CoolCat Countries Sweden

	21. Sweden “Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains.” ― Google Capital is Stockholm. “The name Sweden was derived from the Svear, or Suiones, a people mentioned as early as 98 CE by the Roman author Tacitus. The country’s ancient name was Svithiod. Stockholm has been the permanent capital since 1523.” – Britannica “Sweden has a generally favourable climate relative to its northerly latitude owing to moderate southwesterly winds and the warm North Atlantic Current.” – Britannica The dishes we made: Gravlax, Meatballs and Poached Pears in Lace Cookie Cups. We had a a dear friend who was born in Sweden share his mother's recipes for Gravlax and the meatballs. We did our own adaptation, but we believe these are authentic dishes you would find at a holiday party in Stockholm. Difference between Gravlax, Lox and Smoked Salmon. Gravlax is cured with salt brine. The traditional Nordic recipe calls for 3 ingredients: Salt, Sugar and lots of Dill. We added cracked Black Pepper. (Optional additions include juniper berries, horseradish, aquavit or vodka.) Lox is originally derived from the Yiddish word for salmon (laks). You make it by taking a fillet from the salmon's belly and curing it in salty brine. Smoked Salmon is salt-cured (with less sugar than Gravlax), can come from any part of the fish (not just the belly) and, of course, it's smoked (either cold-smoked, which leaves it with a raw texture similar lox or gravlax, or hot-smoked, which results in a firm, flaky texture): Cold Smoked Salmon: “Cold-smoked salmon is typically wet or dry-brined with salt, sugar (to help the salt penetrate the flesh) and then smoked at no higher than 80°F for between 10 and 15 hours, depending on the smoker, and the size and type of salmon. Within that umbrella category of cold-smoked salmon, there is Nova, Scottish salmon, Norwegian salmon, Irish salmon, Western Nova & Scottish. Traditionally, Nova refers to where the species is from and also the style of smoking. Nova is supposed to be cold-smoked salmon from Nova Scotia—more specifically, from Gaspé. Gaspé Nova, smoked in the style of Nova Scotia, tends to be fattier, milder in flavor, and less smoky. Norwegian salmon as subtle in smoke with little oil and a mild flavor. The Irish is fattier than the Norwegian with milder smoke, and a similar texture to Nova. Wild Pacific Salmon—that "Western Nova"—has a richer flavor, with no real smokiness at all, and a softer texture. And, last, the Scottish has the strongest smoke of all; it's also general fatty and silky.” -Food & Wine Hot Smoked: “Kippered salmon is wet-brined and hot-smoked. Hot-smoked has more of a cooked salmon texture. It's smoked at a temperature around 130°F to 140°F, for one to three hours depending on the smoker and size of the salmon being smoked. It's moist still, and flakes like a cooked salmon, but it's smoky” -Food & Wine GRAVLAX VERY, VERY, VERY Good! fresh salmon filet with skin on 85 g (3 ¼ oz) sugar 120 g (4 oz) salt Tons of chopped dill Cracked Black or White Pepper (Optional: some people add vodka, 3 Tbsp) Sauce: 2 tbs mild Swedish mustard 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbs sugar 1½ tbs red wine vinegar salt, white pepper 200 ml (1 cup) oil (not olive oil) chopped dill (or option: add some mayo) We bought a large filet, skin on and cut it in half. Mix salt, sugar, pepper and some of the chopped dill, then rub it all over the flesh (a thick layer). Add lots of dill sprigs. Sandwich 2 filet pieces together and wrap tightly with cling wrap. Then refrigerate for 24−48 hours, turning the salmon filet a few times. We experimented with the 24 to 48 hour cure times to see which we liked better. Result: 24 hr. After 24 hrs we removed the fish from the refrigerator, cut it in half and re-wrapped the other filet and put it back in the fridge. We rinsed the filet under cold water to remove brine and sliced thin pieces off the filets. The gravlax at this stage was succulent and delicious. After 48 hrs, we removed the fish from the refrigerator and rinsed off the brine and sliced it thin. The gravlax at this stage was also succulent and delicious, but a bit firmer and slightly saltier. Gravlax sauce is served alongside the dill-cured salmon. Mix the mustard, sugar and vinegar and season with salt and fresh-ground pepper. Stir vigorously, while pouring on the oil in a steady, thin stream. When the sauce has attained a mayonnaise-like consistency, stir in the chopped dill. Note: We found the addition of the sugar to be too sweet for us (still very good though), so we made another without I and liked it more. We served the gravlax first with toast, sauce, cucumbers and extra dill. Meatballs (Swedish-Style) VERY, VERY, VERY Good! ½ lb lean ground Beef ¾ lb ground Pork ¼ cup minced Onion (1/2 small white onion)see note below 1/2 cup plain Breadcrumbs ½ tsp Salt 1/8 tsp Black Pepper 1 large eggs 1/8 cup Heavy Cream For the sauce: 2 Tbsp unsalted butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour 3 cups beef stock ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp black pepper ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream 1 Tbsp parsley 1 tsp+ Dijon Mustard Notes: Minced onion using a grater (or zester) you want it to be a mushy, liquidy mess. Also, you can add the cream into the minced onions & then add breadcrumbs to pre-soak a few seconds before adding other ingredients if you want. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, minced onion, breadcrumbs, seasonings, eggs, and heavy cream. Using your hands, combine ingredients completely until thoroughly mixed. Roll mixture into 1-inch sized meatballs (or smaller), packing tightly. Set aside until all the mixture is used. Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Add meatballs in a single layer, sear them, then drain on paper towel. Once all the meatballs are cooked, remove them all from the pan and add the butter for the sauce. Using a whisk, melt butter with the drippings in the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add in the beef stock, salt & pepper. Whisk until no lumps (except the possible meatball pieces from the pan). Turn heat down to low, add in the heavy cream, mustard, add meatballs back and simmer for ~15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to thicken. To serve, sprinkle with parsley. Typically enjoyed with mashed potatoes, pickled cucumber and Lingonberries. We did not have lingonberries and did not pickle the cucumbers instead we served it with mashed dill potatoes and green beans. Poached Pears in Lace Cookie Cups VERY, VERY, VERY Good! Lace Cookies: (1/8) 1/4 cup butter, cubed (1/8) 1/4 cup sugar (1.5) 3 tablespoons molasses (1/6) 1/3 cup ground walnuts (1/8) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (1/8) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Pears: (2) 4 medium Bosc pears (2.5) 5 cups water (1/2) 1 cup sugar (1.5) 3 tablespoons grated orange zest (2) 4 teaspoons vanilla extract In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and molasses. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in the walnuts, flour and ginger. Spoon onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Leave room (4-6 in) between cookies as it will spread out while baking. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and lacy. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans. Drape each cookie over an inverted glass to create a cup shape. Cool completely. Core pears from the bottom, leaving stems intact; peel pears. Place pears on their sides in a large saucepan. Add the water, sugar, orange zest and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 min. or until pears are almost tender, turning once. Remove pears with a slotted spoon; cool to room temperature. Discard cooking liquid. Place pears in cookie cups. Add spun sugar. Note, this would be great with vanilla ice cream!

“Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains.” ― Google
Capital is Stockholm.
“The name Sweden was derived from the Svear, or Suiones, a people mentioned as early as 98 CE by the Roman author Tacitus. The country’s ancient name was Svithiod. Stockholm has been the permanent capital since 1523.” – Britannica
“Sweden has a generally favourable climate relative to its northerly latitude owing to moderate southwesterly winds and the warm North Atlantic Current.” – Britannica

The dishes we made:
Gravlax, Meatballs and Poached Pears in Lace Cookie Cups. We had a a dear friend who was born in Sweden share his mother's recipes for Gravlax and the meatballs. We did our own adaptation, but we believe these are authentic dishes you would find at a holiday party in Stockholm.

Difference between Gravlax, Lox and Smoked Salmon.
Gravlax is cured with salt brine.
The traditional Nordic recipe calls for 3 ingredients: Salt, Sugar and lots of Dill. We added cracked Black Pepper. (Optional additions include juniper berries, horseradish, aquavit or vodka.)
Lox is originally derived from the Yiddish word for salmon (laks). You make it by taking a fillet from the salmon's belly and curing it in salty brine.
Smoked Salmon is salt-cured (with less sugar than Gravlax), can come from any part of the fish (not just the belly) and, of course, it's smoked (either cold-smoked, which leaves it with a raw texture similar lox or gravlax, or hot-smoked, which results in a firm, flaky texture):
Cold Smoked Salmon: “Cold-smoked salmon is typically wet or dry-brined with salt, sugar (to help the salt penetrate the flesh) and then smoked at no higher than 80°F for between 10 and 15 hours, depending on the smoker, and the size and type of salmon. Within that umbrella category of cold-smoked salmon, there is Nova, Scottish salmon, Norwegian salmon, Irish salmon, Western Nova & Scottish. Traditionally, Nova refers to where the species is from and also the style of smoking. Nova is supposed to be cold-smoked salmon from Nova Scotia—more specifically, from Gaspé. Gaspé Nova, smoked in the style of Nova Scotia, tends to be fattier, milder in flavor, and less smoky. Norwegian salmon as subtle in smoke with little oil and a mild flavor. The Irish is fattier than the Norwegian with milder smoke, and a similar texture to Nova. Wild Pacific Salmon—that "Western Nova"—has a richer flavor, with no real smokiness at all, and a softer texture. And, last, the Scottish has the strongest smoke of all; it's also general fatty and silky.” -Food & Wine
Hot Smoked: “Kippered salmon is wet-brined and hot-smoked. Hot-smoked has more of a cooked salmon texture. It's smoked at a temperature around 130°F to 140°F, for one to three hours depending on the smoker and size of the salmon being smoked. It's moist still, and flakes like a cooked salmon, but it's smoky” -Food & Wine

