It’s modern Nordic cuisine, and it’s taking over dining tables everywhere. Driving the new food movement: creative herb combos, healthy ingredients, and memory-making flavours that hit every note, from deliciously delicate to daring and bold.
It’s modern Nordic cuisine, and it’s taking over dining tables everywhere. Driving the new food movement: creative herb combos, healthy ingredients, and memory-making flavours that hit every note, from deliciously delicate to daring and bold.
Pickle-poached Salmon With Cucumber and Fennel
SERVES: 4
COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
1 cup distilled vinegar
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 bunches dill
4 140g salmon fillets
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
¼ cup molasses
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 fennel bulb
1 long cucumber
Freshly ground black pepper
1. In a pan large enough to hold salmon fillets in a single layer, bring vinegar, water, bay leaves, allspice, sugar, salt and one bunch of dill to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off heat and add fish, making sure they are covered by the liquid. Cover pan and let fish rest for five to 10 minutes, or until it’s poached. Remove fish and drain on paper towels.
2. Chop remaining bunch of dill. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, mustard, honey and molasses. Continue to whisk as you add red wine vinegar, and then, once combined, the oil. Fold in chopped dill.
3. Trim fennel, reserving fronds, and thinly slice bulb with a mandoline. Using a vegetable peeler, remove about half the cucumber peel, creating stripes lengthwise. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon and slice. Toss fennel and cucumber in ¼ cup mustard dressing, and top with pepper and chopped fennel fronds. 4. Serve salmon with salad and remaining dressing on the side if desired.
Nutrition score per serving 314 calories, 16g fat (2.1g saturated), 11g carbs, 30g protein, 2g fibre, 354mg sodium
Spiced Cabbage Soup With Rye Croutons
SERVES: 4
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES
2 thick slices rye bread, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon chopped garlic
1¼ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head white cabbage
1 leek (white part only)
1 yellow onion
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 carrots, grated
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup port or any dark beer
4¼ cups water
1–2 bay leaves
Chopped parsley
1. Saute rye cubes in a pan with butter, one teaspoon olive oil, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper.
2. Chop cabbage into small pieces, and thinly slice leek and onion. Heat remaining one tablespoon oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add cabbage, leek, onion, remaining one teaspoon salt, white pepper, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, and sweat vegetables for about five minutes to build flavour. Put a lid on pot for a few minutes to let vegetables steam.
3. Add carrots, molasses, port and water to the pot, along with bay leaves. Let simmer until vegetables are tender, about one hour. Discard bay leaves.
4. Serve in soup bowls, topped with rye croutons and chopped parsley.
Nutrition score per serving 284 calories, 6g fat (1.5g saturated), 39g carbs, 5g protein, 8g fibre, 908mg sodium
Fall Beets and Sunchoke Salad
SERVES: 4
COOK TIME: 50 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
55g hazelnuts
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for reheating vegetables
1 teaspoon sugar
225g baby golden beets
225g baby chioggia (candy cane) beets
225g sunchokes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
225g baby watercress
Kosher salt
Black pepper
55g västerbotten, thinly sliced (a cow’s milk cheese – you can substitute Parmesan or any other hard cow’s milk cheese.)
Sea salt
1. In a pan over medium heat, toast hazelnuts in one teaspoon olive oil and sugar. Stir until lightly caramelised. Remove from heat.
2. Preheat the oven to 175 deg C. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add beets and cook until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove beets from water to cool, then peel and slice them.
3. While beets cook, drizzle sunchokes with one teaspoon olive oil. Roast until semi-soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside. When cool, slice, leaving skins on.
4. In a small jar with a lid, combine extra-virgin olive oil, truffle oil and vinegar. Shake the jar to combine. Toss watercress with the vinaigrette. 5. Reheat beets and sunchokes in a hot pan with some olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to salad, along with toasted hazelnuts and cheese. Serve with a sprinkling of sea salt.
Nutrition score per serving 418 calories, 33g fat (5.6g saturated), 25g carbs, 10g protein, 6g fibre, 398mg sodium
Peppery greens complement the sweet beets and earthy sunchokes in this salad.
Pork Chop With Roasted Kohlrabi, Rutabaga and Wild Kale
SERVES: 4
COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES
2 kohlrabies, peeled and cut into wedges
2 rutabagas, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon shaved garlic
1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning
8 kale leaves, torn
7g Danish blue cheese, frozen and finely grated
Sea salt
Cooking spray
4 140g pork chops
1. Preheat the oven to 205 deg C. In a large bowl, toss together kohlrabi, rutabaga, garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil and one teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables to a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables soften, adding kale leaves for the last two minutes of cooking. Remove baking sheet from the oven, transfer vegetables to a serving dish, and top with the grated blue cheese and a sprinkling of sea salt.
2. Meanwhile, coat an ovenproof pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, add to pan, and sear until golden on the bottom, for three minutes. Flip chops and transfer pan to oven. Cook five to 10 minutes or until pork is 65 deg C. Transfer to a serving dish and let rest for a few minutes. Serve with vegetables.
Nutrition score per serving 350 calories, 12g fat (2.5g saturated), 24g carbs, 39g protein, 8g fibre, 915mg sodium
Swedish Buttermilk Pancakes With Wild Berry Jam and Whipped Cream
SERVES: 4
COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1¼ cups low-fat milk
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 1½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons vanilla paste or 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup mixed berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries
1 cup water
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon butter
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
1. In a large bowl, beat eggs, then add buttermilk and low-fat milk, and whisk to combine. Add flour, 1½ teaspoons sugar, and salt, and stir to combine. Add ¾ teaspoon vanilla paste and mix until combined. Place batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the berry sauce. In a small bowl, mix together berries, water, cornstarch, ½ cup sugar and remaining vanilla paste. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer over low heat until berries break down and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
3. Heat a non-stick pan over mediumhigh. Add butter, then pour around three tablespoons of batter into pan, and swirl until pan is evenly coated. When air pockets appear, flip pancake. Cook one to two minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. Serve pancakes with berry sauce and whipped cream if desired.
Nutrition score per serving 402 calories, 6g fat (2.7g saturated), 71g carbs, 14g protein, 2g fibre, 596mg sodium
“You can’t go anywhere in Sweden without seeing pancakes on the menu,” says chef Sundell.
