Ever heard of Danish ‘smørrebrød´? It’s the Danish word for open sandwiches, and they make up a key part of the diet in Denmark. Served on a rye bread base, we top these open sandwiches with various deli toppings, often including cold cuts or fish, and dress them with one or more relishes or mayonnaise dressings. Here, we wanted to share an old recipe from Karen-Anne’s family, where the fish, in this case salmon, is mixed together with mayonnaise, curry and pineapple, creating a scrumptious, creamy salmon salad. It’s easy to make, will keep for a day or two in the fridge, and makes for a delicious ‘smørrebrød’ topping. ‘Smørrebrød’…
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Gravlax…gravad lax…gravet laks…gravlox…
Gravlax with dill. It can hardly get more Nordic. It’s a lunch classic throughout Scandinavia, but not surprisingly it has also become a popular delicacy around the world. It’s really very easy to make, and I promise you the homemade gravlax beats any good quality store bought gravlax you can find. It’s equally delicious for lunch and as a starter, or as an palatable buffet feature. The idea of preparing the fish in this manner goes back to the Middle Ages when fishermen in Scandinavia came up with this ingenious method for curing and fermenting salmon in order for it to keep longer yet still be fresh and edible while…
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While we wait for dinner
Easy and tasty appetizers are something I am always on the outlook for, because we love having friends over, but also enjoy having time to entertain them when they first arrive. With this easy and crisp salmon avocado appetizer you’ll have time to actually spend time with your guests when they arrive instead of being caught up by time-consuming starters. Karen-Anne and I came up with this yummy recipe last time she came to visit as we found ourselves with too much salmon and a ripe avocado on our hands, and good food does not deserve to go to waste! These crisp salmon avocado appetizer bites are little flavor-packed mouthfuls…
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Zesty smoked salmon
Are you ready for spring? I know it’s only February, but I can’t wait for the sun to start warming up my patio and defrost my bones! I’ve already got the patio furniture lined up, and the rosé is in the fridge, so I thought I might just give it another notch with this savory zesty smoked salmon appetizer, or lunch if you like. Maybe it’s because I’m Scandinavian, but I could easily eat smoked salmon every day. It’s no secret that Scandinavians have had a particular liking for raw and raw cured fish since the Vikings, and some even claim that it was the Norwegians who introduced raw…
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Creamy fish and lemon
Since Denmark is a country that basically consists of islands only connected to Germany in the south by the big peninsula Jutland, the tradition of eating a lot of fish for dinner should be a given. But actually I grew up in a home where we didn’t have fish for dinner at all (except the 2 times a year when my mom treated us to a piece of salmon). And chowder would have been a completely foreign word. It’s not that we didn’t eat fish, because I can’t remember a lunch at home that didn’t include pickled herring, but for dinner fish simply wasn’t an option. Now I love fish…
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The lox and the fennel
Whenever I think of lox or smoked salmon as a starter it somehow brings me back to the ‘80s. Probably because growing up in the ‘80s I remember my parents would almost as a rule serve smoked salmon as a starter when they had guests over. Back then my parents were all for convenience, and it was a very easy, and still delicious, starter. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a dish being easy and convenient, especially if you’re trying to juggle a homemade two- or three-course dinner. While you might grow a little bored with the smoked-salmon-served-on-bread-and-maybe-an-asparagus-on-top classic, lox or smoked salmon is still a great option: liked…
