A Spring Scandinavian Supper for 8

Now that we're firmly into spring here's a menu to celebrate from Danish cookery writer Trine Hahnemann introduced by her Scandi compatriot food writer and blogger Signe Johansen

Signe wrote: Scandinavian food has suddenly become fashionable - and not before time. Indeed there's been a flurry of press coverage recently in the UK reporting the findings of Danish researchers that the much-vaunted 'new Nordic diet' may be healthier and more sustainable than the long-celebrated Mediterranean diet.

You can bet your bottom dollar (or indeed krone) we'll be hearing a lot more about the virtues of Scandinavian cuisine if Danish Chef Trina Hahnemann, author of 'The Scandinavian Cookbook', has anything to do with it.

An avid proponent of seasonal Scandinavian ingredients such as antioxidant-rich berries, wholegrains, wild game and oily fish, Trina sees no reason why we shouldn't adopt the basic precepts of Scandinavian cooking over here. Substituting fish for meat and having a couple of days of meat- or fish-free fare is typical of the Scandinavian diet, something we will all have to get used to in the future.

So if you're curious about the new craze for Scandinavian cuisine, here's an authentic menu created by Trina for a springtime supper that recently took place in London's La Fromagerie.

Although it looks copious, you won't feel stuffed to the gills afterwards, or exhausted from preparing the dishes. In fact you'll likely be surprised how easy it is to entertain hordes of hungry dinner guests with Scandinavian dishes, most of which can be prepared well in advance.

Trina demonstrated how quick and easy it is to cure salmon in the gravadlax fashion. Once the salmon is cured, you then divide the side into as many portions as you need and freeze what you don't use for up to two months - an ideal standby for an impromptu dinner party.

A Scandinavian's cook's repertoire relies on using fresh seasonal ingredients as much as possible and serving proper bread be it the Swedish crisp-style bread that we had at Trina's supper, made by the brilliant Swedish Bakery Peter's Yard, or a wholemeal, grainy loaf so beloved of Scandinavians which leaves you sated but not bloated.

Baking is an important tradition across Scandinavia and anyone who visits Norway, Sweden or Denmark can attest to the wide variety of pastries, cakes, breads and biscuits available throughout the peninsula.

The other trick Scandinavians deploy to great effect is combining sweet and sour ingredients to balance other strong flavours, not unlike Thai food. Trina's classic Scandinavian sweet and sour cucumber salad is quite possibly the simplest, least fussy dish in the world and utterly addictive - a brilliant dish to serve with fish such as hot smoked trout or baked or barbecued salmon or with lamb as suggested below.

Winewise the menu is fairly straightforward, though watch out for the sweetness of the mustard sauce with the gravadlax. I've suggested a variety of wine, beer and schnapps options.

And finally, it wouldn't be a true Scandinavian meal without copious toasts throughout the meal, so make sure your guests' glasses are always topped up. Skal!

TRINA'S MENU
Gravadlax & sweet mustard sauce on rye crispbread
Potato Cake with Salmon Roe and Roast Beetroot
Roast rack of lamb stuffed with mint, apricot and celery served with spinach, minted roast potatoes and sweet and sour cucumber salad
Lemon mousse

Gravadlax & sweet mustard sauce on rye crispbread
The quintessential Scandi starter or amuse for pre-dinner drinks. This is a fabulous crowd-pleaser, but make sure you source your salmon from a reputable fishmonger as it needs to be as fresh as possible. Ask the fishmonger to remove all the scales (insist on this!) as de-scaling is a messy business and you don't want to have to do it at home. Makes enough for 8-10 starters or small nibbles for 20-25 guests

(Note the image above ©Christin Klose at shutterstock.com is a generic image not a photo of the recipe as described below)

Gravadlax
1 salmon fillet, about 2.5kg, taken from the middle of the fish
2 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds
120g coarse sea salt (Trina suggested Maldon, but any sea salt will do so long as it's not table salt)
170g caster sugar
200g dill, very finely chopped
extra dill sprigs

Sweet mustard sauce:
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
100g dill, chopped

Start by freezing the salmon for 24 hours to destroy any harmful bacteria. Then defrost it.Remove pinbones from the salmon and trim the edges of the fillet. Place the fillet skin-side down on a sheet of cling film. In a pestle and mortar, crush the peppercorns and coriander seeds and mix with the salt and sugar. Spread the finely-chopped dill evenly over the salmon, then cover with the spiced sugar mixture. Cut the salmon into two equal portions. Lay three of the dill sprigs over one piece then cover with the other piece of fish, laying it flesh-side down. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 2 days.

