>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following... >> Up Norway, curates Norwegian travel experiences in the footsteps of "New Scandinavian Cooking."
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>> Ekstedt: Hi, and welcome to northern Norway.
I am in Lofoten.
It's still early May, but there's still loads of snow.
Spring is slowly coming down to this little town, Svolvaer.
The Atlantic Ocean meets the mountains.
I am Niklas Ekstedt.
Welcome to "New Scandinavian Cooking."
Lofoten is a series of islands that stretches out into the North Atlantic.
The name means "the foot of a lynx," and although it is located well north of the Arctic Circle, it is relatively warm.
The Gulf Stream carries warm water past Lofoten and prevents the water from freezing, even during the dark winter months.
But Lofoten is also a place for fish.
During the cold winter months, the fishermen out here fish for herring and the migrating cod, !skrei.
Both !skrei !and herring are filled with vitamin "D," something the people up here in northern Scandinavia really need during the winter months, when the sun almost never rises.
In today's program, I will be cooking three dishes -- hash browns with head of cod and smoked roe and then fish cakes with kale and red-beet salad.
And, lastly, a Nordic taco -- birch-smoked salted herring with flatbread and caramelized onion and lingonberries.
You can find all our recipes on our website...
This is the place of the last Viking.
Though Norway had adopted Christianity and conquering of foreign land had stopped, not much in term of fishing techniques had changed here.
Open Viking-style boats were used in Lofoten until early last century.
Whoo-hoo!
But can you imagine?
Now I'm wearing a life vest.
I'm on a boat with an engine.
But back in the days, even until 1910, they were on old Viking ships, 40-feet Viking ships, that sailed these seas.
They risked their life to pull up these cod.
Those were sailors.
[ Laughs ] The big cod, !skrei, !comes here to the sea of Lofoten every year to spawn.
When it reaches Lofoten, it has traveled all the way from Barents Sea, close to the North Pole.
The currents bring not only cold, oxygen-rich water but also forces the cod to always keep moving.
The fish becomes leaner, and the meat gets firmer and tastier and rich in "D" vitamin and omega-3.
Despite enormous amount of fish being caught here every year, the industry is carefully regulated.
More and more fish are caught on fishing line rather than in nets.
The fish bites on a hook, and the damage that can happen by fishing nets are avoided.
Every part of the fish is used, even the head.
They don't throw anything.
The liver is pan-fried.
The roe is made into a breakfast pat, right?
>> We cook it.
>> Ekstedt: Or you cook it, yeah.
>> Cook it.
>> Ekstedt: And then the cheeks and the tongue get pan-fried.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: Nothing is wasted.
>> No, nothing.
>> Ekstedt: This part of the cod is the local favorite -- the cod tongue.
They really love this.
So now you're gonna take the cheek out.
>> The cheek out, yes, yes.
>> Ekstedt: And this is a good part of the cod.
>> Yes, there are two of these.
>> Ekstedt: That's the cheek.
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: So one tongue and two cheeks.
>> Yes, we can take -- >> Ekstedt: That's a whole dinner.
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: Norway patrols these waters with their military fleet and makes sure that no one fishes above their quota.
They even inspect the nets and fishing lines to make sure the industry stays as sustainable as it has been for almost a thousand years.
It's always so inspiring going out with the fishermen and hearing their stories, and they're telling you about what they like from the fish.
And just the tongue and the cheek and the roe -- I just wanted to try to cook that and see how to make that absolutely delicious.
And with that, I'm gonna cook some hash browns.
So I'm just gonna grate the potato with the peel on it.
So then just add some butter into the pan.
[ Sizzling ] Make sure that you flatten it out a little bit, because if it's too fat, it's not gonna cook through.
[ Sizzling ] Then, just put the whole pan into the fire.
Put it to the side.
You don't want too much heat on this.
Add a little bit more butter, like that.
Okay.
In Sweden, I know it sounds weird, but we eat smoked or aged cod roe for breakfast.
We very seldom eat it for as a main course, but that's what I'm going to do today.
