Aurell The Scandinavian Year

Food and thoughts from Sweden, Denmark and Norway
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-78879-739-9
Verlag: Ryland Peters & Small
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 240 Seiten

A stunning collection of over 85 PAN-SCANDINAVIAN RECIPES, set across the year from January to December with beautiful LIFESTYLE IMAGES and cultural essays relating to FOOD TRADITIONS and seasonal celebrations. An accessible and engaging EXPLORATION of Scandinavian food featuring delicious recipes to try at home, developed by BRONTË AURELL, owner of the popular SCANDIKITCHEN CAFE in London's bustling West End. Scandinavian food is simple. Natives call it 'husmanskost' (farmer's fare). It's natural and honest. When you work with the very best produce, there's no need to overcomplicate it. Its appeal lies in the fact that it is healthy, wholesome, flavoursome, simple to make and beautiful to look at. Discover the best recipes Scandinavia has to offer and learn more about how the unique Nordic culture influences everyday life throughout the year. This beautifully photographed book takes the reader on a journey from January to December, sharing seasonal recipes plus exploring cultural events and traditions and offering entertaining (and often educational!) insights into the people, places, weather and language.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Aurell, Bronte

Leseproben

Swedish pea soup

Ärtsoppa

Across the Nordics there are plenty of yellow pea soup recipes. In Sweden, however, old-school tradition dictates that Thursday is pea soup day. This apparently originated from Catholic times when no meat was consumed on Fridays, so Thursday was pork-and-pea-soup day. This recipe comes from Stina Envall, who is the husmor (house mother) at London’s Swedish Church. Stina uses whole dried yellow peas (not split ones), but this means hours of soaking before boiling. I‘ve made her recipe with both kinds of peas and the split ones do produce a thicker result, but still a great taste (and much quicker to cook). I feel I’m teaching you to suck eggs by adding a pancake recipe, but for it’s here for US readers, as this type of pancake is less common in America.

500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. yellow peas, whole or split

1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock

1 large onion, chopped

1–2 tablespoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

3–4 carrots, sliced into circles

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE

pulled ham hock or cubed ham (optional)

Dijon mustard

Pancakes (see below)

SERVES 4–6

If using whole peas, soak in water for 24 hours, then drain. If using yellow split peas, there is no need to soak but do rinse them before using.

Place the peas in a pan with the stock and bring to the boil, skimming the soup as it starts to boil. Add the onion.

If using whole peas, boil for around 1–1½ hours or until tender, topping up with water as necessary, then add the herbs and, carrots and seasoning; if using split peas, cook for about 30 minutes, then season and add herbs and carrots. Cook for a further 15–20 minutes until the carrots are tender. It is hard to specify the cooking time as it depends when the peas are soft and the soup gets a bit thicker.

Serve in bowls (traditionally we add ham hock or similar to the dish, and many spoon a bit of Dijon mustard through). Serve with pancakes.

Pancakes

Pannkakor

4 eggs

100 g/7 tablespoons butter, melted

180 g/1? cups plain/all-purpose flour

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon sugar

350 ml/1½ cups whole milk

100 ml/? cup plus 1 tablespoon beer (optional, see note)

neutral oil, for frying

FOR SWEETER PANCAKES

additional 1–2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

MAKES 16–20 PANCAKES

Whisk the eggs with the half of the butter and the flour, salt and sugar. Add the milk and beer and whisk until it all comes together. Don’t over-whisk. Add the additional ingredients, if you wish to make sweeter pancakes. Leave to rest in fridge for 30 minutes before using.

Heat a 23–35-cm/9–14-inch frying pan/skillet over a medium heat and add some oil and some of the remaining butter. When hot, add a ladleful of batter – it should just cover the entire surface of the pan, thinly. You may need to swivel the pan a bit. As soon as the top looks dry, use a spatula to turn the pancake over and fry for less than a minute on the other side.

Stack the thin pancakes on a plate and keep warm.

NOTE The beer gives the batter a lovely taste (I just add a dash of whatever is going) but you can omit it and just use extra milk instead. If you want to make these as dessert, I think a slightly sweeter version is nice – and the addition of vanilla and cardamom is one my mother always made.

Roasted cabbage with Västerbotten cheese

Bagt spidskål med Västerbottensost

I love most kinds of cabbage, but a lot of older Nordic recipes cook it for a long time so I gravitate to recipes using raw or roasted cabbage. I serve this alongside Danish meatloaf (see page 52), meatballs (all kinds, but especially Krebinetter, see page 70), and also roast pork belly (see page 220) as a change from slow-cooked red cabbage.

