Tag: soup

Fish and Shellfish, Soups and Stews

Spicy Halibut Stew with Chorizo and Kale

by Lynda Balslev7 Comments on Spicy Halibut Stew with Chorizo and Kale
Spicy Halibut Stew with Chorizo and Kale

Halibut STew

I was tempted to make a fish chowder last night. Nothing beats a rich and creamy chowder on a rainy day. However, when I opened my refrigerator a bag of kale fell out.  It’s curly leaves were bursting out of the plastic demanding attention. Obligingly, I started to think of other possibilities.  A container of chicken stock was sitting squarely on the middle shelf, patiently waiting to be put to use, and I decided to change course. Instead of chowder, I would make a lighter stew with the fresh halibut I had purchased in the morning. I wanted a smoky component to lend depth to the flavor of the soup, so I fished a chorizo sausage from the meat drawer. I would also add chunks of potato that would complement the sturdy greens. The result? Satisfying, rustic dinner in a bowl:

Spicy Halibut Stew with Chorizo and Kale

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 fennel bulb, ends and fronds trimmed, chopped
8 oz. spicy chorizo, cut in 1/2″ slices
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 1/2″ cubes
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb. kale, ends trimmed, washed, coarsely chopped
1 lb. halibut filet or other firm fleshed white fish, cut in 1″ pieces
Flat leaf parsley for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, one minute. Add fennel and chorizo and continue cooking, stirring, until onion is translucent and fennel begins to soften. Add potatoes, thyme, oregano, salt and bay leaf and toss to coat in the oil.  Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are nearly tender.  Stir in kale and cook until leaves brighten and stalks soften, about 3 minutes.  Add halibut and carefully submerge in stock. Gently cook over medium heat until fish is just cooked through.  Add extra salt if necessary. Remove from heat. Serve in warm soup bowls garnished with parsley sprigs and freshly ground black pepper.

Appetizers, Fish and Shellfish, Soups and Stews

Lobster Bisque – a gift that just keeps giving

by Lynda Balslev4 Comments on Lobster Bisque – a gift that just keeps giving

Lobster xmas house

reprinted from the TasteFood holiday archives

A gift box labelled “Perishable” arrived at our home earlier this week. I had a heads-up on this, because my mother, who lives on the coast of Maine, mentioned she was sending us something edible for the holidays.  When the box arrived I was on my way out the door, running late to go into the city with a friend. When the deliveryman handed me the box, I imagined a fruitcake or chocolate. I set the parcel on my kitchen table and hurriedly put on my shoes by the door.  Suddenly, the box shifted. I looked up in surprise, and my dog started growling.  I hesitated, but the box didn’t move again, and my friend was outside tooting her car horn ready to go.  Figuring the contents of the box were just settling, I picked up the box and placed it on a bench outside the front door in the cold air.  After all the box said “Perishable.”  I would tend to it when I came home.

An hour later my husband called me on my phone.  He had arrived home early and discovered the box.  Did I know the contents?  I paused, knowing something was coming.  He continued to tell me that we were the proud owners of 2 new family members.  As he explained further it suddenly came to me: They were lobsters. From Maine. Of course.

So now what?  I love lobster, but I don’t like to cook them.  I face this contradiction every summer when we visit Maine.  My husband is understanding and clearly not as conflicted in the lobster department, so generously offered to stun them and boil them before I came home.  And when I did I found a platter of freshly cooked lobster.  We enjoyed them for dinner, saving and freezing the shells and extra meat to make a bisque.  Several days later I cooked the shells, making a rich stock for the base of the bisque to which I added the remaining lobster meat and cream.  Served in demi-tasse cups it was a sublime and elegant addition to a holiday party, an extra treat created from the gift that keeps giving.

Bisque

Lobster Bisque
an elegant addition to a holiday or celebratory dinner

Makes 4-6 portions

2 cooked lobsters

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup (80 ml.) brandy
1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, sliced thinly
3 shallots, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, cut in slivers
8 black peppercorns
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

Prepare stock:
Working over a large bowl to catch juices, break off lobster tails and claws.  Crack tails and claws and remove meat.  Chop lobster meat in large chunks.  Cover and chill.
Coarsely chop lobster shells and bodies.  Place shells in bowl.  Reserve lobster juice from the bowl.