To make the sauce, place the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Finally, when you're ready to serve the gravadlax, unwrap the fish and wipe off all the salt and sugar mixture with a paper towel (much of the salt and sugar will have absorbed into the fish during the curing process, this is just to tidy the fish!).
With a salmon slicer or long sharp knife, cut from one end of the salmon on a slant towards the centre so you get thin slices of gravadlax. Serve with crisp rye bread, rye toast or wholemeal or soda bread. (Blinis also work, but aren't terribly Scandinavian) Be sparing with the sauce as it's quite potent. You can also add a small dollop of sour cream and a sprig of dill for garnish.
Drinks suggestions:Aquavit,Prosecco, off-dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer or, as Trina suggests (and I agree), an ice cold beer!

Potato Cake with Salmon Roe and Roast Beetroot
Not far from potato rosti, but less oily, potato cakes are a superb foil for salmon roe. The original recipe calls for lumpfish roe, but if you can't source it go for salmon.

Beetroot:
A bunch of fresh beets (about 500g)
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

Potato cakes:
600g potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
4 spring onions, finely chopped
4 medium eggs
4 tbsp oatmeal
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tbsp thyme leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
to serve:
2 tbsp chopped chives
150ml half-fat creme fraiche or sour cream
400g salmon roe

Preheat the oven to 180C (Gas 4). Put the beetroot on a baking tray and cook them in the oven for 30 minutes. Take them out and let them cool slightly before peeling them. Cut the beetroot into very small cubes and toss them in the lime juice and seasonings.

Make the potato cakes: in a mixing bowl, combine the grated potatoes, spring onions, eggs, oatmeal, sesame seeds, nutmeg, thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Use a small spoon to form small cakes and place them in the oil, pressing down lightly so they are flat. Fry on each side for 5 minutes or until crisp.

Meanwhile, stir the chopped chives into the creme fraiche.Put the potato cakes on a serving dish. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the lumpfish roe, 1/2 tablespoon of the beetroot salad and some of the chive cream. Lastly grind some pepper over the top and serve straight away.

Drinks suggestion: Traditionally Scandinavians would drink aquavit and beer with this starter but you could serve a dry, crisp ros

Roast leg of lamb stuffed with mint, apricot and celery served with spinach and minted roast potatoes
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
75g organic dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
30 mint leaves
2 kg leg of lamb, boned
Salt and pepper

Spinach
3 kg spinach leaves
50g butter
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Potatoes
1 kg new potatoes, halved
3 mint sprigs
4 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200C (Gas 6). Mix the celery, apricots and garlic with the mint leaves*.Lay the lamb out on a chopping board. Rub the top with salt and pepper, and spread the mint-apricot mixture over the surface. Roll it to encase the stuffing.Take some kitchen string and tie it around the lamb at even intervals to make a roasting joint. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the spinach - remove any tough stems and rinse the spinach several times under cold water. Drain and set aside in a colander.

Parboil the new potatoes with one of the mint sprigs in a large saucepan of salted water until the potatoes are tender. Drain well.Pick the leaves from the remaining mint sprigs. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and fry the cooked potatoes with the mint leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

To cook the spinach, simply melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach wilts. Take it off the heat immediately, being careful not to over-cook.

Finally, carve the roast lamb into slices and serve immediately with the spinach, new potatoes and sweet and sour cucumber salad below

* you could also add some spices such as cinnamon, coriander or fennel seeds to the stuffing ingredients

Drink suggestions:Almost any medium to full bodied red would work with this but I'd favour a red Bordeaux or Meritage blend

Sweet and sour cucumber salad
300ml white vinegar
75g caster sugar
1 cucumber, cut into paper-thin slices
Lemon juice and/or zest (optional)
Combine the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan and heat gently stirring the mixture to make sure all the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes,. Set aside to cool, add the cucumber then leave for another 30 minutes

Lemon Mousse
A zesty, tangy dessert, perfect as a palate-cleanser after the roast lamb.
serves 8
4 gelatine leaves
3 eggs, separated
75g caster sugar
100ml double cream
juice of 3 lemons
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (preferably from an unwaxed lemon)
Cream to serve
Immerse the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for about.5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until the foam forms stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream until it forms soft peaks.Lift the gelatine out of the water and melt it in a small saucepan over a very gentle heat. Turn off the heat, pour in the lemon juice and add the zest. Slowly pour the gelatine mixture into the egg yolk mixture, stirring all the time. Set aside in a cool place until the mousse is starting to set.Fold in the egg whites and the whipped cream. Pour into one large serving dish or several small dishes and chill for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Serve with a dollop of cream or even better - creme fraiche or sour cream - and a sprig of mint or some candied lemon zest and accompany with small crisp biscuits like langues de chat.
Drink suggestion: a chilled shot of apple schnapps

Recipes come from The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trine Hahnemann. For more Scandinavian recipes visit Trina's website and Signe's blog Scandilicious.

