Category: Fish & seafood

Arctic char with new potatoes and a most fabulous sauce

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Hi!

I am now back in the UK after two lovely weeks on the south coast in Sweden. Only downside was being without internet for most of that time, hence the silence.

My first supper in Sweden mum spoiled me with fried Arctic char, a fabulous fish that is a bit difficult to find in the UK so I thoroughly enjoy it when I go back home. We had new potatoes, steamed carrots and a lovely sauce with it. The sauce is already in the blog’s archive, but is worth mentioning again as it makes a nice piece of simply prepared fish into a feast.

Most things are coastal blue in the summer house, even the tableware.

Pan-fried Arctic char, steamed new potatoes and carrots and that divine sauce.

Strawberry ripple icecream with strawberries from my parent’s garden for dessert.

Herb sauce with lime, serves 4

50 g butter

250 ml creme fraiche

200 ml milk

50 ml dry white wine

1 tsp dijon mustard

concentrated fish stock

3 egg yolks

20 g mixed fresh herbs

1/5 lime, the zest

salt & pepper

Mix all the ingredients apart from the yolks and herbs in a saucepan. Stir until it has boiled for a few minutes. Then add the sauce to the yolks bit by bit until they have soaked up everything. Heat the sauce up so it thickens but it must not boil. Add the herbs and serve.

A reminder: homemade calamari

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When food shopping in Waitrose on Sunday I could not resist some squid from the fish counter and made a big batch of calamari for my visiting friend Therése and myself. Served with a nice salad and homemade mayo/aioli, and perhaps some bread this is a wonderful summer meal. Quick and easy to make too!

Calamari, serves 2

4-5 squid tubes

3 tbsp semolina (flour works if nothing else at hand)

2 tsp paprika

a pinch of salt

neutral oil  (vegetable oil/ground nut oil)

To serve:

lime and/or lemon wedges

mayo of some sort

Cut the squid into rings. Pour semolina, paprika powder and salt in a large ziplock bag and shake it. Add the squid rings and shake so the rings get coated by the mixture. Heat up 2 cm high of oil in a large pan. Check that it is hot enough by throwing in a small piece of bread. If it browns it is hot. Remove the bread and add a handful calamari. Beware of the oil splashing about. Fry until the calamaris are golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon or tong, drain on some kitchen towel. Fry the remaining squid in a few batches. Serve immediately!

 

A different kind of prawn sandwich

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In Sweden we like our cold-water prawns, and most Fridays of my life I have eaten them with salad, boiled eggs, mayonnaise (or aioli), lemon wedges and bread, either constructed as a sandwich or peeling as you go (because shelled prawns taste way better).

But when I saw this different prawn sandwich at the fab Swedish blog Pickipicki, I knew I had to try it. Doesn’t it sound amazing with mangosalsa?!

Unfortunately I was rather inept of reading (and therefore following) a recipe this particular evening, so instead of mushed up avocado underneath the salsa I diced the avocado and added it to the salsa. Together with mayo and toasted muffins it turned out really well.

Prawn sandwich with mango and avocado salsa, serves 2

Adapted and translated from Tina’s recipe.

2 English muffins

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ripe mango

1/2 red onion

1 tomato

1/2 lime

1 handful coriander

1/2 red chilli

2 ripe avocados

500 g shelled coldwater prawns

Hellman’s mayonnaise or homemade

Dice the mango, tomato and avocado. Finely chop chilli, red onions and coriander. Mix everything together in a bowl with lime juice and oil. Leave while peeling the prawns. Cut the muffins in half and toast.

Spread mayo on the muffin halves, add the salsa and put the prawns on top.

Seafood feast in Gothenburg

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The reason I went to Gothenburg the weekend before last was to keep my friend Laura company and show her around town as she hadn’t been to Sweden before. And the reason she went was to run the half marathon that was on that weekend, Göteborgsvarvet. One of the biggest half marathons in Europe apparently.

While she did the race I went food shopping to give her a nice feast to celebrate her efforts. Gothenburg is situated on the west coast of Sweden and that area is known for its excellent sea food so what could be better than fresh seafood and bubbly to celebrate?!

We had oysters with lemon, langoustines au gratin, radishes and avocado, cold smoked salmon, smoked prawns and fresh prawns (the cold water kind), a quiche with mushrooms and leek and bread.