Heat oil in a large pot over high heat.  Add lobster shells and bodies and sear without stirring for one minute.  Stir them and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the shells begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add brandy, fennel, shallots, garlic and peppercorns.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste and water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
Strain through a fine-meshed strainer, pressing firmly on solids.  (Can be made in advance to this point.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to one month.)

Add cream to lobster stock.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Add lobster meat.  Stir to heat through.
Serve in bowls or demi-tasse cups.

Crab and Shrimp Bisque:
If lobster is not readily available, you can substitute the lobster with crab or shrimp.  In either case, pre-cook the crab or shrimp.  Then remove the shells, saving the meat.  Cook the shells and follow the recipe as noted above.

Note:
The bisque pictured above has lobster and shrimp meat, since we ate a good deal of the lobster when it was freshly cooked.


Poultry, Soups and Stews, Thanksgiving

Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

by Lynda Balslev1 Comment on Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard
Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

Turkey soup

I posted this recipe last year between Christmas and New Year when I suffered a food hangover and needed a gastronomic time-out.  This soup was the perfect antidote:  simple, healthy and fortifying.  It handily uses the leftovers from a holiday turkey dinner, adding a satisfying economy to the pleasure of this meal. The broth is clean and light and packed with chunky vegetables.  Swiss chard is added at the end for extra depth.  During the ever-so-festive excesses of the holiday season, we all need a comforting and restorative dish like this in our repertoire.  Consider this recipe an early holiday gift from me to you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

Serves 4-6

Try using red Swiss chard – it adds a lovely red hue to the stock as it cooks.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise, cut in thick slices
3 large carrots, sliced 1/2″ thick
4 celery stalks, sliced 1/2″ thick on the diagonal
8 cups turkey stock (see below)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups thickly shredded Swiss chard leaves
2 cups cooked turkey meat, in large chunks

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables brighten and begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add turkey stock, bay leaf and thyme.  Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in Swiss chard and turkey meat.  Simmer until chard is wilted.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve immediately.

Easy turkey stock:

Bones from turkey carcass
1 large yellow onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed
3 celery stalks, cut in 1″ pieces
2 large carrots, cut in 1″ pieces
2 bay leaves
2-3 thyme sprigs
1 small handful parsley sprigs
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Place all of the ingredients in a large stockpot.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil, and simmer, partially covered, 2-3 hours, occasionally skimming any fat. Remove from heat.  Carefully drain in a colander placed over a large bowl or saucepan.  Strain again through a fine meshed sieve.  Cool.  Stock can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.

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

Kitchen Magic: Cream of Parsnip Soup

by Lynda Balslev4 Comments on Kitchen Magic: Cream of Parsnip Soup

Cream of Parsnip Soup

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.

 

Appetizers, Autumn, Fall, Soups and Stews, Thanksgiving

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

by Lynda Balslev4 Comments on Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Squash Soup

Sweet and spicy, warm and comforting: Curried Butternut Squash Soup is a luxuriant soup for the autumn season.  My original inspiration for this soup came from the Silver Palate Cookbook many years ago.  Since then, I have tweaked and made variations of this soup in the different countries where I have lived.  What I love about this rich soup is that there is no cream in the stock.  Sweet onion, tart apples and squash cook down in chicken stock, then puréed and thinned with apple juice.  The apples add a sharp, spicy sweetness that compliments the earthy, sweetness of the squash, while curry powder adds heat and roundness to the flavor.  As a final flourish, I like to add a dollop of cool crème fraîche as garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro. This is a hearty, healthy and pleasing soup for a cool fall day.

Curried Butternut Squash (or Pumpkin) Soup
As we moved around Europe it was difficult to find the prolific American butternut squash, so I would improvise with small hokkaido pumpkins that were available in the fall.   You can also substitute the butternut squash with another sweet, orange fleshed squash or pumpkin.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in 1″ chunks
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in 1″ chunks
2 tablespoons currry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crème fraîche
Fresh cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and stir until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add apple and squash and cook, stirring, one minute.  Add curry powder and ground coriander and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add chicken stock.  (Stock should cover squash and apples.  If not, then add additional stock or water to cover.)  Simmer, covered, until squash and apples are very soft, about 30 minutes.  Purée soup in batches in a food processor or with an immersion blender.  Add apple juice to soup and gently cook to heat through.  (If the soup is too thick, add additional apple juice to desired consistency.)  Stir in brown sugar, salt and pepper.
Serve soup hot, garnished with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a few cilantro leaves.

