North Wild Kitchen

Tag: fishing

The Island of Ona & Crab Fishing

Peering out into the horizon and under the pale grey sky, amongst groups of small jutting islands, I could spot the red lighthouse in the distance. Firmly situated above a cluster of tightly-packed, colorful wooden houses, this particular lighthouse garners the attention it deserves, but not in a towering and obtrusive way. In a way that subtly states its important role as the guiding light of this once bustling traditional fishing village. You can’t miss it. It’s the iconic symbol of Ona’s story, written by those who have carved their names in the land and the sea that surrounds and sustains it.
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August 3, 2019
Cured Trout with Spruce Tips (gravet ørret med granskudd)

By late spring, my watchful eyes are on full alert as I wait for the slightest sign of small buds emerging from the silent company of spruce trees spread thickly across the terrain. Speckles of light green dotted across spanning arms.

The first buds can sneak by unnoticed if you aren’t paying attention and, before you know it, in a few short weeks their season is all but gone. There’s a slight urgency to gather what is necessary and begin making a myriad of savory and sweet things like delectable syrups, salads, ice cream, and pickled tips.
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June 12, 2019
A Coastal Journey + Fish Cakes (Fiskekaker)

There is a great wonder when you travel throughout Norway, never quite knowing what grandeur will appear around each and every corner. The landscape can change dramatically and each part has a beauty all of its own.

I journeyed throughout parts of western Norway from Lærdal to Molde and back inland through Romsdal and Jotunheimen until I made it home again to Numedal, the Medieval Valley. I went looking for inspiration from the surrounding waters. For recipes. Dishes from the sea, the fjords, the locals. A short time to delve into a few of Norway’s coastal gems. Each place having a marvel of its own and a history and a story to tell. (more…)

August 8, 2017
Rakfisk (Norwegian Fermented Fish)

Centuries ago, a group of fishermen mounted their horses early in the autumn and began their trek deep into the mountains of Norway. Lakes abounding, the fishermen spent their days in much success. Preservation of the bounty would have included much salt, but to their dismay they had not brought enough on this journey. They used all they had with nothing left to spare. They began their long journey back down the mountain in the hope that the fish would still be preserved. Days turned into weeks and the fish began to ferment. Upon returning home, and in anticipation that the fish had not gone to waste, the fisherman discovered something quite unusual. The fish had gone through a process in which had preserved it in a different way. They had stumbled upon something so delightful that it took hold and became a traditional delicacy across the land.

This is the story I am told when asked how rakfisk came to be. A legend? Most certainly. But what we do know is that the process of fermentation has been known and popular across the world for thousands of years. Whether tales of accidental fermentation are true or not, is it certain that once the method of fermenting fish arrived in Norway, it became a significant part of the diet and an old tradition which is still upheld today. In fact, rakfisk is considered one of the most culturally important and iconic Norwegian recipes. And while many will never have the opportunity to make it themselves, this is certainly a dish you should try at least once. (more…)

November 16, 2016
Gravlax with Dill-Stewed Potatoes and Mustard Sauce

Lifting the weight and removing the board revealed a two-day culinary journey. Nothing difficult, nothing too time consuming. An act of osmosis. Curing. Transformation. And as the sharpened knife slowly pierced into the orange-pink, dill-infused delicacy, the thrill of knowing the next time step would be getting a taste reached across to everyone in the kitchen. A smooth, grainy and subtly sweet mustard sauce and a warm, hearty bowl of creamy potatoes dancing with dill to round it all off. Luxury at its finest and also its simplest.

Yet, the delicacy we know today has a much different story than its beginning. Gravlax (gravlaks) first appears in documents from the 1300s, informing us of the preservation methods used during these times. During the Middle Ages, people ate many forms of saltwater and freshwater fish that we continue to enjoy today. Salmon held a special place, valued and desired. Unlike today, where we have greater access to fresh salmon, salmon was more of a prized possession. In fact, in a well-known story about the god Tor, who is referred to as the ‘big eater’, Tor has his fill of eight whole salmon (among other things) at a wedding banquet in Jotunheimen. This gives us an idea as to the value placed on salmon and that protecting the surplus of salmon was important, and worth the risks. (Notaker, Ganens Makt)

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April 29, 2016