North Wild Kitchen

Tag: stew

Sosekjøtt & Spring Mashed Potatoes

The sun is setting behind the mountain’s edge and as I look out the window, the trees sway in the gentle breeze. There’s an undeniable change happening as winter’s grasp seems to be giving way. Spring is officially here. And today, it’s Sunday.

In the pot – gently simmering away – is a dish so simple, so classic, so unbelievably comforting it’s a wonder we don’t eat it more often. It’s the ideal Sunday dish; when the whole family has more time to take things slow, which in turn is reflected in the meal. Pieces of fatty chuck steak slowly cook in a rich, beef sauce flanked with onion slices a bay leaf. After a few hours, it’s ready. This perfect and simple stew called sosekjøtt, also referred to as kjøtt i morke “meat in the dark”.
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March 24, 2019
Beef and Vegetable Stew (Brun Lapskaus)

Lapskaus is simply a Norwegian stew made up of meat and vegetables, with both dark and light versions. Brun “brown” lapskaus is made with beef that is browned first before the other ingredients are added. Some also prepare brun lapskaus with the addition of a brown gravy. Lys “light” lapskaus is typically made with pork, salted or smoked, and cooked in the sauce rather than browned first. (more…)

January 12, 2018
Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised Beef

This is part 2 of my @noodleholicsparty challenge – where a group of food bloggers shared their favorite noodle dishes from around the globe. If you missed part 1 from last week, I created an elegant version of Juniper Berry & Barley Noodles with Creamy Chanterelles.

But just to recap, although noodles are not part of the traditional Norwegian food culture, I found this challenge to be an interesting one to take on. I wanted to showcase just what a Norwegian noodle dish might look like. Because, after all, noodles are made with simple base ingredients. The same ingredients that are the building blocks for Norwegian breads, like lefse and flatbrød. So even though there has never been a distinctive Norwegian noodle, there is no reason there shouldn’t have been or should be one now.

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January 21, 2017
Elggryte (Norwegian Moose Stew)

Following on from my story about Moose Hunting in Norway (Elgjakt), here is a recipe for elggryte, a traditional moose stew utilising the flavors of the forest. Gryte means pot in Norwegian, and what better way to cook in the colder months than with everything stewing together in one pot.

The mountainous regions of Norway are famous for moose and other types of venison. These meats are used in a variety of dishes such as karbonader (meat patties), kjøttkaker (meatballs), pølser (sausages), and spekemat (cured meats). Stews are a great way to tenderize the meat and concentrate the flavors. They are warming and filling, and easy to make. Best of all, they cook together in one pot and can be made both indoors and outdoors. (more…)

November 1, 2016
Fårikål (Norwegian Lamb & Cabbage Stew)

As September arrives in Norway so does the annual round up of the sheep from the mountain pastures to return them to their respective farms. Days of carefully planned and established methods see flocks move across the terrain guided by people and shepherd dogs alike. This is a special time. Days are set aside, bags are packed and groups of people take on this task together – moving and guiding the sheep, sleeping (sometimes bundled in sleeping bags in one-room cabins) and sharing communal meals. If the weather is favorable, the experience is said to be one of the most beautiful and remarkable excursions one can have in nature.

Once the sheep have returned, the inevitable must occur. A large proportion of the lambs, which have grown big and strong, will go straight from the pastures to the slaughterhouse. Others will spend a few more weeks at the farm to achieve the right weight. This is the time of year (aside from the early spring) when lamb becomes the highlight of many dishes. As the sheep have grazed among grass and wild herbs, the meat takes on an exceptional flavor. Most arguably, the favorite dish to feature such a wonderful bounty in the autumn is fårikål (lamb and cabbage stew). (more…)

September 21, 2016
Farmhouse Hen & Dumplings (Hønsesuppe med Melboller)

The start of the new year has ushered in an abundance of snow and freezing cold temperatures. Our farm is a blanket of white. Snow so fine, the slightest breeze turns our world into a shaken snow globe. The sounds of the stream can no longer be heard, even faintly. And icicles have made their permanent residence here. It’s dreamy.

These are the days when ultimate comfort food is rich, creamy and hot. It’s nostalgic. When memories of family, the kitchen and the cold collide with all the senses. The days are short, the nights are long, and the desire for comfort is paramount. And for me, the combination of rich soup and pillowy dumplings is one of the most luxurious treats for any winter day.

The concept of dumplings and soup stretches far back across many continents and cuisines. To think of chicken and dumplings as simply a southern dish in America or as something created as a ration during war time or economic turmoil would be very erroneous, to say the very least. Yet, our connections to particular dishes are shaped by our personal experiences. And while my knowledge of chicken & dumplings came from my childhood experience in the kitchen with my mother in America, I know that perception is only a tiny fraction of the larger picture. So I delved a bit deeper, wanting to understand the role this dish played, if any, here in Norway. I picked up a handy and extremely insightful book by Henry Notaker, which details Norwegian cuisine and food culture through a thousand years. History lesson for the day. Check.

I stumbled across an interesting mention of the dish in his book, Ganens Makt. In the first half of the 17th century, Danish cuisine was being observed and probably shared by Norwegian author and academic, Ludvig Holberg. In his comedy, Den Vægelsindede, he writes about a food-loving character named Apicius, who lists all the delicacies he has eaten in a long monologue. One being, hønsekjøttsuppe med boller (hen soup with balls). Therefore, perhaps the introduction of the dish was of Danish influence. But even though chickens were found extensively across Norway, they were used mainly for egg production rather than their meat. Chicken, turkey & fowl were seen as delicacies, usually served to foreign guests. So despite there being a mention of the dish, the use of chicken for its meat was rare. Perhaps because the cost in comparison to the amount of meat per hen was much greater than, say, for a calf or sheep. Recipes for chicken appear in greater quantity in Schønberg Erken’s cookbook from 1914, but this was intended for an international audience. In her schoolbooks (local audience), she only mentions roast chicken and hen fricassee. In a small economic cookbook from 1935, the author notes that several places had begun selling ‘casserole prepared’, or cut and ready to cook, chicken which took away the hard work of plucking and preparing and perhaps started a new phenomenon among the eating habits of chicken in Norway. Chicken was no longer as luxurious as it had once been.

Thankfully, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. The longing for something which once was. This is my homage to the chicken. In particular, the hen. To place it back on its pedestal, saved for that special occasion. When the frost is hovering and the wood in the fire is crackling. When the table is set and the silver spoons are out.

For chicken soups, I prefer to use stewing hens, or laying hens which are no longer productive egg producers. Their size and age yield a more rich and flavorful stock than commercial chickens, which are bread for their meat. And while stewing hens require a bit more work and patience due to their tough meat, the payoff is incredible. Full-bodied broth, texture, and deep flavor. The epitome of luxury.
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January 13, 2016