Skagenröra - Swedish creamy shrimp salad (gluten-free)

Räksallad, skagenröra... this Swedish creamy shrimp salad has as many names as it has uses. 

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It would be impossible to even try and imagine Swedish cuisine without räksallad, shrimp and mayo salad. 

(Salad with no veg? Salad with just mayo and shrimp? I'm in!)

Also called Skagenröra or West Coast salad (Västkustsallad), these creamy shrimp salads are more like spreads or dressings and are loved by Swedish, no matter what the occasion. 

They make an appearance in the Midsummer's celebrations, Christmas buffets, at brunches and, well, everything and anything in between. 

While West Coast Salad usually contains other ingredients (mussles, fish and yes, occasionally even them veg...) , too, Skagenröra is an unapologetic ode to the good life and archipelago's endless summer days and featurs nothing but shrimp and some mayo. 

For Asian twist you could substitute some of crème fraîche with sweet chili sauce and use coriander instead of dill.

Another way to jazz things up a bit would be to add some vendace roe (in which case do not add any salt) or a sprinkling of chilli powder. You could also substitute chives with half of a finely minced small red onion or by switching Dijon mustard to horseradish.

Fresh dill on the other hand is something you need to have. Lots of. There's something about its scent alone that immediately transports one to summery days and al fresco lunches with all your friends (all disgustingly tall, willowy and blonde, of course...) around the table. 

Skål, everyone!

It's also insanely versatile: spoon some of it on halved hard-boiled eggs for easy starter, use it to top slices of malty archipelago bread, serve it as a dressing for fish or have it with jacket potatos. 

Skagenröra is also an essential condiment in the fast food kiosks (I'll be introducing you guys to my absolute Swedish street food favourite on the next blog post!) and people shovel this on their hot dogs, burgers and grilled sausages and fries.

The easiest way out is, of course, using frozen, peeled shrimp, but trust me - you don't need to be a fussy Gothenburger to tell the difference between those and the whole ones you've peeled yourself. 

For 200 grams of peeled shrimp you need (depending on their size) a little more than half a kilo of the whole ones.

For 4-6 persons

Räksallad (Skagenröra) - Swedish creamy shrimp salad:

200 g (freshly) peeled shrimp

1 dl mayo

1 dl crème fraîche

1/2 tsp (Dijon) mustard

1 tsp lemon juice (if using Dijon, this can be omitted)

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

3  tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

3  tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Peel the shrimp (if using whole ones) or thaw and drain the frozen ones. Pat dry and, if they're very big, chop roughly.

Combine remaining ingredients, check the taste and season as needed. Fold in the shrimp and let chill for a couple of hours before serving. 

Räksallad, skagenröra, how ever you want to call it - what's your favourite use for this Scandinavian delicacy?

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Fish and roe terrine - easy and festive treat for Christmas table (gluten-free)

Fish and roe terrine is a make-ahead, easy and festive treat for Christmas or Hanukkah table!

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We kicked off our festive season bright and early last weekend. Though the amount of guests kept dropping owing to the flu season ("nope, can't make it - still dying") and the Wine Expo ("yeah... we're just about to finish our 54th drinks over here so we should be there... soon...ish"), the amount of food did not reflect it. Oh, no. Instead we were left with Obelixian Gallian feast.

As the theme was stress-free holiday season, we decided on terrines which, despite of their impressive appearance, are easy to make and can be made in advance. 

The star of the evening was this rustic country style pork terrine, but in addition to that we also feasted on a fish and roe version.

Serves 8-10

Fish and roe terrine:

600 g boneless, skinned white fish fillets
2 egg whites
2 dl cream
100 g roe (something with bigger texture, such as trout)
handful of finely chopped parsley
handful of finely chopped fresh dill
zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Measure fish, egg whites and cream into a food processor and blizz until smooth. 

Fold in rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Line a terrine (or bundt) tin with cling film and spoon the mixture into a prepared tin. Fold the edges over the terrine mixture and cover the dish wth a tightly wrapped tin foil.

Place the tin into an oven proof dish and pour enough boiling water to reach the halfway of the tin. 

Bake at 175 (less in a fan assisted oven) for an hour. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool and then chill in the fridge until cold.

Remove the foil and open the cling film. Carefuly turn into the serving dish and remove rest of the cling film. Serve.

PS. Don't forget there are more stress-free, make-ahead treats on the blog all week this week!

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The second best salmon soup in the archipelago

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Archipelago salmon soup is wonderfully rich and full of flavours of summer. And orange.

