Salt and Sugar-Cured Salmon (Gravlax)

Internationally, this might be the best known Swedish dish.

Ingredients:

2 pieces of center-cut salmon filets, little more than 1 lb. each, if possible of equal size, and with skins left on

4 TBSP. each sugar and salt (slightly more sugar than salt)

2 tsp. coarsely crushed white peppercorns

1 cup dill (very important) - not necessary to chop it

1. Remove any small bones from the filets (can be done easily with forceps)

2. Mix sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl.

3. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with dill.

4. Rub half of the sugar-salt mixture into the first filet, on both sides, and lay it skinside down, on top of the dill. Cover with lots of dill. Prepare the other filet in the same way, and place on top of the first filet, skinside up and cover with remaining dill.

5. Cover tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 days, turning the salmon upside down at least once a day.

6. Scrape the marinade off and slice the filets very thinly. Serve with a mustard sauce.

Mustard Sauce (Hovmastarsås)

Served with Gravlax (also good with mussels, crayfish and shrimp)

Ingredients:

2 TBSP. sweetened mustard, such as Slottssenap, acquired from "IKEA"

1 TBSP. each Dijon mustard, sugar, and vinegar

1 egg-yolk (optional, but makes the sauce smoother and softer)

salt and coarsely ground white pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1. Mix the mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper (and egg-yolk).

2. Whisk constantly (or mix in food processor) and slowly add the oil. Continue until the sauce is creamy.

3. Add the chopped dill.

Swedish Herring Salad (Sillsallad)

This is a typical Swedish Christmas dish to be included in the traditional smorgasbord served as dinner on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients:

1 1-lb. can pickled sliced beets, cut into 1/4" cubes

1/2 lb. boiled, peeled potatoes, cut into 1/4" cubes

3/4 cup or1 6-8 oz. jar marinated herring filets, refrigerated and drained and cut into 1/4" cubes

1 medium sized tart apple, peeled

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup dill pickle, finely chopped

1. Drain the liquid from the pickled sliced beets, reserving the liquid.

2. Mix the beets, herring, potatoes and apple together.

3. Blend in dill pickle, onion and reserved beet liquid.

4. Put into a serving bowl. Cover and chill, at least overnight (or up to two days)

Rice with Oranges and Whipped Cream (Ris à la Malta)

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked medium grain white rice, cold and soft

1 cup whipped cream, whipped to a volume of 4-5 dl

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP sugar

1 orange, peeled and cut in very small pieces and/or 3 slices of pineapple, cut in very small pieces

1. Add the sugar to the cream and whip until reasonably firm, then add the lemon juice and fruit pieces.

2. Mix carefully with the cooked rice.

3. Rinse a large bowl with water, then fill it with the rice-cream mixture, press gently to remove any trapped air and leave it for at

least one hour in the refrigerator.

4. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and turn out the rice-cream mixture on to a round dish.

5. Garnish with thin slices of orange and/or pineapple.

Jansson's Temptation (Janssons frestelse)

This dish is a modified form of the anchovy gratins which were popular in Sweden during the 19th century. In it's present composition, it dates back to around 1900. Earlier it was believed that the name came from the Swedish opera singer Pelle Janzon, however it now appears the dish got its name from the title of a 1928 movie.

Ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 cup of sprat anchovy filets (these are Swedish anchovy filets prepared from sprat, Sprattus sprattus and NOT the US filets prepared from anchovy, Engraulis encrasicholus)

6-8 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced in thin strips

2 large yellow onions, peeled and chopped

2 TBSP butter

1/3 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup cream plus 3/4 cup milk

2-3 TBSP dried breadcrumbs

1. Cover the potato strips with water after they are peeled and sliced.

2. Fry the onions for a few minutes.

3. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

4. Butter a baking dish.

5. Drain the potato strips, put a layer of potato at the bottom of the dish, layer with anchovy filets and chopped onion, then another layer of potato, etc. The uppermost layer should be potato strips.

6. Spread the breadcrumbs over the dish, sprinkle with melted butter.

7. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, then add the cream and milk and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Swedish Meatballs (Kottbullar)

There are three main types of Swedish meatballs 1) small, fried, served without sauce 2) large, fried, served in brown gravy and 3) medium size, boiled, served in sauce. This recipe is a very simple version of type 1. and can be served as cocktail snacks or as a meal together with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

vegetable oil (for frying)

salt and pepper

1. Mix the ground beef, onion, egg and breadcrumbs. Add white pepper and salt to taste.

2. Form into 30 walnut-size meatballs

4. Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the meatballs in two batches until browned (about 10 minutes).

For meatballs in a brown gravy, fry the meatballs in four batches. After each of the first three batches, add 3-4 TBSP water to the skillet and stir. Then pour the water into a bowl. After the fourth batch, sprinkle 1-2 TBSP flour over the skillet and stir. Add 3-4 TBSP cream, stir and add the water from the first three batches. Stir and add some Japanese soya sauce. Stir and bring to a slow boil, then add the fried meatballs and heat for a few minutes.

SWEDISH DRINKING SONGS

Helan Går

Helan går,

shung hoppfaderallanlallanlej!

Helan går,

sjung hoppfaderallanlej

Och den som inte helan tar,

han ej heller halvan får.

Helan går,

sjung hoppfaderallanlej!

Hell And Gore

Hell and gore,

Shun gop, Father Allen, lallen lay

Hell and gore,

Shun gop, Father Allen lay.

Oh, handsome in the Hell and tar,

Hand, ay Hell are half and four

Hell and gore –

Shun gop, Father Allen lay!

I Like the Schnapps

Melody: Over the Mountains

I like the schnapps

and the schnapps likes me

Thrilling as only a schnapps can be.

So please go to hell with juice and tea:

Schanpps is the drink for me!

Over the mountains and over the sea

millions of schnappses are waiting for me.

So please go to hell with juice and tea:

Schnapps is the drink for me!