Here is my Flemish stoemp mash! Or in other words: a classic creamy savoy cabbage potato mash with pan fried sausages and a fat slab of sizzling bacon on top… This is top notch good old-fashioned Belgian comfort food, the perfect grub for any cold autumn or winter’s day!
Are you ready for a Flemish treat?
You will love this stoemp!
But have you actually heard of this dish before?
Flemish stoemp is not only a funny word to pronounce. It is the perfect cold day comfort food meal as well.
And do you know what exactly it means?
Or where that funny sounding name even comes from?
Origin of Stoemp Belgium
Well I will tell you why.
In Belgium we have this Flemish verb ‘stampen’, stompen or ‘stoempen’ in our dialect which means ‘to mash or crush something up roughly’.
In this case right here, that means cooked potatoes and cabbage.
You can also find this dish in the Netherlands under the name of stamppot.
You will usually find this classic vegetable mash accompanied by the classic smoked bologna sausage that is called ‘rookworst’ in Dutch.
Stamppot kind of resembles another classic: Flemish hutsepot, mashed potatoes with a mixture of vegetables. However stoemp normally contains only one type of vegetable.
Savoy cabbage stoemp is a popular version, and one of my favorites as well.
Best Flemish Stoemp (Vegetable Mashed Potatoes)
Yes, I love this classic vegetable mashed potatoes with savoy cabbage.
Other delicious versions of this dish are stoemp with super soft braised leeks, carrots, endives or spinach together with a couple of pan fried pieces of meat on top.
That meat is usually some type of bacon, boiled pork meat, ham hock or traditional stoemp sausage.
Fish Stoemp
Some more subtle versions can contain fish instead of meat and then we are talking about (salt) cod, fresh salmon, skate wing or (smoked) haddock.
Leeks, cauliflower, broccoli or green peas are usually added to the potato mash in combination with fish.
Whenever we have this vegetable potato mash for dinner here at home, a jar of strong mustard (or piccalilly pickles) is never far away.
It is a great sauce for those pan fried sausages and creamy mash.
Where To Eat Stoemp in Brussels
Do you want to try this classic mash while you are visiting Brussels?
Then I recommend that you go to a restaurant that is located right on the Grand Place, and it goes by the name of “‘t Kelderke”. That is also the place where you will find the classic veau en tortue veal stew by the way, another delight.
Another place in Brussels that serves this classic is a popular café slash restaurant called “Le Corbeau”, near the Rue Neuve shopping street.
If you want to eat it in a very old artist café, then “Het Goudblommeke in Papier” (“La Fleur en Papier Doré” in French).
Bon appétit!
Beer vs. Wine
So what is the best drink to go with this classic vegetable mashed potatoes?
Good question.
I will have to disappoint wine lovers, because with this classic mash I wouldn’t chose wine.
Instead I would go for a good old cold crisp beer. And preferably a tripel style Belgian beer.
Do you love potato mash and soft vegetable dishes?
Then you should also check out my Flemish hotchpot that is also known as hutsepot!
So here is my very own personal Flemish vegetable stoemp mash recipe or stamppot: a creamy savoy cabbage potato mash with sausages and bacon…
Good old-fashioned Belgian comfort food to get you through cold evenings!
Enjoy!
Best Flemish Vegetable Stoemp Recipe
My Flemish stoemp: creamy savoy cabbage potato mash with baked sausage and bacon... Good old-fashioned Belgian comfort food!
- 2 pork sausages
- 2 thick slices salted bacon
- 1 lb potatoes for mash (450 g), peeled and chopped
- 7 oz savoy cabbage (200 g)
- 3 medium garlic cloves chopped
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup whole milk (60 ml)
- nutmeg
- pepper
- salt
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Add the chopped potatoes and garlic to a high pan and fill it with tap water until the potatoes are fully submerged.
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Add some salt. Then place the pan over high heat and bring the potatoes to a boil. Cook them until tender. In the meantime rinse and drain the savoy cabbage. Slice it up finely.
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Add a tablespoon of the butter to a large non-stick pan and place it over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, then add the finely sliced savoy cabbage. Season with a pinch of pepper and salt.
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Stir fry the cabbage for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and smooth. Then turn the heat off and take the cabbage off the heat. Bake the bacon in a non-stick pan without any butter or oil until brown and a little crisp.
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Then transfer the bacon on a plate and cover with tinfoil. On the same pan you just cooked the bacon in, add a teaspoon of unsalted butter. Bake the sausages in it until browned and cooked through.
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Then add the cooked bacon to the same pan again and cover with a lid to keep the meat warm. Drain the cooked potatoes and garlic, add them back to the pan you cooked them in together with the fried cabbage.
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Sprinkle with some pepper, salt and nutmeg. Also add the whole milk.
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Stir and add the freshly chopped parsley and the rest of the unsalted butter.
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Mash the potatoes, parsley and cabbage up. Add extra butter or milk if necessary. Also check the seasoning and add extra pepper, nutmeg or salt to taste if necessary. Scoop the cabbage mash onto plates and top with the baked sausage and a slice of bacon. Serve hot.
Thanks for this recipe, June! It sounds delish!
I wonder if you have a recipe for potatoes, cabbage and onion that has the word Boor in it–a farmer’s meal. I lived very briefly in Antwerpen in the mid 70’s and the family I stayed with made this traditional and delicious dish. I don’t recall any meat in it.
ALSO, they made what they called Brussels Lof with small endives wrapped in ham and Swiss cheese with a butter or white sauce over it–baked and yummy.
When I try to find it on the Internet it’s called something else.
Thanks! –Peg