Taart Van Kreeften
"Lobster Pie"
From the treasured pages of Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek
Unknown Author
Taart Van Kreeften
"Men moet de Kreeften met een glas witte Wyn laten kooken, na dat gy se wel hebt gewassen, de Scharen en de Staarten schoon gemaakt, en alle het overige hebt in een Mortier gestampt, dan moet gy se met wat van het Nat, en een weinig heete Booter, door een Zeef of Doek doen; schik het dan in de Taart-pan met Zout, Peper, Ajuintjens, Champinjons, by brokjens; dek uwe Taart, verguld se, en laat se backen, en doe'er het Zap van een Citroen by terwyl gy het opdist. Daar zynder die de Kreeften hacken, en leggen se op een Onderkorst in de Taart-pan met Karper-hommen, Champinjons, Snoek-levers, Mosselen, Truffes, goede Boter, en wel kruiden."
English Translation
"One must let the lobsters cook with a glass of white wine, after you have washed them well, cleaned the claws and tails, and pounded all the rest in a mortar. Then you must pass them with some of the broth and a little hot butter through a sieve or cloth. Arrange it in the pie pan with salt, pepper, small onions, mushrooms cut into pieces; cover your pie, glaze it, and bake it, and add the juice of a lemon when you serve it. There are those who chop the lobsters and lay them on a bottom crust in the pie pan with carp roe, mushrooms, pike livers, mussels, truffles, good butter, and well-seasoned."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is presented in an old Dutch narrative style, without exact measurements or timing, as was typical for the era—cooks were expected to use their judgement. Ingredients are listed as they appear in the workflow, and instructions are a blend of process notes and ingredient cues, assuming experience and adaptability in the kitchen. Note that many words use archaic Dutch spellings, like 'Scharen' (claws), 'Ajuintjens' (onions/shallots), and 'Booter' (butter), reflecting both the language and ingredient variations of the time.
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 dish hails from the Dutch culinary tradition of the early 18th century, as found in 'Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek' published in 1725 in Leyden. Dutch cuisine at the time was notable for its love of abundant, rich ingredients—especially seafood from the North Sea, blending French opulence and native pragmatism. Lobster tarts like this were the domain of the well-to-do, who could afford such luxurious shellfish and associated delicacies as truffles and pike liver. The recipe embodies both local flavors and fashionable European trends, reflecting the Dutch Republic's place at the crossroads of culture and trade.
Historically, the cook would have used a mortar and pestle for crushing the lobster shells, a fine cloth or sieve for straining, a large open hearth or stove for boiling and baking, and robust metal or earthenware tart pans. Knives and wooden spoons would make light work of chopping and stirring, and feather brushes or fingers were used for glazing pastry. Pies and tarts were often baked in wood-fired ovens, and a cook's sense of timing and touch were essential; no kitchen timers then!
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings
4
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
- 2-3 live lobsters (approx. 3 1/3 lbs total)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for richer version)
- 1 shallot (or small onion), finely chopped
- 3 1/2 oz mushrooms (champignons), sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Shortcrust pastry (enough for base and lid)
- 1 egg yolk (for glazing)
- Optional for luxury version:
- 3 1/2 oz carp roe (or substitute salmon roe)
- 3 1/2 oz cooked mussels, shelled
- 3 1/2 oz pike liver (or substitute chicken liver)
- 1 oz truffles (or substitute chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Begin by thoroughly washing 2 to 3 lobsters (totaling about 3 1/3 pounds) and then poaching them in 1 cup of dry white wine until just cooked through.
- Remove and cool the lobsters, then extract the meat from the claws and tails, making sure to clean off any shell.
- Place the remaining lobster shells and heads in a mortar, crush them well, and then pass the crushed mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, extracting as much of the flavorful liquid as possible.
- Combine the lobster meat, the extracted lobster liquid, 3 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, 1 finely chopped shallot, 3 1/2 ounces of sliced mushrooms (champignons), into small pieces.
- Arrange this mixture into a shortcrust pastry-lined tart or pie pan.
- Cover with another layer of pastry, brush with egg yolk for a golden finish, then bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Upon serving, drizzle over the juice of 1 lemon.
- For a richer version as suggested in the recipe's variation, decorate the lobster pieces onto a pre-baked pastry base along with 3 1/2 ounces each of poached carp roe, sliced mushrooms, pike liver (or substitute with chicken liver), mussels, truffles, and a generous amount of butter.
- Season well, cover as before, and bake.
Estimated Calories
520 per serving
Cooking Estimates
We take time to wash, poach, and clean the lobsters, make the filling, and assemble the pie. Most of the time is for preparing the lobster and the pastry. Baking takes about 40 minutes. Each serving is filling and hearty, so the recipe serves four. The calories are estimated by adding up the ingredients and dividing by the number of servings.
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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