Christmas – Page 3

Autumn, Fall, Christmas, gluten-free, Thanksgiving, Vegetables and Salads, Vegetarian

Smashed Potatoes and Celery Root with Horseradish and Parmesan

October 3, 2010January 28, 2021by Lynda Balslev11 Comments

Celery root teams up with potato and spicy horseradish for a satisfying smash. Popular in Europe and less used in the U.S., celery root, also known as celeriac, is the dark horse of tubers. Don’t let it’s gnarly, bulbous exterior put you off. Once you peel away the skin a milky white interior is revealed, fragrant with celery. Its smooth and mellow flavor adds a delightful dimension to mashed potatoes, gratins, soups and stews.

Smashed Potatoes with Celery Root and Horseradish and Parmesan

Nutrient-rich potato skins fleck this side dish, adding flavor and texture. Peel the potatoes if you prefer a smoother texture. Serves 6-8.

1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds celery root, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
Bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf and 3 thyme sprigs, tied in cheese cloth with kitchen string
Salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
3 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish, divided
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine potatoes and celery root in large pot. Cover with cold water. Add bouquet garni and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered until potatoes and celery root are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl. Add butter and smash with a potato masher. Stir in sour cream, 2 tablespoons horseradish, 1 tablespoon cheese and black pepper. Add more salt to taste. Transfer potatoes to a buttered casserole or baking dish. (Potatoes may be prepared up to one day in advance to this point. Let cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.) Mix 1 tablespoon horseradish with 2 tablespoons cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle over top of potatoes. Bake in oven until top is tinged golden brown and potatoes are heated through, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Appetizers, Curing, Denmark, Fish and Shellfish, holiday

Gravlax and Christmas

December 26, 2009July 31, 2014by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

The Danish Christmas season would not be complete without many Christmas Lunches. Christmas Lunch is the ubiquitous term for a multi-coursed feast punctuated by multiple toasts with schnaps, beer and wine. The season for these festive lunches spans the weeks of advent to several days following Christmas day. “Lunch” is actually a misnomer, since these smorgasbords can take place either during the day or evening.

A traditional Danish Christmas Lunch begins with a fish course, followed by meat, cheese and dessert. To me, the fish course sums up the beauty of nordic cuisine: Fresh, minimalist and refined. Herring, fjord shrimp and salmon are served open-faced on various breads (smørrebrød) with garnishes. There are many herring preparations: marinated with dill, folded in curried cream, spiced with wine and cloves. Every family has their own recipe which they think is best. Fjord shrimp are another Nordic delicacy: tiny shrimp the size of a fingernail, painstakingly peeled and artfully arranged in a towering piles on soft white french bread, and crowned with a dollop of creme fraiche and a squeeze of lemon.

My favorite fish is gravlax. It’s preparation and presentation are the essence of Nordic cuisine in simplicity and taste.Salmon is cured over days until it is meltingly soft with a clean taste of the sea. It’s edges are flecked with pepper and dill and tinged with salt, adding a restrained flavor that doesn’t overpower the fish.

Every Christmas I make my own Gravlax which we enjoy on Christmas day or New Years Eve. It’s very easy to prepare. Pay attention to the quality of the fish: It must be very fresh with a good consistency, not too mushy and preferably an Atlantic fish, such as Loch Duart Salmon. To serve, fold a slice of Gravlax on toasted brioche bread. Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice and smear a spoonful of Honey Dill Mustard on the fish. Garnish with a dill sprigs.

Gravlax

Gravlax (gravlaks in Danish and Norwegian or gravad lax in Swedish) literally means salmon in a grave or hole. During the middle ages fisherman would salt salmon and let it ferment by burying it in a hole above high-tide line. Nowadays (unelss you wish to connect with your inner-viking) it’s not necessary to bury salmon in sand, but, rather in salt and sugar and let it sit in the refrigerator. The salmon will cure over several days, during which the salt and sugar will turn into liquid, creating a brine.

Serves a party

One side of salmon, about 3 lbs. (1.5 kg.), with skin, pin bones removed
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
10 oz. (350 g.) sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup fresh dill sprigs
1/4 cup Akavit or vodka

Finely grind peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Mix pepper, salt, and sugars together in a medium bowl. Rub fish all over with salt mixture. Line a long baking pan or dish with plastic wrap. Place half the dill sprigs over plastic wrap. Arrange salmon, skin-side down on dill. Sprinkle Akavit over salmon. Top with remaining dill. Cover with additional plastic wrap, sealing the fish. Place a heavy pan or tray on fish. Weigh down pan with cans or bottles. Refrigerate for 3 days.

To serve, remove fish from refrigerate. Remove plastic wrap. Pour off collected juices and wipe off excess brine and dill. Slice diagonally from one corner of the salmon towards the center of the fillet. Serve with french bread or toasted brioche. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and honey dill mustard.

Honey Dill Mustard

1/4 cup honey mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup chopped dill sprigs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify. Stir in dill, pepper and salt.

cake, Denmark, Desserts, holiday, Winter

Mini-Dried Fruit and Nut Cakes

December 12, 2009July 31, 2014by Lynda Balslev2 Comments

This weekend we will decorate and light our Christmas tree. In true Scandinavian fashion, our tree has live candles placed on it. Traditionally, the candles are first lit on Christmas eve (julaften) when Father Christmas surreptitiously arrives during the evening feast and places gifts under the tree. We like to buck tradition, however, and light our candles at least once before the eve. I know, I know, it’s not how-things-are-done, but we just can’t contain ourselves. The tree is just so beautiful all lit up with glowing candles, and we like to share that experience with our friends.

