Hete Bliksem

Hete bliksem is a classic Dutch mash of potatoes and apples. The combination of floury potatoes, tart and sweet apples and savoury bacon makes it a hearty, warming dish. In this version, the potatoes are cooked together with the apples, and it is topped with fried bacon and onion, plus warm apple slices with a little sugar and cinnamon.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For 4 people

• 1.5 kg potatoes (preferably floury)
• 350 g tart apples (for example, Goudreinetten)
• 350 g sweet apples (for example, Cox)
• 2 extra sweet apples (for the garnish)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 125 g lean bacon lardons
• 2 onions
• 30 g butter (plus a little extra if needed for the apple slices)
• 100–150 ml milk (or a little reserved cooking liquid)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Peel and wash the potatoes and cut them into even pieces.
• Peel the tart and sweet apples for the mash, remove the cores and cut the apples into pieces.
• Peel the onions and slice them into half rings.
• Peel the 2 extra sweet apples, remove the cores and slice the apples thinly.

Method

1. Boil the potatoes
   Put the potatoes in a large pan and add enough water to just cover them. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes.
2. Briefly cook the apples with them
   After 20 minutes, add the apple pieces (the tart and sweet apples for the mash) and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the potatoes and apples are tender.
3. Fry the bacon and onions
   Meanwhile, fry the bacon lardons in a frying pan over a medium-high heat until the fat renders. Add the onion rings to the bacon and fry everything together until golden brown and soft. Keep warm over a low heat if needed.
4. Mash the dish
   Drain the potatoes and apples and, if you like, reserve a little cooking liquid. Return the potatoes and apples to the pan. Add the butter and a splash of milk (or a little of the cooking liquid). Mash until smooth and creamy. Add more milk or cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Fry the apple slices with sugar and cinnamon
   Heat a small knob of butter in a clean frying pan (or use a little of the bacon fat). Lay the thin apple slices in the pan, sprinkle with the granulated sugar and the pinch of cinnamon, and cook over a low heat until soft and just starting to colour.
6. Finish and serve
   Spoon the hete bliksem onto a warmed serving dish and spread the bacon-onion mixture over it. Arrange the warm fried apple slices on top as a garnish and serve immediately, for example with a smoked sausage or another piece of meat of your choice.