Stoemp

Stoemp is mashed potato worked together with a vegetable — most often carrot, leek or cabbage — until the two mash into one dense, everyday side dish. It's Belgian home cooking at its plainest, built to stretch a small amount of vegetable across a filling potato base and almost always served under a sausage or piece of grilled meat.

What it really is

Potatoes boil until tender, and the chosen vegetable — carrot and leek are the classic pairing, though cabbage, endive or spinach versions are all common — cooks separately until soft enough to mash in easily. The two mash together with butter and a little milk until they combine into a single, somewhat chunky mixture, distinct from a smooth potato mash by design; some texture from the vegetable stays visible rather than blending in completely.

The vegetable used defines which stoemp it is, and the name changes with it. "Stoemp van wortelen" is the carrot version, and other regional names apply to other vegetables — a Belgian menu that just says "stoemp" without naming the vegetable is leaving out real information a regular would expect.

How it's served

• Underneath a grilled sausage, most classically a boudin or saucisse de Bruxelles.
• With a ladle of gravy poured over both the stoemp and the sausage.
• As a full plate, rarely served as a small side on its own.

How to write it on the menu

• Say what vegetable is mashed in, since the name and flavour change with it.
• Flag the dairy in the butter and milk.
• Note what it's served with, since stoemp on its own is unusual — a sausage or meat is the expected pairing.