La Fromagerie is at 2-6 Moxon StreetLondon W1W 4EW.

An easy Easter brunch for six

If you're planning ahead for Easter weekend and don't fancy doing the traditional big Easter Day lunch how about a brunch instead? Here's my menu for this time of year ...

I always try and lay on some kind of fruit compote or fruit salad but it’s a bit early for berries so I’ve suggested a dried fruit compote made with redbush tea and served with rich, creamy yoghurt.

The centrepiece is a twist on a traditional kedgeree from my book Food, Wine and Friends, made with smoked salmon - a real crowd pleaser and to finish, a couple of recipes for home-made muffins which I suggest should be freshly baked by any willing helper you can rope in. Or simply buy in some croissants, re-heat them and serve them with some good breads and toast and a range of interesting jams.

You can also set up your own juice bar (see my Beginners’ guide to juicing) or make my simple St Clement’s Punch.

Menu:

Dried fruit compote with redbush tea, cinnamon and honey
Smoked salmon kedgeree
Banana and honey muffins
Bacon, onion and Cheddar muffins
St Clement's Punch

Dried fruit compote with redbush tea, cinnamon and honey

I always have South African redbush (Rooibos) tea in the cupboard. It makes a great caffeine-free alternative to ordinary tea. You can also use it to make this delicious fruit compote.
Serves 6

3 redbush teabags
400g mixed dried fruit (I’d suggest about 100g each dried apricots*, prunes and figs, 50g dried apple or pineapple and 50g raisin mix which you’ll usually find in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket)
1-2 tbsp runny honey
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cloves
1 thinly pared slice of orange rind
50g whole almonds
Greek yoghurt to serve

Put the teabags in a jug, pour in 700ml of boiling water, leave to infuse for 4 minutes then remove the teabags. Put the dried fruit in a saucepan and pour over the tea. Add 1 tbsp of the honey, cinnamon, cloves and orange rind, stir and bring to the boil. Simmer the fruit for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and check for sweetness, adding the remaining honey if you think it needs it. Cover the pan and leave to cool. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and orange rind and add the almonds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Spoon into individual glass bowls or dishes and top with a dollop of creamy Greek yoghurt
* I would use standard rather than organic apricots for this recipe because the colour is brighter.

Smoked salmon kedgeree

Kedgeree is an Anglo-Indian dish which stems from the days of the Raj. This party version is based on a relatively new product - lightly smoked salmon which gives it a particularly luxurious flavour. If you can’t find it use organic salmon and add a little bit of smoked salmon at the end when you add the prawns.
Serves 6

3 large fresh eggs
250g undyed skinless, boneless smoked haddock or cod fillet
250g lightly smoked skinless, boneless salmon fillet or ordinary salmon fillet
3 tbsp sunflower oil or other light oil
1 medium onion (about 125-150g) peeled and finely chopped
2-3 tsp good quality mild curry powder or pilau rice seasoning
300g basmatti rice
175g cooked peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
40g soft butter
2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves and a few whole leaves for decoration
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Prick the eggs if you have an egg pricker and lower them carefully into the water and boil for 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the eggs. Drain off the water, pour cold running water over the eggs then leave to cool in cold water.
Put the smoked haddock and salmon into a larger pan and pour over just enough cold water to cover. Bring gradually to the boil then once the water is bubbling, draw the pan off the heat and cover it with a lid or a piece of foil. Leave for 5 minutes then carefully remove the fish fillets. Pour the cooking water into a jug up to the 600ml mark and set aside.
Heat the oil in another heavy duty pan or casserole and fry the onion over a moderate heat for about 6-7 minutes until starting to turn dark brown at the edges. Sprinkle in the curry powder or rice seasoning (I use 3 tsp but use 2 if you want a slightly milder flavour). Add the rice, stir again and pour in the reserved water you used for cooking the fish. Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down and cover the pan. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Meanwhile shell and quarter the eggs. Set aside six quarters and roughly chop the rest. Flake the fish being very careful to remove any remaining bones. Once the rice is cooked, fork it through and tip in the cooked fish, prawns and eggs, cover the pan and leave for 5 minutes on a very low heat. Turn off the heat, add the butter, fork through, season with the lemon juice and a little salt and pepper if you think it needs it and fork through the chopped coriander. Serve on a warm platter decorated with the quartered eggs and the remaining coriander leaves.
* You can keep the kedgeree covered in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before serving it or transfer to a very low oven and keep it for about 30-40 minutes.