So I'm gonna smoke it with juniper wood or juniper branches that I'm just gonna put in the fire, and then I'm gonna put them straight into this pot.
And this I've cured a little before.
It's just salt and a little bit of sugar -- just for two hours.
You need a lot of smoke on the juniper branches, and when this is lightly smoking, like that, you just put the lid on and let that sit on the side for a while.
So now I'm gonna grill the cod's cheek.
This is my favorite part of the cod, but if you can't get hold of the cheeks, it's fine to use the fillet for this.
The best way to get a great surface on the grilled fish is to use two skewers.
Gets more even like this.
A little bit of salt on that.
The cheeks are almost done.
So I'm gonna move them over there.
And the hash brown looks great.
Gonna put that on the side for a while.
And now I'm gonna sear the tongues.
I'm gonna first lightly just cover them with some flour and then fry them in a really hot pan with some butter.
[ Sizzling ] What's so interesting with this tongue is they don't export this.
They find this the best part of the cod.
So they keep this for the family.
Now I'm almost done with this dish.
I'm just gonna finish it off with the cheeks on top of the hash brown, one of these wonderful tongues on top here.
Some brown butter on top of here -- this I think Johnny is gonna like this, brown butter.
And then... Some of this cod roe on top of here.
This is gonna make this dish really salty and delicious.
Whenever you doubt that it's not Scandinavian or Nordic, just add dill, just in anything.
Just put dill in there, and you're Nordic.
Okay, there you go -- hash brown la Johnny.
The cod cheeks, the tongue, and the smoked roe on top, some chopped onions and dill.
Let's see if he likes it.
Oh!
The cod tongue is just amazing.
>> Mm.
>> Ekstedt: If you never had that, get on a plane, get to Lofoten now.
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: More?
Yes?
So I was almost approved by Johnny.
He thought the roe lacked a little bit of salt, so almost.
[ Both laugh ] Thanks for today.
It's been amazing.
Remember, you can find all our recipes on our website...
If you're still hungry after fishing in Lofoten, you can have one of the best breakfasts in Norway, right here at the hotel.
I can't think of a better way to start my day here at Lofoten than with "Mr.
Breakfast."
>> [ Laughs ] Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: So the best breakfast in Norway.
>> Yeah, we won the competition last year.
>> Ekstedt: So I start off with one of those fish cakes on my plate.
>> Only one?
>> Ekstedt: Yeah, just one right now.
Oh, perfect.
Do foreigners like to eat herring for breakfast?
>> Yes, they love it.
>> Ekstedt: They do?
>> And they also love the roe.
>> Ekstedt: The roe, yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Cod roe.
>> Ekstedt: Salt, sugar, roe -- that's it.
It's a very natural product.
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
When I was a kid, I had to take spoonfuls of cod-liver oil.
Most likely, it was produced here in Norway.
[ Chuckles ] Hey!
[ Speaking foreign language ] The process of making oil from fish is a bit of a mystery to me.
>> We are in Henningsvaer in Lofoten.
It's a famous place for fishery in the old time, and it was the most famous in Norway.
And inside this house, we produce cod-liver oil.
>> Ekstedt: Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: So this is a cod-liver-oil -- >> Factory.
>> Ekstedt: Factory.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: Oh.
>> We have liver inside the tank here.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
>> And we have a little steamer inside the little hoser.
>> Ekstedt: Okay.
>> And you open the crane here.
>> Ekstedt: Okay.
Whoa!
>> Good steam, good steam.
We need a high pressure to get the oil out of the liver.
And you can see here, the process is going on.
And it's very hot.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
>> And after seven, eight minutes, all the oil is taken out of the liver, no, so we can drink it.
>> Ekstedt: All right.
>> So a little oil up here, and we'll make a test.
So here is real oil.
>> Ekstedt: No salt, no additives.
>> No, nothing here.
>> Ekstedt: Nothing -- this is just straight cod-liver oil.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: And it's filled with omega-3, right?
That's why you drink it.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> Ekstedt: And it's very good during the winter months up here, as well.
>> Yeah, all the year.
We have almost winter all the year.
>> Ekstedt: Oh-pup-pup-pup!
