Skewered Salmon

Move over, El Bulli, the Scandinavians are here. For years, the race for the top slot in the list for the best restaurants in the world was a tussle between the Spanish restaurant and The Fat Duck in England. This year, a restaurant in Copenhagen called Noma has ousted the giants for the top spot. And that’s not surprising, for food in Scandinavia has been undergoing a quiet revolution for some years now. Not just Denmark but countries such as Norway are being feted for their excellent chefs and creative dishes.

I met one such visiting chef some days ago. Chef Andreas Myrvold — who has been heading quite a few Michelin-starred restaurants in Oslo — was in town for a business promotion. And over a fine dinner of Norwegian delicacies, he told me that chefs have been creatively experimenting with food for a while in the region — and courting success.

I think one of the reasons why Norway has been scaling the foodie hierarchy is the incredibly rich fishing ground all around the Norwegian coastline. Most of its fish are exported — if they didn’t do so, each Norwegian would have to eat some 800kg of fish a year, or about 2.5kg of fish every day. Imagine, having to eat a half-a-kilo fish steak with your morning tea (instead of two Marie biscuits), another with your breakfast, and then followed by a piece each for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner!

Smoked salmon

But if you are a fish lover, you can actually have a full fish meal in Norway, for the region is rich in all kinds of fish — from cod and mackerel to herring and haddock and salmon and trout. In fact, Norway’s red king crab and white halibut have been figuring at the international global cooking competition Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France, where the ingredients are as highly rated as the chefs.

Not surprisingly, the chef cooked quite a few fish dishes for us — including an interesting halibut with greens. When it comes to salmon, there are a great many innovative ways of presenting this delicate and healthy fish. You can, for instance, skewer plump pieces marinated just with a bit of lime or cream salmon and serve it on toast as an appetiser.

I thought his smoked salmon — which he first soaks in salt, garlic powder and brown sugar mixed in hot water before smoking it — is to die for. He brines his salmon for an hour or two, and gives us some tips on how to do this well. You must ensure that the fish is submerged in the briny solution, for one. If the fish floats to the top, hold it down with a weight, he says. The time required for brining depends on the thickness of the fillet.

Halibut with greens

“Brine 2-in fillets for about two hours in the fridge, 1-in fillets for one hour,” he suggests. “Do not leave in the brine too long or the fish will be too salty.” Then, he adds, rinse the fish well to remove surface salt, and pat dry with paper towels.

I also loved his chowder of salmon and halibut. For this, he first prepared a fish stock. Then he fried shallots in butter, and reduced it with white wine and the fish stock. He added some cream to it, and then put in a bit of apple cider vinegar. He seasoned it and then added smoked salmon and halibut to the broth. Finally, some chopped spring onions, celery, carrots and dill went into it — and the delicious chowder was ready.

He’s been doing interesting things with cuisines from elsewhere, such as tweaking the Spanish Bacalao (see recipe) by using Norwegian salted cod, which has been a part of Norwegian food for 500 years.

The chef’s honed his skills at the four one-star Michelin restaurants that he has worked for. He was also part owner of one of the restaurants, Oscarsgate, in Oslo. Chef Andreas, who works at the Culinary Institute of Norway, was also a part of the Norwegian group that won the best team in the food world championship at Erfurt in Germany in 2008.

I am not surprised. His chowder tells me that the midnight sun is giving out a new light.

Bacalao (serves 4)

Ingredients :

• 500g salted cod • 4tbs chopped fresh parsley l6 large chopped onions • 1/4 cup olive oil • 3tbs dry sherry • 4tbs sliced green olives • 5 cloves minced garlic • 1 fresh or dried minced jalapeñ pepper • 250g bell pepper • 1/2 cup black pitted olives • 1/2tsp oregano (optional) • freshly ground pepper • salt to taste

Method :

Soak salted cod for 12 hours. Change the water every four hours. Drain and shred the fish. Sauté the onions and garlic in oil. Add oregano, parsley, olives, bell pepper, jala-peños and sherry. Simmer. Layer sautéed vegetables, shredded fish, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake at 350°F (or 180°C) for 35-40 minutes. Serve.