Langoustines au gratin with garlic, serves 2 as a starter or for a buffet

2 fresh, raw, langoustines

3 tbsp butter

1 large garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

Mix butter and garlic. Cut the langoustines in half lengthways and rinse. Place shell side down on a baking tray and place dollops of butter on the flesh. Put in 200C oven for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Leek and mushroom quiche, serves 4-6

Crust:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1 pinch salt

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

200 g chestnut mushrooms, quartered, fried in butter and perhaps garlic

3/4 leek, finely sliced

3 eggs + 1/2 left over from making the crust

350 ml milk

200 ml grated cheese

salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients for the crust and knead together. Press it into a quiche dish and pierce it with a fork. Pre-bake for 10 minutes in 180/200 C oven. Place the leek and fried mushrooms in the crust and put the grated cheese on top. Beat eggs and milk and season. Pour it into the crust and bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown and set.

Easter buffet

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On Easter Eve we usually have the traditional eggs and herring in Sweden, and we did the same this year.

But before dinner we enjoyed some bubbly and crustades filled with prawns in a bechamel sauce.

Easter buffet

We then had the Easter buffet as a starter, since most of it was starter type food. It was smoked salmon, boiled eggs, two types of pickled herring but also other nibbles like cured ham rolls with lemon crème.

Boiled eggs with mayonnaise and caviar
Matjes (herring) cheesecake
This might seem weird but it is lovely. One of the few herring dishes I like myself.
Cured ham rolls with lemon crème
Smoked salmon rolls
Mammas löksill, vitlökssill
Mother’s onion herring; garlic herring
Paté with pimiento (bought, not homemade)

Rostbiff, potatisgratäng och rödvinssås

For mains mother had prepared roast beef (topside) with potatoes au gratin, red wine sauce, pickled small onions and crispy fried onions.

After dinner we once again enjoyed the almond meringue tart.

Matjes cheesecake, serves 6

5-6 slices dark rye bread

40 g melted butter

1,5 jar matjes herring

1 bunch chives

200 ml creme fraiche

2 tbsp fromage frais

1,5 tsp gelatine powder (or 3 gelatine leaves)

3 tbsp water

Mix the bread to crumbs in a food processor, add the melted butter and combine. Line a oval shaped dish (approx 10 x 20 cm) with cling film and add the bread crumbs to it. Pat them down hard to create the base. Leave in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Pour the brine off the herring and chop coarsely. Place in a mixing bowl and add the chopped chives, creme fraiche and fromage frais. Combine. Place the gelatine powder and water in a small sauce pan and let it swell. Then heat up until the gelatine melts. Let it cool slightly and add to the creme fraiche mixture. Stir to combine and then spead the mixture onto the bread base evenly. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove from the dish, remove the clingfilm and place on a plate. Decorate with lemon slices and chopped chives.

Smoked salmon rolls with caviar and chives

1 packet cold smoked salmon (approx 7-8 slices)

100 g philadelphia

1 bunch chopped chives

a pinch paprika

2-3 tsp lumpfish roe

Mix philadelphia with roe, chives and paprika. Season with salt and white pepper. Place a spoonful of the mixture on every slice and roll up.

Panfried plaice fillet with remoulade

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When I was a little girl we used to go on holiday and neartby Denmark, and I have many fond memories from our trips there. The light at Skagen was amazing, all the fresh fish in the harbours, the icecream lollies that were different to home, all the seashells one could pick on the beach… And while eating at a restaurant, I almost always chose deep-fried plaice with remoulade sauce. It is such a classic Danish dish and I really enjoy it.

This is the at home version where I have panfried the plaice fillet and made a sauce similar to remoulade. Similar in the way that it does not contain curry powder, where as real remoulade does. I used turmeric instead and seasoned it with dijon mustard and lemon juice.

Panfried plaice fillet with remoulade, serves 1

1-2 plaice fillets

a large knob of butter for frying

Sauce:

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

150 ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)

1/4 lemon, the juice

1-2 tsp dijon mustard

1,5 tsp turmeric

salt, white pepper

6-7 cornichons, chopped

To serve: boiled potatoes, lemon wedge

Whisk together the mayonnaise with an electric whisk, by adding the oil drop by drop to the egg yolk while beating. Add the lemon juice, turmeric and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cornichons.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the fillets skinside down. Fry until the skin is golden brown. Turn and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Turn again and serve skinside down. Spoon over the melted butter. Add salt and pepper.

A fabulous last meal

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My last evening in Sweden happened to be a Monday night, but we did not let that stop our family to enjoy a New Year’s Eve worthy supper.

Mother pulled out all the stops with Lobster Thermidor, that the whole family loves, followed by wild duck, boiled potatoes, creamy sauce and broccoli pared with a lovely bottle of Italian red.

Safe to say I left Sweden very happy! 🙂

My mother usually cooks the duck quite done by cooking it for hours so it is very tender. But since I love red meat and she loves me, she cooked it pink this time. I ate the redest bits and it was lovely and tender.