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We're not completely frivolous in our tiaras, The Cat Blogger and I. We're quite capable of carryng on conversations that are very deep and meaningful. During our latest trip to Aland we took on the wellbeing of the entire planet (that UN really aren't doing their bit, are they?) and got thinking about the Fatal Flaws In The World.

And let's face it, there's no imminent shortage of those. There's abject poverty, famine and wars. There are human rights violations, insufferable inequality and men wo never call you back. 

With me the most the biggest mistake in God's plan is the fact I wasn't born in the archipelago. I, along with my nautica sripes would feel so at home there, glowing in tan courtesy of perpetual sun and sailing, pickling herring and serving heaving plates of shrimps to the dinner guests gathered on the deck of our boat.

In Aland I blended in that stripy crowd so well my companion occasionally struggled to spot where this Waldo is. 

In archipelago my dietary awaeness also invariably experiences an natural, albeit temporary, wake-up call. As I'm feasting on all those shrimps, fish soups, gubbröra and Toast Skagens I find myself declaring rather convincingly how I could live on this alone. Until the companion (once again) reminds me of the existence of things like bacon. And Iberico ham. And that oxtail ragú of mine. 

Luckily there are ways to hold on to the archipelago-dweller within even back home by serving oneself a generous portion of this archipelago inspired fish soup. Just close your eyes and visualize yourself sitting on the pier, carelessly swinging your legs over the glimmering sea as the evening sun kisses your freckles. In the ghetto conditions of mainland the last two can coneveniently be substituted with a bucket of ice cold water and a bright light lamp.

I've humbly named the soup The second best salmon soup in the archipelago. The first prize still goes to the one at Fyren in Nauvo and quite justifiably so. Helt suveränt!

I used the salmon stock I made myself (the recipe for which you'll find here) but feel free to use a good store bought variety. 

Serves 4-6

Archipelago salmon soup:

1,5 l good fish stock

the juice of 2,5 oranges (2,5 dl)

1 large onion

8 potatos (total weight 750 g)

4 carrots ( total weight 250 g)

12 allspice peppercorns

600 g salmon (or other fish) 

2,5 dl heavy cream

25 g butter

for serving: bunch of dill

Bring the stock to boil. Add allspice, sliced onion and chopped up veggies. Continue cooking until the veggies are just about done. Then add fish in similar sized cubes and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Add cream and bring to boil. Stir in butter and dill. Serve. With toasted archipelago bread croutons. 

Oh, my recipe for archipelago bread? Right over here!

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Tuna tapas - quick and easy treat for New Year buffet

Remember how I was supposed to go to Andalusia and tour the sherry country? And how in the end Middle East and Third intifada won? Oh, well. In the next posts we'll return there (and visit next winery of the itinerary!), but I suppose it's only fair we paid a little visit to Andalusia, too.

Having barely survived the stress over Christmas foods, I'm sure the last think you want to think about is what to serve at New Year, right? But hey - how about a fun and fuss-free tapas fiesta? And serving some sherries with them (before that Champagne pops open and starts flowing)? This is a recipe that goes with both.

These tuna tapas are one of the Basque country tapas (or, pintxos, as they're known there) classics and por que non - they're as quick as they're easy and cheap and cheerful, too! Instead of dill you can use finely chopped chives or parsley, too.

This makes enough spread for 1 baguette - that's about 20-15 pintxos

Tuna tapas:

1 baquette, diagonally sliced to 1,5 cm thick slices (and gently toasted, if you wish)

2 tins of tuna chunks in oil (à 185 g/ 140g) 

1,5 dl mayonnaise

1,5 tsp finely grated lemon zest

the juice of a lemon

1 smallish onion, very finely choppedp

3 tsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

salt, pepper

to serve: anchovies (1/ each pintxo) or capers or marinated red onion

Drain tuna. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the spread and finally fold in tuna. Check the taste, season, decorate and serve. 

As for those sherries, very cold Fino Inocente would be the best match. It also makes a good pair with olives and other fishy treats - from smoked salmon to deep-fried calamari rings. 

And what else could you have...?

If you're into seafood, you should check out these treats:

- Pulpo con sherry and pimentón - baby octopus in sherry and tomato sauce

- Spanish mussles with Jamón Serrano, orange and sherry

- Chorizo and squid salad with crunchy chickpeas

- Gambas pilpil 

On the meatier side you might like these:

- Albondigas - Spanish meat balls

- Quick and easy chorizo and chickpea salad

- Two-ingredient wonder chorizo cooked in red wine

- Chicken liver in fig and port wine sauce

And hey - how about tortilla Española, Spanish potato omelette? You can also cut it into cocktail-bites and serve topped with chorizo like I did over here. Salty and fatty sausages along with tortilla Española work well paired with something softer such as Cream (I like Valdespino's!).