While we decorate our tree we will prepare gløgg and aebleskivers and some other holiday cakes. Some friends will come by, and at the end of the afternoon, when dusk sets in, we will light the candles. While we watch the candles burn down, we’ll enjoy a glass of gløgg along with some sweet treats like these little cakes.

These cakes are lighter and fresher than the traditional Christmas fruitcake. They are studded with dried apricots, raisins and cherries which add a natural combination of sweetness and tartness. I like to make them bite-sized, so there is plenty of room for other treats, and even the wariest fruitcake-eater may be encouraged to have a go at them.

Mini-Dried Fruit and Nut Cakes

You can mix the dried fruit to your taste. I like the combination of tart apricots with sweet raisins.

Makes approx. 24

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground all-spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 egg
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup brandy or rum
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup yellow raisins

Preheat oven to 325 F. (170 C.) Line a miniature muffin tin with paper liners.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all-spice and ginger in a bowl. Stir to combine well.
Beat butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add molasses and egg and mix well. Mix in orange zest. Add flour in thirds, alternating with the brandy. Stir in nuts and fruit. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake in oven until cakes spring back to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer tin to rack to cool completely. Remove cakes.
Cakes can be made up to one week in advance. Cover and refrigerate until use. Serve at room temperature.

Uncategorized

Danish Gløgg and Aebleskivers

December 7, 2009July 31, 2014by Lynda Balslev5 Comments

It’s the first weekend of advent and I should be in the woods. More precisely, I should be in the woods freezing my toes off, quite possibly in the dark, most likely in the rain. And I’m feeling nostalgic. We lived near Copenhagen for six years before we moved to California. Each year, on the first advent weekend leading up to Christmas, we traveled to my sister and brother-in-law’s farm in a forest in the middle of Zealand. We would spend the afternoon outdoors foraging holly, twigs, pinecones and moss to make Christmas decorations. The weather was often cold and wet, and the sun would set between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. After a few hours of walking in the forest with darkness descending, we would return to the house cold and hungry. Fires would be stoked in the ovens, gløgg would be heated on the stove, and we would claim a space at the long farmhouse kitchen table. Our harvest would be piled in the center, and adults and children would get busy making wreaths, tree ornaments, candle holders and centerpieces. While we did this, we would take turns making batches of æbleskivers, which we dipped in raspberry preserves and powdered sugar and washed down with mugs of steaming gløgg. It may have been cold and wintry outside, but inside everything was warm and toasty.

Now we live in California, and we continue our family traditions from Europe at Christmastime. We still make many of our holiday decorations, and, of course, gløgg and æbleskivers. In fact, I just finished a batch this afternoon, and as we sat in front of the fire with a glass of gløgg it began to rain outside – and we didn’t mind a bit. It was just like Denmark.

Danish Æbleskivers

Referred to as pancakes, dumplings or even doughnut holes in English, æbleskivers are served as a treat throughout the month of December, almost always with a glass of gløgg.

Makes about 20.

1 1/2 cups (360 ml.) whole milk
.6 ounce fresh yeast (1 cake)
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 vanilla bean
2 eggs, separated
Unsalted butter
Raspberry or strawberry preserves
Confectioners/powder sugar

Heat milk in a small saucepan until lukewarm. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl. Add yeast and let it dissolve.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and cardamon in a medium bowl. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into dry ingredients. Whisk the egg yolks into the milk. Add the wet ingredients to the flour. Mix well.
Beat egg whites in bowl of electric mixer until stiff. Fold into batter. Let rest one hour at room temperature.
Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in each indentation of an aebleskiver pan over medium heat. Pour batter into each indentation, about 2/3 full. Cook until golden brown underneath, 3-4 minutes. Using a knife or skewer, turn aebleskiver over and continue to cook until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
Remove æbleskivers from pan, and repeat with remaining batter. Serve æbleskivers with powdered sugar and preserves (and gløgg!)

Note:
An aebleskiver pan is a stovetop pan with 6-8 holes or indentations. While non-stick is available, choose a cast iron pan for best results.

Autumn, Fall, Christmas, Soups and Stews, Thanksgiving, Winter

Kitchen Magic: Cream of Parsnip Soup

November 22, 2009July 31, 2014by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

There were four lonely parsnips in my refrigerator yesterday. Somehow, they missed the chicken dinner I made earlier in the week, when I scattered onions, rutabagas, and potatoes around the chicken while it roasted. The parsnips were meant to be included, but were inadvertently left behind in the vegetable crisper, minding their own business nestled between the gypsy peppers and fennel. It was all for the best.

Yesterday was an indisputable soup day: cold, blustery and rainy. As I surveyed my refrigerator for inspiration, I eyed the forgotten parsnips and instantly knew what I would make – Cream of Parsnip Soup. I found some celery hiding behind the fennel in the crisper, and reached for an onion in my onion basket. And, of course, I had a quart of chicken stock that I made from the aforementioned roasted chicken. With a little cooking and blending, these solitary ingredients transformed themselves into a silky rich soup. Kitchen magic at its best.

Cream of Parsnip Soup

Serves 4-6

The sweet and nutty flavor of parsnip is evened out by the celery and and chicken stock. You can substitute 2 cups chopped celery root for the celery stalks for a softer flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 large parsnips, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
4 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup (125 ml.) heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until they begin to sweat. Add celery. parsnips and garlic and sauté one minute. Add 3 cups chicken stock, sage and bay leaf. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf and sage leaves. Purée soup until smooth in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Thin soup to desired consistency with additional chicken stock. Heat gently over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.