Guest Author - Sherry Van Der Elst

Having lived in Rotterdam, I wasn’t surprised to see sushi joints popping up everywhere during a two-week trip to the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic last month.

Although Asian fare in the Netherlands has long been influenced by Indonesian cuisine, there’s been a renaissance of sorts in recent years with more and more Asian restaurants offering sushi on their menus alongside the traditional rijsttafel.

But a couple of sushi restaurants featured one menu item that came as an unexpected surprise: horsemeat.

While basashi—or horse meat sashimi—is a regional specialty beloved by many Japanese, the Dutch--and perhaps the Belgians--are the only countries outside of Japan to feature it on their sushi menus. (Heidelberg and Prague, two other cities I visited on this trip, feature plenty of Japanese restaurants too, but none had Wilbur on their menus).

I realize that consumption of horsemeat is something of a taboo in America, but it’s popular in continental Europe. So in the spirit of "doing as the natives do," I once tried paardeworst--horse sausage--while I was living in the Netherlands(it’s slightly sweet and surprisingly tender, in case you were wondering). And I was adventurous enough to order steak tartare in Paris once and thoroughly enjoyed it, raw egg and all.

But raw horsemeat didn’t sound very lekker, and my usually adventurous palate wasn’t tempted to try it.

However, I did enjoy another popular Japanese import called teppan yaki, a type of Japanese barbecue, at Wok Planet, a popular restaurant located in Papendrecht, just outside of Rotterdam. Here is a similar recipe you can make at home.

Teppan yaki means “iron plate grill,” and this dish works best when it is prepared on a cast-iron griddle, hibachi grill or skillet (don’t use a non-stick pan, as will not sear the meat as well). You can substitute shrimp, squid or salmon for the sea scallops and any vegetable you like for the bell peppers and zucchini.

1 lb lean beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb sea scallops , rinsed in cold water and patted dry
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch rings
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 c vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste



1. Pre-heat cast-iron griddle, hibachi grill or skillet over high heat.

2. Place all ingredients (except dipping sauce) in a large bowl and toss until meat and vegetables are evenly coated with oil.

3. Add 1/3 of the mixture to the hot griddle, grill, or pan and cook until just done, using a spatula to toss and stir while cooking. Transfer to a large serving platter and repeat steps with remaining two batches.

4. Season lightly with salt and pepper and serve with dipping sauce.


Dipping sauce:

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
1 tsp brown sugar

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour into individual cups and serve at room temperature.