>> So this is good.
>> Ekstedt: [ Laughs ] >> Sorry.
It's a big drink for you, but you're the guest, so you need a little more.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah, I mean, it's probably been 15 years ago I had this, maybe 20 years ago.
Yeah.
Skol!
It's not that bad.
>> No?
>> Ekstedt: It's pretty neutral.
I mean, you can really tell that it's a pure product, that it doesn't have any additives.
It's just, like -- it's just fish oil.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: And then it smoothens down your cheeks and then [clears throat] it's still actually running down my stomach.
>> Yeah?
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
>> Ahh.
>> Ekstedt: Without fish, there would not be people in Lofoten.
No one would have settled here for the climate.
Everything here revolves around fish.
[ Speaking foreign language ] This is a typical hardware store from the last century.
It was here that the fishermen bought their nets and their hooks and also kept in contact with the rest of the world.
Then, just as now, stockfish was the main export out of Lofoten.
So this is the famous !torrfisk, the dried cod.
>> Yeah, yeah, they have done this since they start fishing.
It's the only way to do it.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
>> And we do the same with the head.
>> Ekstedt: But it's really smart because you don't need any energy, do you?
>> No.
>> Ekstedt: You just dry it.
This is, like, the most sustainable way you could do it.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
>> And we use about 3, 3 1/2 months from the middle of February, and we take it inside.
Depends on the weather.
We take it inside in the last part of June.
>> Ekstedt: But it is fascinating, as well, with dried fish because it has this great texture.
When you put it into the water, you let it soak.
And then it's almost better than fresh fish.
>> It's the same fish but two different things because that is a lot of taste into the meat because it is so big.
It uses a long time to dry.
>> Ekstedt: Mm.
>> The best quality we sell to Italy, and the rest we sell to Africa.
So Italy and Africa is the main buyers in the world.
>> Ekstedt: So all these dried cod heads, they go to Africa.
>> Yeah, they buy every head in Lofoten.
>> Ekstedt: Millions.
>> Yeah.
>> Ekstedt: There are very few places in the world where the conditions are perfect for drying fish outdoors.
It can't be too warm or too cold.
It can't be humid, and there has to be a constant wind.
[ Seagull squawking ] So the seagulls are screaming.
The ocean is flat, and it's just a wonderful day here in Lofoten.
And I will be cooking !torrfisk, this local delicacy.
It's dried fish, and Kalle has been showing me and telling me these wonderful stories about this fish, so I really want to make these delicious fish cakes for him.
So this is what the fish looks like when it's been soaking in water for a while.
It's almost like fresh fish when you let it soak.
So I'm gonna chop this up.
I'm gonna mix that with potatoes, salt, and a little bit of mustard and then fry them in butter in the frying pan.
So I'm gonna start with chopping the fish.
[ Squawking continues ] So you want these really fine-chopped.
You can go over these once or twice.
And there's a lot of activity going around here.
Fishermen arriving from sea, and there's someone building this little shed down there.
So don't mind the noise.
Look at the cooking.
Okay, see how finely chopped you want that.
Potatoes are so important in Scandinavian cooking.
You eat them with everything.
It's almost like rice in the Asian kitchen.
So I usually cook potatoes with the peel on.
It will be way better for this recipe.
There will be more starch in it.
So I'm just gonna peel the potatoes.
Now I'll be mashing the potatoes up with some egg yolk.
And some mustard.
[ Squawking continues ] So this is the texture you want of the mashed potatoes.
You want the starch in this.
You want it kind of gluey, 'cause that's what's gonna make the fish cakes stick together.
So put the fish in with the potatoes.
So you want to check the texture now to see that it sticks together.
So now you can either add some potato starch or some regular flour, a little bit of flour, not too much, just a tiny bit, just a teaspoon.
And this is a great way to introduce fish to kids who don't like fish because it doesn't have that fishy flavor, and they're used to the taste of the potatoes.
So with two spoons just make a nice shape, and then just put them into the bread crumbs, like this.
[ Sizzling ] You want quite a lot of oil in the pan 'cause you want these crispy and golden-brown.