And there can't be a tapas fiesta without those luscious Spanish hams. Ham and treats such as sun-dried tomatos (or oven-dried for that matter!) with a concentrated flavours with hints with vinegary elements are surprisingly good matches with sweeter varieties, such as Oloroso Blend Medium. 

For more tapas recipes just see here, for ideas on how to use sherry in cooking, just click on here!

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Fried chicken and bubbly - celebration of life, love and liberty

Crunchy on the outside, so juicy on the inside... Fried chicken with crispy corn flakes coating is everyone's favourite and nobility of comfort foods.

The past weekend was a dark one; not just for France but for everyone who believes in freedom. News from Paris on that somber Friday evening filled me with sadness, disbelief, frustration, anger and disappointment. Yes, mixed with a little bit of fear. But that's just what they wanted: for the rest of us to stop doing what we love and being who we are, simply out of fear. 

In the midst of that emotional hurricane I could only seek solace in joy, hope and love and so we decided not to skip Sunday lunch. I filled the table with people I love and food made with love and for a little moment world seemed like a safe place again.

Six servings

Crispy corn flakes- coated fried chicken:

800 g (6 pcs) chicken thighs (bone-in)

marinade:

1 l buttermilk

1,5 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika - can be substituted with regular paprika) 

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp mustard powder (or mustard)

1/4 tsp cayenne

for coating:

flour (gluten-free if needed), salt, pepper

the marinade

200 g corn flakes, crushed

for frying: 1 l oil

Pat the chicken pieces dry. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken thighs. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, toss in flour, drench in buttermilk mixture and coat with corn flakes. 

Heat oil in a heavy-based pot. Deep-fry chicken thighs in batches, turning halfway through until coating is golden brown and the chicken is done (about 15 minutes). Keep monitoring the oil temperature to make sure you won't burn the chicken. 

Drain on kitchen towels and serve. For instance with healthier, clear coleslaw and ketchunnaise, tomato-mayonnaise with hint of paprika. Both were inspired by the lunch at Just Vege.

Tartar sauce would be another good option, for recipe see here.

Lighter, brighter coleslaw:

1 small cabbage (450 g)

3 largeish carrots (total weight 350 g)

1 large bunch of dill, finely chopped, stalks and all

dressing:

1/4 dl oil

4 tbsp apple vinegar (or white vinegar)

the juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Peel the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in half and remove the hard core. You'll be left with about 350 g of cabbage. Peel and grate/ cut the carrot into strips. Combine with dill.

Whisk the dressing together until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the salad, cover and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Check the taste and season as needed; with salt, pepper or more lemon. 

Ketchunnaise:

1 dl mayonnaise

1 dl ketchup

1/4 tsp pimentòn

salt, pepper

(pinch of chilli)

Combine the ingredients, check the taste and serve.

Sure, you could go for Coca Cola or any old beer...but in case wine is what you're after, Riesling from Mosel (such as this Blitz you've already been introduced to) would, in its not so sweet acidity be a good pairing, too. 

We decided to take it up a notch ad celebrate life and coming together by cracking open a bottle of bubbly. Champagne or sparkling wine (especially those with a bit of toastiness) are a surprisingly good match - its crispness evens out the fattiness of anything deep-fried. No, I'm not making this up: there's actually a restaurant in New York devoted to the unlikely marriage between these two!

Jaume Serra Brut is another trusty friend that's been featured on the blog before. In addition the gentle toastiness it's got citrusy freshness and fruitiness and none of that stale yeastiness that (all too) often accompanies cheap fizz. It's got body that makes it easy to pair with variety of dishes, too: for instance with this recipe it compliments the freshness of the coleslaw and balances the fattiness of the chicken.

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Stroganoff with beetroot and soy chunks and dill oil

I can't remember when it all started as it just slowly snuck up on me. 

I went travelling and never once even thought about going to a bar. Instead I filled the evenings with opera and fine dining.

Then I found myself wanting to read all the literary classics. Never managed to get beyond Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but that's beside the point. 

I bought Talbot's dry clean-only wool trousers with tartan check as I though they'd look lovely with a  twinset. Ok, I did get them on eBay and without any intention to schlep all the way to dry-cleaners but still.

I also noticed how my visits to my hair dresser started to take longer and longer as we debated how blonde is too blonde (surely that's a trick question?) I want Real Housewives of Orange County blonde, she uses words like "subtle" and "appropriate". 

