Poffert is Groningen’s best-kept secret: this is what you want to try
Every region has its own specialties. Everyone knows authentic Frisian sugar bread, Zeeland boluses, Limburg flans, Brabant sausage rolls and the Groningen egg ball. But there is also a Groningen delicacy that is less well known, poffert, and in my opinion that is an eternal shame.
As far back as I can remember, poffert has been one of my favorite meals and is linked to my favorite childhood food memories. My mother was a true Groningen native, and she used to make this dish when the two of us were home alone (my father and sisters were less enthusiastic about poffert). The poffert had to sit on the stove for hours (or so it felt, all day), and I couldn’t wait for it to be ready. Because of my nagging, it was usually taken off the heat just a little too early, which meant the poffert was not quite fully cooked yet. That didn’t spoil the fun; I always devoured this delicious treat.
Poffert: a kind of bread cake
For those unfamiliar with it, poffert is usually described as a kind of bread cake. You make it in a traditional poffert pan. It looks a little like a Bundt pan but has a lid. Traditionally, poffert is cooked bain-marie, but it can also be made in the oven. The recipe is very similar to that for pancakes, but pofferts are much thicker. Some people also add sugar or currants to the poffert, but we always left those out. Pouring melted butter, powdered sugar and syrup over it makes it sweet enough already.
Poffert: lazy-woman’s food
Poffert used to be made (read: in the 1800s) almost exclusively by women. And especially by women who were too lazy to cook “properly.” That is why it was also called lazy-woman’s food. It was simple to prepare, and you could leave it on the stove for hours in a pan of water without having to keep an eye on it. These days, we consider any dish that takes longer than 30 minutes to make a culinary masterpiece. In my opinion, that is a much more fitting image for poffert.
Make your own poffert
- Mix the baking flour with the eggs and milk in a bowl. Prevent lumps by whisking in the eggs and milk little by little. Meanwhile, put a large pan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.
- If you like currants, add them.
- Grease the poffert pan with a little butter and pour in the mixture.
- Cook the poffert for (at least) 2 hours, bain-marie style. Make sure the pan remains submerged in water the entire time, up to just below the rim of the lid.
- Remove the poffert from the pan and serve with melted butter, powdered sugar and/or syrup.
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