Denmark, Desserts, gluten-free

Danish Red Berry Soup with Cream

by Lynda Balslev6 Comments on Danish Red Berry Soup with Cream
Danish Red Berry Soup with Cream

Berry Soup and Cream
A few reasons why I like Denmark:

1.  I arrive in Copenhagen with a terrific sore throat and low grade fever.  My 83 year-old father-in-law sizes up my condition and states that a shot of Gammel Dansk (schnaps) will cure me.
2.  Shortly thereafter, I speak on the phone with my sister-in-law who happens to be a surgeon in a nearby hospital.  She hears that I am under the weather, and tells me that there are studies that support drinking red wine or rum or Irish coffee in reasonable amounts (her words) to offset a virus.
3.  I go to the doctor-on-call to have a strep test, and he takes a swab, acknowledges there is definitely something going on in the back of my throat, and says that in Denmark they do these tests only to decide whether it is absolutely critical to take an antibiotic to cure an ailment.  Result:  I have a virus, therefore no antibiotics.  (I personally support this philosophy.)  He then suggests rest and prescribes red wine with dinner.
4.  I return to my father-in-law’s house, and my 10 year-old daughter is helping him make dinner, cleaning potatoes, while he fries homemade frikadeller (meat patties) which are his singular specialty in the food-making department to serve us, his guests, for dinner.  She then tells me she would like to pick all the ripe gooseberries, raspberries, black currants and wild strawberries in his rambling garden and make Rød Grød med Fløde or Danish Red Berry Soup for our dessert.  She then adds that the berries will help to heal my cold, because that is how things work.  I agree with this, too.

Red Berry Soup
Danish Red Berry Soup with Cream 
Rød Grød med Fløde
Serves 4-6

2 1/2 lbs. mixed summer berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red and black currants
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Whipped cream or crème fraiche
Mint leaves for garnish

In a heavy medium-sized saucepan combine berries and sugar.  Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and berries release their juices, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice. Cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche. Garnish with mint leaves.

Note: Any combination of berries may be used.  Depending on the combination and acidity of the berries, additional sugar may need to be added. Try to include black currants, if you can, as their firm texture and astringency add extra complexity to the sweet soup.

Appetizers, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Gazpacho – a Hot Weather Friend

by Lynda Balslev3 Comments on Gazpacho – a Hot Weather Friend
Gazpacho – a Hot Weather Friend

gazpacho tf

Oh my, it is hot.  How hot?  Well, I have been told it will reach 100 F. today (38C!)  I am positive that right now my kitchen is pushing 125 F. Now, for those of you who do not know me, I am not a hot-weather person. My idea of a dream existence is to own a lovely stone house in the south of France and live there year-round except in the summer, when I would head north. I don’t even mind rain from time to time. It’s the reverse of the natural order of things, I know, but my DNA is just not programmed to sustain the heat. I have come to expect the usual summer hot spells, but lately I have been lulled into ignorant bliss by a long stretch of clear, cool, breezy autumn-like weather.  I’ve been smiling ear to ear like a fleece-clad cheshire cat, enjoying wind blown hikes with rosy cheeks and watering eyes, while back home, I read sympathetically about the heat in further-flung-regions.

So, just when I begin to believe that this will be the summer norm, I find myself facing triple digit temperatures.  I suspiciously wonder if the high heat has been lurking and gleefully rubbing it’s sweaty hands all along, plotting and waiting to pounce as soon as I let my guard down.  Well I can roll with the punches.  I am now unpacking my small hot weather clothing that I have just packed for a trip to a hot futher-flung-region.  I am hiking only at the crack of dawn, and any water related locales have become the preferred destination.  And, for sure, the oven is off limits in the house, while all food I prepare comes from my repertoire of recipes that I turn to in extreme heat.