GRAVLAX VERY, VERY, VERY Good!

fresh salmon filet with skin on
85 g (3 ¼ oz) sugar
120 g (4 oz) salt
Tons of chopped dill
Cracked Black or White Pepper
(Optional: some people add vodka, 3 Tbsp)
Sauce:
2 tbs mild Swedish mustard
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs sugar
1½ tbs red wine vinegar
salt, white pepper
200 ml (1 cup) oil (not olive oil)
chopped dill
(or option: add some mayo)

We bought a large filet, skin on and cut it in half.
Mix salt, sugar, pepper and some of the chopped dill, then rub it all over the flesh (a thick layer). Add lots of dill sprigs. Sandwich 2 filet pieces together and wrap tightly with cling wrap.
Then refrigerate for 24−48 hours, turning the salmon filet a few times.
We experimented with the 24 to 48 hour cure times to see which we liked better.
Result: 24 hr.
After 24 hrs we removed the fish from the refrigerator, cut it in half and re-wrapped the other filet and put it back in the fridge.
We rinsed the filet under cold water to remove brine and sliced thin pieces off the filets. The gravlax at this stage was succulent and delicious.
After 48 hrs, we removed the fish from the refrigerator and rinsed off the brine and sliced it thin.
The gravlax at this stage was also succulent and delicious, but a bit firmer and slightly saltier.
Gravlax sauce is served alongside the dill-cured salmon.
Mix the mustard, sugar and vinegar and season with salt and fresh-ground pepper.
Stir vigorously, while pouring on the oil in a steady, thin stream.
When the sauce has attained a mayonnaise-like consistency, stir in the chopped dill.
Note: We found the addition of the sugar to be too sweet for us (still very good though), so we made another without I and liked it more.

We served the gravlax first with toast, sauce, cucumbers and extra dill.

Meatballs (Swedish-Style) VERY, VERY, VERY Good!
½ lb lean ground Beef
¾ lb ground Pork
¼ cup minced Onion (1/2 small white onion)*see note below
1/2 cup plain Breadcrumbs
½ tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1 large eggs
1/8 cup Heavy Cream
For the sauce:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef stock
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp+ Dijon Mustard

Notes:
*Minced onion using a grater (or zester) you want it to be a mushy, liquidy mess.
**Also, you can add the cream into the minced onions & then add breadcrumbs to pre-soak a few seconds before adding other ingredients if you want.

In a large mixing bowl**, combine ground beef, ground pork, minced onion, breadcrumbs, seasonings, eggs, and heavy cream. Using your hands, combine ingredients completely until thoroughly mixed.
Roll mixture into 1-inch sized meatballs (or smaller), packing tightly. Set aside until all the mixture is used.
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat.
Add meatballs in a single layer, sear them, then drain on paper towel.
Once all the meatballs are cooked, remove them all from the pan and add the butter for the sauce.
Using a whisk, melt butter with the drippings in the pan.
Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk over medium heat for about 1 minute.
Add in the beef stock, salt & pepper.
Whisk until no lumps (except the possible meatball pieces from the pan).
Turn heat down to low, add in the heavy cream, mustard, add meatballs back and simmer for ~15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Allow to thicken.
To serve, sprinkle with parsley.
Typically enjoyed with mashed potatoes, pickled cucumber and Lingonberries.
We did not have lingonberries and did not pickle the cucumbers instead we served it with mashed dill potatoes and green beans.

Poached Pears in Lace Cookie Cups VERY, VERY, VERY Good!
Lace Cookies:
(1/8) 1/4 cup butter, cubed
(1/8) 1/4 cup sugar
(1.5) 3 tablespoons molasses
(1/6) 1/3 cup ground walnuts
(1/8) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
(1/8) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pears:
(2) 4 medium Bosc pears
(2.5) 5 cups water
(1/2) 1 cup sugar
(1.5) 3 tablespoons grated orange zest
(2) 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and molasses.
Bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat; stir in the walnuts, flour and ginger.
Spoon onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Leave room (4-6 in) between cookies as it will spread out while baking.
Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and lacy.
Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans.
Drape each cookie over an inverted glass to create a cup shape.
Cool completely.
Core pears from the bottom, leaving stems intact; peel pears.
Place pears on their sides in a large saucepan.
Add the water, sugar, orange zest and vanilla.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 min. or until pears are almost tender, turning once.
Remove pears with a slotted spoon; cool to room temperature.
Discard cooking liquid.
Place pears in cookie cups. Add spun sugar.

Note, this would be great with vanilla ice cream!

Art Home

Food Travel Home