Braassem In Zaus Of Ragout
"Bream In Sauce Or Ragout"
From the treasured pages of Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek
Unknown Author
Braassem In Zaus Of Ragout
"Schrap hem, doe'er het Ingewand uit, kerf hem, en wast hem schoon, wryf hem met gesmolte Boter, en bestrooi hem met wat Zout; laat hem dan braden op den Rooster. Gebraden zynde, maak een klein Ragout van Champinjons, goede Boter, Pieterfeli, Zout, Peper, en kleine Uyentjens gehakt; doe het alles in de Pan; doe'er je Braassem by als hy byna zal gaar zyn; laat hy dus twee of drie walmen opkooken; bind je Saus met geroost Meel of Colys van Vis; u Ragout gereed zynde, foo bewaar het tot het eerste Geregt, met Hommen van Karpers gefruit tot Stoffeering, of alleen maar met Brood en Pieterfeli gefruit, of met Frickedillen van Vis."
English Translation
"Scrape it, remove the innards, score it, and wash it clean, rub it with melted butter, and sprinkle it with some salt; then let it roast on the grill. Once roasted, make a small ragout of mushrooms, good butter, parsley, salt, pepper, and finely chopped small onions; put everything in the pan; add your bream when it is almost cooked; let it come to a boil two or three times; thicken your sauce with toasted flour or fish coulis; when your ragout is ready, you may reserve it for the first course, with fried carp roe as garnish, or just with fried bread and parsley, or with fish meatballs."
Note on the Original Text
The historical recipe is written in an instructive, pared-down style typical of early 18th-century cookery books. Directions are clear but concise, assuming the reader has familiarity with basic preparations and techniques. Spellings ('zynde', 'foo bewaar', 'gefruit') follow older Dutch conventions, with French culinary terms (ragout) sprinkled in to denote refinement. Quantities are rarely specified; instead, the focus is on method and sequence, leaving proportions to the cook’s judgment and experience.
Title
Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek (1725)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1725
Publisher
J. du Vivie
Background
A delectable journey into 18th-century Dutch cuisine, this cookbook serves up traditional recipes, culinary wisdom, and a flavorful glimpse of the Netherlands’ rich gastronomic heritage.
Kindly made available by
Internet Archive
This recipe comes from a Dutch cookbook first published in 1725 in Leyden, at a time when the Dutch Republic was experiencing cultural and culinary prosperity. Fish was a mainstay of the Dutch diet due to the many waterways crisscrossing the region. Recipes like this showcase both simplicity and a touch of luxury — a humble freshwater fish smartened up with butter, mushrooms, and a dash of refinement through a ragout. The instructions reflect the elegance and technique of the 18th-century bourgeois kitchen, where the influence of French cuisine (think ragouts and sauces) had already taken hold in the Low Countries.
Traditionally, this dish would be made over an open fire with a sturdy iron grate for grilling the fish. Cast iron pans or copper saucepans would be used for making sauces and ragouts. A long-handled spoon (often wood) and a small sieve or roux spoon for thickening sauces were essential. Everything was done by hand, from scraping the fish to chopping herbs to roasting breadcrumbs.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
3
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 1 bream fish (about 2–3 lb), cleaned and gutted
- 2 tbsp (1 oz) melted butter, plus more for the ragout
- Salt, to taste
- 3.5 oz mushrooms (button or cremini), cleaned and chopped
- 0.7 oz fresh parsley, chopped
- 2–3 small shallots or pearl onions, finely chopped
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp toasted flour or about 3 tbsp (1.7 fl oz) thick fish stock (for thickening sauce)
- Optional: fried carp roe, fried bread cubes, parsley, or small fish cakes (substitute with fish croquettes or quenelles)
Instructions
- Begin by cleaning a braasem (bream) fish, gutting it and giving it a few shallow slashes along the sides.
- Wash thoroughly, then rub the fish with about 2 tablespoons (1 oz) of melted butter and season with a generous pinch of salt.
- Grill the fish on a grate until cooked through and golden.
- While the fish is grilling, prepare a quick ragout: in a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons (1 oz) of good-quality butter, then add a handful (about 3.5 oz) of chopped mushrooms, a small bunch (about 0.7 oz) of parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 2–3 finely chopped small shallots (or pearl onions).
- Sauté gently until softened.
- When the fish is nearly done, nestle it into the ragout, and let everything simmer together for a minute or two to meld the flavors.
- Thicken the sauce with a spoonful of toasted flour or a little fish stock reduced to a thick consistency.
- Serve the braasem with the ragout sauce, garnished either with small pieces of fried carp roe, toasted bread and parsley, or little fish cakes if feeling fancy.
Estimated Calories
340 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients and workspace, and about 30 minutes to cook the fish and make the ragout. One whole fish serves 3 people, with each serving having about 340 calories.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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