It’s 9.00am when I pass through the open doors of the old barn, overlooking a valley carving its way through the mountainous terrain of Uvdal, Norway. The sun peaks through the grey clouds which have left morning dew on the yellow flowers popping around the well-worn farm. There is a cool breeze, which is welcome in the Uvdalsleiven kitchen, where the takke (griddle) reigns as it exerts its heat in every corner of the room. It’s temperamental. The colder it is inside, the higher its temperature must be. The hotter it is, the lower its temperature. And so it is with the takke, the surroundings effecting it in a way that only an experienced baker can instinctively master. Like a barista, the baker must constantly be in control and make adjusts to produce a quality product. And here at Uvdalsleiven, you can immediately see the symbiotic relationship which creates so much harmony in the kitchen. (more…)
Tag: flatbread
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Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst & Rømmebrød
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Knekkebrød (Norwegian Crisp Bread)
A Norwegian breakfast and lunch is never complete without a slice of bread or a type of knekkebrød. These ‘crisp breads’ or ‘breaking breads’ which are flat and dry, resembling a cracker, probably originated in Scandinavia close to 500 years ago. Some sources say that crisp bread was a staple of the Vikings as they could store them for long periods of time. These crisp breads would have been baked on hot stones, while today’s knekkebrød is baked in the oven. Baking them in the oven is what makes these crisp breads so different from the Norwegian flatbrød, which is baked on a flat griddle, much like lefse.Once considered a poor man’s diet, knekkebrød has become widely popular boasting a healthy lifestyle with numerous variants from slightly sweet to nutty to herby & salty. They are easy to make, forgiving, and require only a few ingredients, which can be interchanged depending on what you have available in your cupboards. All one needs is a little imagination and water.
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Lompe with Carmelized Onions & Roasted Tomatoes
Brunch is one of those meals, where anything goes. Hot and cold. Savory and sweet. Honestly, it’s just a good excuse to discard routine mealtimes and have people around to share a laugh, some stories and some good food. One of my favorite little dishes to serve is carmelized onions and roasted tomatoes atop gently fried Norwegian lompe.
Lomper are flat, round potato ‘cakes’, or smaller versions of potato lefse. Lompe is incredibly easy to make at home, with only a few ingredients – a recipe we will touch on in the near future. The great thing, about most baked flatbreads, is that it’s versatile. While it is quite common here in Norway to eat a sausage/pølse wrapped in a lompe, or have it spread with something sweet, I like to think of lompe as a creative base that’s at its best when fried in a little oil. By frying the lompe, the taste is more prominent, with a slight sweetness, making it an ideal base for a variety of toppings. It also makes it a little crispier, lending a greater texture.
With winter still dredging its heels, it’s nice to have something that can give a glimpse into summer. Cherry tomatoes are perfect for freezing whole with their skins on. So, if you’re like me and end up with a little too many after the summer harvest, you can simple freeze them and take a couple out when needed to either roast them in the oven or use in soups and sauces.
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Mollas’ Lefse
Grethe from Mollas Bakeri in Rollag, Norway, is as authentic as they come. For her, staying true to the old traditions of cooking lefse is the secret to what makes her products stand out. For a truly authentic lefse experience, you’ll need a takke (griddle) on hand, heated by a wood-fire. As this may be difficult for most, a large electric griddle will suffice – although, you won’t quite be able to replicate the charred freckles and earthy, smokey taste. Nonetheless, with a little hard work and patience, you’ll earn yourself one tasty treat which you can show off to all your family & friends.
For more about Grethe & her bakery, see this post. You can also watch a short video to see how she cooks lefse on her traditional takke.
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Smoked Trout Mousse (Røkt Ørret Mousse)
Numedal boasts some of the best fishing in Norway. And if you have ever tasted trout or salmon from this area, you would have to agree. Permit-holding, pole-bearing men, women and children head out during the season to collect their bounty. Some make it a weekend affair and hike to the tops of mountains to hidden lakes year after year. The freshly, caught fish cooked then and there is like eating melted butter. The rest, is saved for later – either frozen, smoked, or fermented.