Banana and honey breakfast muffins

Makes about 12 small or 6 larger muffins

50g unsalted butter
2 tbsp clear honey (about 55g)
1 heaped tbsp natural unsweetened yoghurt
About 60ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 level tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 medium-ripe banana (yellow rather than green or speckled with black)
Unrefined caster sugar for topping

You’ll need 1 x 12 hole small muffin or tartlet tins and some small paper cases
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Line the hollows in the tin with the paper cases. Gently heat the butter in a pan with the honey. Set aside and cool slightly. Put the yoghurt in a measuring jug and mix in enough milk to bring it to just over the 100ml mark. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sieve the flour into a bowl with the baking powder, cinnamon and salt and hollow out a dip in the centre. Pour the honey and butter mixture, beaten egg and yoghurt and milk into the flour and mix in lightly and swiftly with a large metal spoon to get a rough batter. (Don’t overmix - it doesn’t have to be completely smooth). Peel the banana, slice it thinly into the batter and fold in lightly so that all the slices are coated. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle each with a little caster sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until fully risen and well browned. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and eat as soon as cool enough to handle.

Bacon, onion and cheddar muffins

Makes about 12 small muffins or 6 larger ones

1 tbsp sunflower or other cooking oil
75g cubed pancetta or bacon lardons
1 small onion (about 75g), peeled and finely chopped
50g butter
1 heaped tbsp natural unsweetened yoghurt
About 60ml milk
150g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 level tsp salt
15g finely grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
40g coarsely grated mature cheddar cheese

You’ll need 1 x 12 hole small muffin or tartlet tins and some small paper cases

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Line the hollows in the tin with the paper cases. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the pancetta or lardons for a couple of minutes until they start to brown. Add the onion, stir and cook over a low to moderate heat for another 5 minutes until the onion is soft then set aside to cool. Gently melt the butter in another pan and leave to cool. Put the yoghurt in a measuring jug and mix in enough milk to bring it to just over the 100ml mark. . Sieve the flour into a bowl with the baking powder and salt. Add the parmesan and hollow out a dip in the centre. Pour the beaten eggs, melted butter and yoghurt and milk into the flour and mix lightly and swiftly with a large metal spoon to get a rough batter. (Don’t overmix - it doesn’t have to be completely smooth). Fold in the bacon and onions. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle each with a little grated cheddar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fully risen and well browned. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and eat as soon as cool enough to handle.

St Clement’s Punch

A fresh, zesty citrus-based punch that’s packed with vitamin C. It obviously tastes best if you squeeze the fruit yourself but bought freshly squeezed juice is fine if you’re short of time
Serves 4-6

250ml freshly squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges)
150ml freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice (1-2 grapefruit)
250ml chilled lemon refresher or traditional lemonade
1 tbsp Grand Marnier (optional)
Slices of orange and lemon to decorate

Simply pour the orange and lemon juice into a jug and top up with the lemon refresher and stir well. Add the Grand Marnier if using, stir again then add a few slices of orange and lemon to the jug and serve

What to drink
I think bubbly is by far the best wine by far for a brunch - champagne if you feel like splashing out but a good sparkling wine is perfectly good. I’d choose a blanc de blancs or sparkling chardonnay at this time of day - or an Italian prosecco. You can also, of course, make my low - or no-alcohol punch - and some fresh juices.

The photo which is not of my version of the salmon kedgeree but another one is © Martin Turzak - Fotolia.com. No reason why you can't add a few shell-on prawns though.

How to throw a vodka and zakuski party

A vodka party sounds dangerous, the sort of idea you used to come up when you were a student but think Russian- or Ukrainian-style hors d’oeuvres, or zakuski as they call them, and you’ve got a great theme for an evening with friends.

