We Wish You a Nordic Christmas! an Alternative Seafood Christmas Feast



For many, turkey will always be top trumps for Christmas, but what about those who fancy something different? Why not take a leaf out of Nordic cuisine and try some seafood alternatives this Christmas.

First off, kick start the celebrations with a traditional home-cured salmon gravlaks (the Norwegian spelling for what we know as gravadlax). It takes minutes to prepare and promises to impress.

Next showcase Norwegian Cod, which is flavour rich but light, healthy and sustainable too, making it the perfect candidate for festive menus. Cod has been featured in Norwegian Christmas festivities for centuries, and still has an important position in the menu for the holidays in many Norwegian homes.

To Start

Home-Cured Norwegian Gravadlax

Serves 4

200 g fillet of Norwegian salmon

2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp dill, chopped plus sprigs to garnish
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp vinegar

300ml sunflower oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 slices of brioche

 Method

In a bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, mustard seeds and one tablespoon of chopped fresh dill , then add the salmon and coat in the marinade
Cover and marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature
Rinse and dry with a paper towel
Cut the salmon slices to 4 x 1 cm
For the sauce, mix the mustard and vinegar in a bowl, then gradually add the oil to make a thick emulsion. Add the shallots, one tablespoon chopped fresh dill and mix gently
Serve on a slice of brioche with sauce on top and a few sprigs of dill
And For Main

Christmas Cod with Chorizo & Pomegranate

Serves 4

800g Norwegian cod

5 tablespoons salt

1 lt water

1 tbsp sunflower oil

100g chorizo

2 stalks fresh parsley

½ pomegranate

1 lemon

Mash

800g potatoes

2 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C
Divide the cod into 4 portions
Mix the salt in the water and soak the cod in this for 15 minutes, then remove and pat dry with kitchen towels
Fry the cod skin side down in the sunflower oil in a hot frying pan until the skin turns golden, about 3 minutes
Place the cod skin side up in a greased ovenproof dish cook in the oven until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes
Slice the chorizo and fry until crispy in the oils left over from browning the cod
Shred the parsley, remove pomegranate seeds and grate the lemon peel, then mix together with the chorizo and its cooking oil
To make the mash, peel and chop the potatoes then boil until soft. Drain, mash and stir in the milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper
Serve the cod portions on top of a dollop of mashed potato and top with the chorizo, parsley and pomegranate mixture


If you want to find out more about Chef Wise go to the Chef Wise web site just follow the links below.

Chef Wise website      Recipes files    Run a Restaurant

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