So during the Chef’s Table there is the theme of “Masterpieces” and I have touched upon my challenged and what my inspiration was that in the end helped me to create the dish that I brought to the group of friends for a spell:
Since researching the background of when and where this particular piece of art (“Family Concert”) was created and conceived by Jan Steen, I found out that the western Dutch province in North Holland actually had influences from northern French cuisine.
Taking that a step further the Dutch’s food staples included:
– potato / bread
– herring / mussels / eels / oyster / shrimp / white fish
– fruits / cheeses / meat / wine / nuts
– eggs / lamp / pig / bread / fish
Whileas the drink of choice was:
– strong pale lager
Hmm… for the longest time I contemplated adding alcohol into my dish, because since the “Family Concert” was a depiction of everyday family life, in the case of Jan Steen – having a “Jan Steen household” meant that you had a “chaotic” or “messy household” – his family owned a tavern and he eventually owned one of his own as well.
But, considering the chances were very likely that there would be more than enough alcohol on hand (as well as lack of time due to the holidays) I decided to forgo the alcoholic addition and focused elsewhere.
In the end I decided that the base would be a mini Dutch Baby pancake (time permitting using potato flour) with a filling reminiscent of a quiche except the cheeses were those found more in Dutch culture and food.