40 g/3 tablespoons butter

a glug of oil

1 teaspoon paprika

2 garlic cloves, crushed

50 g/1¾ oz. Västerbotten cheese, grated (or Pecorino, Parmesan or other aged hard cheese)

1 head of sweetheart cabbage, cut into 4–6 wedges

25 g/¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

2–3 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES 2–4 AS A SIDE

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/400ºF/Gas 6.

In a small pan, melt the butter, leave to froth up and go brown. This takes several minutes, but remove from the heat as soon as it is medium brown (dark brown will be bitter). It’s done when it smells like baking biscuits.

Mix the oil, paprika, crushed garlic, half the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the browned butter in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add the cabbage wedges to a baking tray or ovenproof dish. Brush each side with the cheese topping so all surfaces have some topping on them.

Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and add the rest of the cheese over the top of the cabbage, as well as drizzling the remaining browned butter over. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes to crisp up, adding the hazelnuts for the last minute of cooking. Sprinkle the parsley over and serve immediately.

Scandinavian beetroot salad

Rödbetsallad

The iconic Scandi salad and an essential dish on any smörgåsbord, especially at Christmas. A super-quick side that goes well with anything from meatballs to boiled eggs. You can use plain cooked beets instead of pickled (simply adjust the seasoning).

500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. pickled beetroot/beets (approx. 2 standard jars), drained and diced into small cubes

1 tablespoon caster/granulated sugar (optional)

1 tart apple (Granny Smith or similar), peeled and cored

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

75 g/? cup mayonnaise

100 g/scant ½ cup crème fraîche or natural/plain yogurt

2–3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES 4–6

Taste the beetroot/beets as some brands use sweetener – if overly sweet, do not add sugar, but if too sour for your taste, add a tablespoon of sugar.

Cut the apple into cubes the same size as the beetroot. Squeeze some lemon juice over the apple, then mix with the beetroot. Mix in the mayonnaise, crème fraîche and balsamic vinegar and season. The light pink colour will go darker after a few hours. If you make ahead and prefer a lighter, creamier result, add a dollop of mayo or yogurt before serving.

VEGAN Swap the dressing for a vegan mayo.

EXTRA TART Add finely diced pickled cucumber, gherkin or capers.

NUTTY Add toasted walnuts or pumpkin/pepitas and sunflower seeds.

LIGHTER Replace the mayo and yogurt with skyr for lower calories.

HERRING SALAD Add chopped pickled herring and boiled/cooked egg.

Norwegian meatballs

Kjøttkaker

In traditional Norwegian cooking, two types of meatballs are popular. These beef meatballs called Kjøttkaker, literally translated it means ‘meat cakes’, and then there are medisterkaker made of pork which are usually served at Christmas along with ribbe (see page 220).

This beef version is served all year round, with mashed or boiled potatoes, mashed peas and a thick gravy. Of course, a good dollop of lingonberry on the side is a must. Even though they are served with similar sides to Swedish meatballs, these taste quite different and are much larger. Finishing the cooking in the gravy adds flavour to the sauce.

500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. minced/ground beef (minimum 15% fat content)

salt

½ onion, grated

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch

1 tablespoon plain/all-purpose flour

200 ml/¾ cup warm milk, with half a beef stock cube dissolved in it

1 egg

butter and oil, for frying.

GRAVY

25 g/1¾ tablespoons butter

25 g/3 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour

600–800 ml/2½–3 cups stock or potato cooking water

soy or Worcestershire sauce (optional)

gravy browning

salt and freshly ground black pepper

MASHED PEAS

350 g/12 oz. frozen peas

80–100 ml/6–7 tablespoons meat stock

2 tablespoons butter

SERVES 4 (MAKES APPROX. 12 MEATBALLS)

In a stand mixer, mix together the beef and salt for a few minutes, then add the other meatball ingredients and combine. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before using.

Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Continue to cook over a low heat until the mixture starts to colour, then start whisking in the liquid, little by little, allowing it to come to a simmer before adding more liquid. You may not need all the stock or water, but keep adding until you have a gravy of a good consistency. Season with salt and pepper and maybe a drop of soy or Worcestershire sauce. To give it colour, add a few...