One such recipe is my version of gazpacho, a puréed tomato-based soup from Spain, served cold. I call it a liquid salad, because, if you glance at the ingredients, that is very much what it is. My version involves no puréeing, because I love the toothsome texture of the diced vegetables, fresh and satisfying to the bite. Their colors mingle with their natural juices in a cool, thirst-quenching soup of tomato, making this a festive and refreshing dish to present – one of the few un-wilted looking items in my kitchen at the moment. The selection of vegetables can be varied. I stray from the conventional gazpacho and add carrot for its color and sweetness and fennel bulb for its anise flavor and crunch. This is a perfect liquid salad for a hot summer day.

Gazpacho
Serves 4-6

1 quart or 1 liter tomato juice
1 organic cucumber with skin, seeded, diced
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, diced, with juices
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 fennel bulb, fronds and outer pieces removed, finely diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lemon and one lime
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 generous handful fresh cilantro/coriander chopped

Combine all of the ingredients except cilantro in a large bowl.  Adjust seasoning to taste. Cover and chill at least one hour before serving. (Can be made up to 6 hours in advance.) Stir in cilantro before serving.  Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves.

Serving suggestions:  Top gazpacho with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.

Soups and Stews

Feeding the Soul: French Onion Soup au Gratin

by Lynda Balslev3 Comments on Feeding the Soul: French Onion Soup au Gratin

Patience pays.  The essence of an onion soup is, well, the onions.  When onions are slow-cooked, they break down, releasing their sugars and juices and then they caramelize.  What begins as a crisp white onion evolves into a slippery, squishy, mahogany-colored mound of onion – and this is a very good thing.  Combined with stock, herbs, wine and a splash of cognac, the amorphous mound of slow-cooked onions becomes the base and richness for a sweet, deep, flavorful soup.  Topped with a thick slice of grilled pain paysan which in turn is topped with melted, bubbling alpine cheese, you have a sublime, satisfying and substantial winter soup.

So, here is where patience pays: It is essential that the onions cook for a long time.  There are recipes for onion soup where the onions are fried on the cooktop and browned in less than one hour.  While they may look like they are close to the desired outcome in flavor, they are not.  The onions must sweat, break down, release their juices.  The juices, in turn, must slowly evaporate, allowing the onions to caramelize.  If you skip this process, you will miss in the soup an extra depth of flavor and body that will leave you struggling to improvise as you desperately rummage through your spice cabinet for that extra something that is missing.

Do not be deterred by the time required; all you need is some advance planning and an oven.  While the stovetop works, it does require constant checking and care which is labor intensive for the busy cook.  With the oven, the onions can cook through the afternoon, and an hour before dinner the soup is ready to finish.  Simplicity, economy of ingredients, time and care – this is the essence of slow cooking, resulting in a rustic, comforting meal that feeds the soul and palate.

French Onion Soup au Gratin

Serves 4-5

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large yellow onions, about 3 pounds, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1/2 cup sherry or Calvados brandy
5 cups beef stock or a combination of beef and chicken stock
4 thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen string
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12-15 baguette slices, cut 3/4 inch thick
1 cup grated alpine cheese such as Grùyere, Comté or Emmenthaler

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.) Melt butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof pot with lid.  Add onions and salt.  Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.  Cover pot and place in oven for one hour.

Remove pot, stir onions and any collected brown bits on sides and bottom of pot.  Cover, leaving slightly ajar and return pot to oven. Cook until onions are soft and golden brown, two hours, checking and stirring up browned bits after one hour.  (There will be a lot of liquid in the pot at this point.)

Remove pot from oven and remove lid.  Transfer to stovetop. Simmer over medium heat until liquid evaporates and onions turn brown, stirring and  scraping up any browned bits on bottom and sides of pot, about 20 minutes.  Continue cooking to allow a crust to form on the bottom of the pan without burning, about 5 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup white wine to deglaze pan and loosen crust.  Continue cooking until wine evaporates and another crust begins to form.  Deglaze a second time with remaining 1/4 cup wine.  The onions should be dark brown at this point. Add sherry, and cook stirring until sherry evaporates. Add stock, thyme and bay leaf.  Stir and scrape up any brown bits on bottom and sides of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.  Discard thyme and bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the croutons:
While the soup simmers, lightly brush bread slices with olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and bake in 400 F. (200 C.) oven until light golden and crisp, 5-8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Finish the soup:
Divide soup evenly among 4 oven-proof bowls or crocks arranged on a baking sheet.  Gently lay croutons in one layer to cover most of the surface.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over crouton and soup.  Place baking sheet in oven under grill element.  Broil until cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Poultry, Soups and Stews, Thanksgiving, Travel

Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

by Lynda Balslev
Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

Turkey soup

I am going to slip this recipe right in. Flanked by a Christmas Eve house party with lots of gløgg and hors d’oeuvres and a looming New Year’s black tie dinner, I made this simple, healthy and restorative soup the other day for a gastronomique time-out.