Then it hit me. After my latest birthday my age was officially closer to 40 than 30. I'm pre-middle aged (and apparently that means too old to be a chav). 

I've even discovered taste for sherry. And dishes I've not even thought about since school canteen fill me with nostalgia. Such as stroganoff. So, I surprised myself making it the other day. Though, because of this meat-free October regime, I made mine using beets and soy chunks. 

You know, I'm going to have to share this with you. Though a refined lady acting her age probably wouldn't (on the other hand - isn't vigilance about bowel movements all the rage? Or is that something for a couple of more decades down the line?)

While I do love beets as much as the next person, that trip to the loo the morning after never fails to shock me. Every single time I just find myself fretting over what it is that I have, well, broken. So, for those of you who keep saying life only starts after 40, this is not the kind of life I was looking forward to. 

But off we go and onto the recipe! Instead of dill you can throw in thyme (half a bunch) or rosemary (4-5 sprigs), too, as beet is BFFs with both of them. In case you're after a vegan (a.k.a. dairy-free) treat, substitute sour cream with soy cream or cashew cream (for how-to see here).

Serves 6-8

Beet root and soy chunk Stroganoff:

400 g beets, peeled and cut into roughly 1 cm cubes 

175 g uncooked soy chunks

1,5 l vegetable stock

3 rkl oil

2 red onions, cut into four and then roughly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted on a dry pan and crushed with pestle and mortar

1 dl red wine (can be omitted, then just add more vegetable stock and Balsamic vinegar)

1/4 dl Balsamic vinegar

140 g tomato concentrate

4 dl vegetable stock

2 bunches of dill

240 g sour cream

salt, black pepper

2 gherkins, cut into 1/2 cm cubes

Dill oil:

the stalks from dill

6 -8 tbsp oil

pinch of salt

To save time (and nerves) parboil the beets. Either steam them or cook in a little water for 20 minutes. Drain. 

Cook the soy cubes in vegetable stock for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the stock for later.

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until onion is soft. Add crushed fennel seeds, red wine, Basamic and, after a couple of minutes, soy chunks. Let them soak the flavours for a couple of minutes and then add beets, tomato concentrate, vegetable stock and finely chopped dill tops (reserve the stalks). Season.

Simmer, covered for about an hour until the beets are done to your liking. Then add sour cream and gherkins. Bring to boil check the taste and season as needed.

Serve with boiled rice, mashed potatos or yellow lentil puré.

I went all frugal yet fancy and drizzled the Stroganoff with dill oil. It gives the dish lovely fresh finish and you something to do with something you'd normally just discard.

Place the stalks in a small blender, heat the oil in a pan, pour into the blender as needed and blizz into a smooth oil. Season with a pinch of salt.

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Spicy chickpea salad from Yotam Ottolenghi

Oh yeah, more salads (my God, you should see how well I've actually been eating lately... no, wait - you will see! That's the whole point of this blog of mine!)

Just like shirazi, this is from a vegetarian cook book that just came out in Finland, though into that book the recipe found its way from another cook book altogether: Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi, champion of all food Israeli (what did the world do before him?)

The salad itself is a wonderful combination of fresh herbs and crunchy veggies but the thing here, habibi, is the dressing. Its warm spiciness wakes the senses and curiosity, making everyone go "ooh" followed by "hmm... what is in this?"

"Tastes very authentic", was The Vegetarian's verdict who turned up for lunch. "I'll have some more".

Spicy chickpea salad:

1 (400 g) tin of chick peas, drained and rinsed (and picked)

1 large cucumber, diced

2 large tomatos, diced

150 g radishes, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, diced (and de-seeded and white parts removed)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 bunch coriander, chopped

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

1 small bunch dill, chopped

Dressing:

1 dl olive oil

the juice and finely grated zest of  1 lemon

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cumin

salt, pepper (to taste)

Place chickpeas into a bowl together with chopped veggies and herbs. Combine the ingredients for the dressing (apart from salt and pepper) and pour into the salad. Season.

Serve chilled. If you want, you can dd dried up pitta bread into the mix or any other stale white bread (crusts removed).

Note: You can also toast the pitta bread and break into pieces or deep-fry pieces of stale pitta bread and sprinkle with sumac. The result: Palestinian salad called fattoush.

Do yourself a favour and save this recipe for summer picnics. I'm telling you, you really should. This is perfect for gluten-free, vegan, kosher, dairy-free diet... well, let's face it, for everyone!

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