flames for the big game
According to the new 23rd annual Weber GrillWatch Survey, the Super Bowl ranks as one of the top 10 most popular “holidays” of the year to grill, with 32 percent of U.S. grill owners firing up on Super Bowl Sunday.
If you are one of them, you might like to try this recipe from Jamie Purviance’s new cookbook “Weber’s Time to Grill”.
Cheesy nachos with steak and black beans
Serves: 12-15 as an appetizer
Prep time: 30 minutes
Grilling time: 14 to 16 minutes
Paste and steak
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon pure chili powder
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick, trimmed of excess surface fat, cut into foot-long pieces
Salsa
2 ripe Hass avocados, diced
3 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 or 3 pickled jalapeńo chile peppers, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Kosher salt
Nachos
1 bag (12 ounces) tortilla chips
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)
Mix the paste ingredients in a small bowl and spread on both sides of each steak. Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the salsa ingredients then season with salt. To fully incorporate the flavors, let the salsa sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450 to 550 degrees). Brush the cooking grates clean.
Grill the steaks over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice (if flare-ups occur, move the steaks temporarily over indirect heat). Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces.
Working in two batches, layer tortilla chips, steak, black beans, and cheese on a large sheet pan. Place the sheet pan on the grill over direct high heat, close the lid, and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve immediately with the salsa.
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