I threw one because I had a LOT of vodka in the house having just written a column on the subject. I admit that’s an advantage and that it could get expensive if you’re not in that fortunate position but you can always ask friends to bring a bottle if they’d like to share a vodka they’re enthusiastic about

I had shot glasses for those who wanted to taste different vodkas and bigger tumblers for those who wanted a longer drink like a vodka tonic, vodka and lime or a Bloody Mary. You could also put out a few martini glasses if you have them. (Don’t have enough of the right kind of glasses? Borrow them as I did!)

I set a table aside as a simple bar so that people could make their own drinks (or have them made for them by my more expert friends). There was ice and lemon available. Ideally I’d have frozen at least some of the bottles as frozen vodka is so delicious but there was no room in the freezer post-Christmas. I also laid in a stash of lager for which I also didn’t have room in the fridge so left in the cold outside the front door where it fortunately remained unspotted by the local student population. My guests were ready to switch to them after a few vodkas.

On the food side I had loads of smoked fish including smoked mackerel and smoked eel (served with horseradish and quark or sour cream) rollmop herrings (GREAT with vodka) smoked salmon and herbed cheese blinis (I’d have made home-made blinis if I’d had time but if you warm the bought ones through they’re fine).

I made some wonderfully retro stuffed eggs topped with lumpfish roe and a couple of salads - a beetroot, potato and gherkin salad from Olia Hercules’ Mamushka (and the addictively spicy Korean carrots from the same book) and a simple cucumber and dill salad.

A chef friend brought a borscht but we forgot to eat it. It’s now in the freezer for the next vodka party. Another friend Dan who works at Grillstock in Bristol brought Polish snacking sausage and barbequed chicken thighs, admittedly better suited to a bourbon bash but the everyone fell on them. Vodka can handle a bit of spice.

We had a couple of marmalade vodkas - Chase and Fortnum & Mason - which I’d got into my head would go brilliantly with florentines and managed to inveigle my friend Elly into making some. (They do). An alternative would be scoops of lemon sorbet with frozen vodka poured over them. Or maybe just on their own …. (too much vodka: ed)

There are plenty of other possibilities as you can see from this post on vodka pairings. Just make it as uncomplicated as possible and get your friends to pitch in and help. 

See also this account of a Polish vodka feast I attended back in 2007 and a vodka and caviar tasting at Petrossian in New York.

Photo ©golubovy at fotolia.com

What are the best pairings for pancakes?

If you’re planning a Pancake Day celebration for tomorrow and haven’t yet decided what to drink here are few ideas.

Like pasta the best match for pancakes depends on the topping or filling which can obviously be savoury or sweet. Very sweet - and hot - which can make the choice of an accompanying drink tricky.

Simple sugar and lemon pancakes
The classic British way. To be honest I prefer them on their own or with an aromatic cup of tea such as Lady Grey or Orange Pekoe but a sweet sparkling wine such as Moscato d’Asti or Clairette de Die should work if you don’t overdo the lemon. A sparkling ice-wine (the Canadian winery Inniskillin does one) would probably be perfect

Pancakes with fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
A sparkling rosé (or, of course, rosé champagne) with a touch of sweetness pairs well with this lighter style of pancake topping/filling. You could also try a sparkling framboise made with a raspberry liqueur topped up with sparkling wine.

Pancakes with golden or maple syrup
Tricky especially if the topping is maple syrup and the dish also includes bacon. Black tea or a black Americano coffee for me but them I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth. If you do you could always try an Australian liqueur muscat

Pancakes with chocolate sauce
A strong sweet red wine like port would probably work but might be just too much of a good thing. Black - or white - coffee again, if anything.

Pancakes with a cherry, apricot or other fruit compote
Very good with a complementary fruit beer - kriek with cherry-filled pancakes, a peach or apricot-flavoured beer with apricot filled ones. With apple and cinnamon filled crepes you could serve a conventional dessert wine - cooked apples suit most of them but I'd be tempted by a youngish Tokaji

Savoury pancakes with cheese and ham or spinach
Dry or sparkling cider is a great match for Breton-style pancakes, particularly if they’re made with buckwheat. Otherwise a smooth dry white wine such as a Pinot Blanc, Soave or Gavi will all work fine

Smoked salmon blinis
Champagne, sparkling wine or iced vodka

Crispy duck pancakes
Not a traditional Shrove Tuesday treat but while we’re in pancake mode . . . Hard to beat a good Pinot Noir

Image By Melica at shutterstock.com