Taart Van Room Van Artisjocken

This recipe comes from the "Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek," published in Leiden in 1725. Dutch cookery in the early 18th century was sophisticated, drawing on both native and French influences, and often included rich dairy products, artful pastries, and the use of both savory meat juices and tart citrus for elegant contrasts. Artichokes were a luxury ingredient, signaling cosmopolitan tastes and access to imported produce. Recipes like this would have graced tables of the well-to-do, enjoyed as part of larger banquets. The blend of local Dutch dairy tradition and the tart, sunny note of lemon showcases the international outlook of Dutch cuisine during its Golden Age.

Cooks in the 18th century would use large copper or iron pots to boil the artichokes, and a sturdy wooden mortar and pestle to mash them. The 'hairen Teems' refers to a fine-meshed sieve or tamis for pressing the artichokes into a smooth purée. The pastry would be rolled with a wooden pin and baked in a deep earthenware or tin tart pan inside a wood-fired oven, with careful monitoring to prevent over-browning. A sharp knife or sickle would help in preparing artichoke hearts, and a copper saucepan for heating lamb juices.