In addition to a Christmas Eve party spread of food, we roasted a turkey for our Christmas Day meal. It may sound redundant on the heels of Thanksgiving, but for Thanksgiving this year we were graced with airport and airline food as we were in transit home from a trip to New York City. While we missed the traditional holiday, it was refreshingly civilized at JFK; we enjoyed a smooth glitch-free day of travel courtesy of the Thanksgiving holiday. We comforted ourselves with the thought of saving our turkey binge for Christmas Day, instead.

So, back to the recipe:  I made this soup using the stock I made from our Christmas turkey, and filled it with vegetables left over from our party.  While the recipe calls for turkey stock and turkey meat, chicken can easily be substituted.  During the ever-so-festive-and-excessive holiday season, this homey soup is delicious, comforting and healthy.  I cannot think of a better gastronomic time-out.

Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard
Serves 4-6

The chard adds heartiness to this flavorful soup.  Choose either red or green chard; you will find the red chard will add a deep red color to the stock.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise, cut in thick slices
3 large carrots, sliced 1/2″ thick
4 celery stalks, sliced 1/2″ thick on the diagonal
8 cups turkey stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups Swiss chard leaves, shredded
2 cups cooked turkey meat, in large chunks

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add onion, celery and carrots.  Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 minutes.  Add turkey stock, bay leaf and thyme.  Bring to a boil, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Swiss chard and turkey meat.  Simmer until chard is wilted.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve immediately.

Denmark, Desserts

Red Berry Soup with Cream

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Red Berry Soup with Cream

100_1693

As if the Danish language was not hard enough to learn.

For us well-intentioned foreigners who have attempted to have a go at the language, there is an inside joke among our Danish counterparts when it comes to testing our purported linguistic skills.  Simply put, it is saying the expression “rød grød med fløde” which means “red berry soup with cream.”  Rest assured, if you wish to humor your Danish friends and family or fill an awkward lull at a Danish party, all you need to do is say this phrase. It never fails, in a Groundhog-Day sort of way. Your hosts will double over in laughter with tears streaming down their cheeks. Conspiratorily winking at each other, they will properly repeat the words to you and coax you to try again, eagerly awaiting the results.  Easily amused is all I have to say.  So, what is it about this phrase that never ceases to delight?  Suffice to say, that if you can even get your mouth around the correct sound for an “Ø”, you will stumble miserably when you try to pronounce the “D”, which when done properly in Danish, actually sounds as though you are saying the letter “D” with a mouth full of, well, red berry soup.
With that said, the upside is that even if the phrase is difficult – if not embarrassing – to pronounce, the dessert itself is sheer delight.  A traditional Scandinavian summer dessert, Red Berry Soup makes use of the region’s prolific berry season: strawberries in the beginning followed by raspberries, black currants, red currants, blackberries and blueberries.  Any combination of the berries are cooked with sugar, then chilled and served with whipped cream or crème fraiche.  Sometimes lemon or vanilla is added, or even chopped almonds for a more toothsome texture.  Every home has its own version.  The result is a fresh, simple and delicious dessert making use of what the Nordic summer season has to offer – as unfailing as the response I get whenever I say rød grød med fløde.

Red Berry Soup with Cream  – Rød Grød med Fløde
Serves 4-6
2 1/2 lbs. mixed summer berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red and black currants
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Whipped cream or crème fraiche
Mint leaves for garnish
In a heavy medium-sized saucepan combine berries and sugar.  Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and berries release their juices, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice. Cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche. Garnish with mint leaves.

Note: Any combination of berries may be used.  Depending on the combination and acidity of the berries, additional sugar may need to be added. Try to include black currants, if you can, as their firm texture and astringency add extra complexity to the sweet soup.