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...