As for the wine, it was a 2007 Masi Campofiorin, that I know almost nothing about, but it was a lovely bottle. Very easy to drink also after the meal.

Lobster Thermidor is a very classic dish, and it hasn’t featured on the blog before although I have made it a few times. Unfortunately there are as many recipes as there are cooks, so my version is not even the same as my mother’s. Instead of a full recipe I will give you a little idea of how to make it, so you can take your own twist on it:

Lobster Thermidor

Use half a lobster per person. Cut the cooked lobsters in half lengthways and remove the meat. Rinse the shells and place them in a baking tray. Try to get the claws out of the shells whole if you can and use it for decoration, or just chop it up with the other lobster meat.

Fry sliced button mushrooms. In another pan make a roux and add cream until you have a thick bechamel. Season with cognac, fish or seafood stock, dijon mustard, maybe some parsley or cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and the lobster meat towards the end and fill the shells. Sprinkle grated strong cheese on top and place in oven, 200C, for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is golde brown. Serve with bread and tuck in.

Fish gratin with prawns and dill

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I am one of those girls that like my meat. I like fish too though, but need to eat it more often. And this is the way forward – fish cooked in the oven covered by a nice sauce.

This dish has typical Scandinavian f;avours with prawns, dill and chives, and also some dijon mustard to give it a little zing.

Fish gratin with prawns, serves 2-3

3 tilapia fillets

100 g peeled Icelandic prawns

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1,5 tbsp flour

500 ml milk

150 ml cream

1,5 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 fish stock cube

salt, white pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 bunch dill, chopped

1/2 bunch chives, chopped

Mashed potatoes:

ca 400 g potatoes

100 g butter

salt, white pepper

Butter a dish and place the fish fillets in it. Cook the potatoes very soft in water. Drain and mash with the butter. Season.

Melt the butter for the sauce in a non-stick saucepan. Whisk in the butter. Add the milk little by little, while stirring, until it is all added and the sauce has thickened. Add the cream and stock. Let the sauce thicken and add the mustard, salt and white pepper. Add the herbs at the end.

Pour the sauce over the fish and place the dish in 180C oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and pipe the mashed potatoes around the edges of the dish. Add Scatter the prawns in the middle of the dish. Cook for another 10-15 minutes in the oven. Serve straight away with some green beans.

Scallops with bacon and wild garlic mayonnaise

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This is a great throw-together starter, that still has that something extra. Just serve with some nice bread.

I know that wild garlic is not in season now, but I happen to have quite a lot of it in the freezer, so I can use it for special occasions. I totally adore the flavour!

Scallops with bacon and wild garlic mayonnaise, serves 2

1 batch wild garlic mayonnaise

3 slices streaky bacon

6 large fresh scallops

mixed baby leaf salad

extra virgin olive oil or coldpressed rapeseed oil

salt

Make the mayonnaise. Cut the bacon into smaller pieces and fry until crispy. Drain on kitchen towel. Dress the salad with oil and salt. Cut off the muscles on the scallops (the tough white part) and fry in butter on high heat until just cooked through. Season. Plate and serve straight away.

Crab risotto

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What are your thoughts on the combination cheese and shellfish? I have never really thought about it before I met Christopher, who can’t stand it, and I kind of see why now.

When I had planned to make crab risotto, I thought to myself that I must remember to omit the parmesan for Christopher’s sake, but I didn’t need to worry, the recipe I used, Angela Hartnett’s, contained no parmesan. So perhaps it is a rule, not to mix cheese with shellfish. In the one case when I do think it works though, is Lobster Thermidor, but that is probably the exception that confirms the rule (Swedish saying in case it does not make sense…)

Back to the risotto. It was delicious without the parmesan of course, and with added butter for creaminess, this was a delicious weekend dish.

Crab risotto, serves 2

Adapted after Angela Hartnetts recipe.

100 g white crab meat

a dash of tabasco

1 tbsp lemon juice

olive oil

100 g cold butter, cut into cubes

1/2 onion, finely chopped

250 g risotto rice

100 ml white wine

800 ml-1 l vegetable stock

a bunch basil, chopped

Heat up the olive oil and half the butter in a casserole dish/large saucepan. Add the onions and fry until soft and transparent. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the wine. Let it bubble away for a few minutes, then lower the heat to medium again. Add a ladle at the time of the hot stock, and let it evaporate from the pan while cooking. When the pan is almost dry, add another ladle. Repeat for abour 18 minutes or until the rice is cooked al dente. Season to taste with lemon juice, tabasco, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add the crab meat, the rest of the butter and the chopped basil. Serve immediately, preferrably in a nice bowl for extra comfort food feeling.