A smoldering heat enveloped me as I gazed out from the brygge (docks) toward the sea; one hand shading my eyes from the sun’s bright rays. The blue waters appeared never ending – with small, rocky, and only somewhat-barren islands jetting out as the seagulls danced around the them. The breeze gave only the slightest sense of relief from this year’s endless heat wave, but the beauty and tranquility of the landscape alone was enough to take my mind off of it. (more…)
Tag: laks
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The Southern Coast {Sørlandet} + Seawater-Poached Salmon Steaks
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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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Baked Smoked Salmon & Eggs (Røkelaks og Egg)
It was a gusty weekend throughout parts of Norway as storm Tor made an unwanted appearance. Our little valley seemed to escape its high notes, lending a great excuse to watch the local ski jumping competitions on Saturday with friends – and drink copious amounts of coffee – then stay in all day and do a light brunch on Sunday.
Our hens have been laying more and more eggs and, as such, have given measurable rise to the egg basket collection. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful fresh farm eggs are. They have more flavor, more panache, and….well, I suppose they are the best because we have cared for, fed and raised these chickens while spending countless hours protecting them and ensuring the coop does not turn into a freezer as we hit minus temperatures. When you give love, you get love in return. And that’s the payoff. So, our simple brunch of a bed of Norwegian smoked salmon and carmelized leek turned into something a bit more rich and meaningful as we topped it off with our eggs and baked it lovingly in the oven.
