Before my trip to the Netherlands, a friend insisted that I sample Dutch frites while there. The combination of French fries with mayonnaise didn’t exactly make my mouth water, but I was intrigued enough to try it. After a full day exploring the city of Amsterdam, my Russian and I found ourselves in the Red Light District, famished. Luckily, the area had ample variety of greasy street food as well as ladies of the night. We found a snack shop along Korte Niezel and decided to give the Dutch delicacy a try. I must say, it hit the spot. When I returned from my trip, I decided to recreate my own version of the delicious traditional snack. Below is my wend inspired recipe- Dutch frites with pesto mayo.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 pack of frozen fries – I went with shoestrings, but you could substitute the store bought fries with homemade roasted potato wedges. I just prefer the quick and easy method!
• ¼ cup mayonnaise – more or less depending on how many people you’re serving
• ¼ cup basil pesto – you can use store bought, or make your own!

For the Pesto

• 2 bunches of basil
• 5 cloves of garlic – I LOVE garlic, but feel free to adjust to your liking!
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup pine nuts – I usually leave these out and don’t notice much of a difference in the taste
• ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor or blender and grate
• Gradually drizzle in olive oil  while the blender is on until paste forms
• Add more or less of any of the ingredients until desired taste and consistency is achieved

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

• Pre-heat oven to 425°
• Place the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet
• Bake 15-25 minutes until desired golden crisp is reached
• While fries are baking, mix the mayonnaise and pesto in a serving bowl until combined
• Garnish hot fries with salt and Parmesan and transfer to paper cones – easily made using a brown paper bag
• Serve hot with an ice cold Heineken

 

 

This recipe is both easy and delicious. Pair the hot fries and savory mayo with an ice cold Heineken, which originated in Amsterdam, and you have the perfect snack for entertaining friends (or your mom!) and sharing a taste of the Netherlands!

 

 

Have you visited the Netherlands? Did you try Dutch Frites? What is the most interesting dish you’ve tried abroad? Share your comments below!

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