It's great to shape these fish cakes with a spoon because you can flip them over on one side when they're done.
Because the potatoes are already cooked and the fish is just in so small pieces, this is a really quick dish.
Just want some vegetables with this.
So the kale and the beetroots just touching the frying pan with some light, light heat here with them.
Not too hot, and then you just want some salt on that.
There you go.
[ Sizzling ] And then right from the frying pan, and then the fish cakes on top.
And that's how simple my fish cakes are -- just some kale, beetroots on the bottom, and then this beautiful potato and fish cakes on top, some brown butter, of course.
Whenever in doubt, just add butter.
[ Chuckles ] So are they approved?
[ Laughs ] Very good.
>> "Very good" in English.
[ Both laugh ] >> Ekstedt: This is whole, salted fish that's brined during the fall.
And you let it sit in a barrel for how many months?
>> Six months.
>> Ekstedt: Six months in the barrel.
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: And as a Swede, I love this.
This is what I'm raised on -- !sill !and!potatis, herring and potatoes.
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: Okay.
Will you come for dinner later on?
>> Yes.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah?
>> I will come for dinner.
>> Ekstedt: So it's not only cod and !skrei !here in Lofoten.
It's also the amazing herring.
And herring I love to cook.
I do it at home for my family and at the restaurant.
It's just a wonderful fish to cook.
I'm gonna do a very interesting recipe.
Just gonna cook it straight on a hot piece of wood, like this.
[ Blowing ] So lightly cut the fish like this, just small cuts on the side.
When the fish hits the hot surface on the wood, the juice is gonna come out, and that's gonna cook the fish.
So we're gonna sear the fish three minutes on each side.
What's nice with this recipe is that it's something in between a smoked fish and a grilled fish.
You get both at the same time.
Aage, he gets herring every day.
So I thought that he's gonna get some herring to start up with, and then I'm gonna cook this beautiful piece of cod, the best part, the back here of the cod.
I'm gonna cook that as a main for him.
You cut here by the back.
This is the best part of the cod, the back part, the loin.
This is absolutely amazing.
This is better than any meat, and you want the skin on 'cause you want to fry this on the skin side down in the pan.
So now I'm gonna cook this leek straight into the coal.
And you don't want any, like, thin leeks.
No spring onions for this recipe -- you want a thick, big leek, like this, and then just shove it straight into the fire.
So it's gonna be burnt.
It's gonna be black.
But when you peel it, it's gonna be delicious inside.
So now I'm just gonna cook the cod in the frying pan on top of the leeks and the fire.
Put some butter and salt into this, as well.
With herring traditionally in northern Scandinavia, we eat a thin bread that we cook on the fire.
So this is a rye bread.
Just yeast and rye flour and water and salt -- that's it.
That's all you need.
So you want these breads to be as thin as possible.
You want them to be transparent almost so the sun comes through the bread.
So Aage's on his way here.
So he's gonna have the herring to start off with and then the baked leeks, the flatbread, and the cod.
So I'm just gonna finish this off with some lingon and parsley.
So here it is -- herring like a taco.
Herring taco.
[ Laughs ] Have you never had that before?
I don't think Aage has had one, either, before, but I think he will like it, though.
So the idea is that you just peel off the skin from the herring and then just put that onto this flatbread and then just eat that with the caramelized onions and lingonberries.
Let's see if he likes it.
So after the herring, Aage is gonna get this beautiful pan-friend cod cooked in butter and then the leeks that's cooked in the fire.
And it's black like this, but that doesn't matter.
It's gonna be perfectly cooked in the core of the leeks.
So I'm just gonna open that up with a knife.
For exact details on our recipes, just go to our website...
So now I'm with Aage, and my fish dishes are done.
It's gonna be interesting to see if he likes them.
[ Speaking foreign language ] Okay, Aage, I think my food was approved, right?
You liked it?
>> Yeah, I liked it.
>> Ekstedt: And we're gonna get the kids in Norway to eat more herring.
That's my mission.
>> Okay, yeah.
>> Ekstedt: But first I'm gonna go for a swim.
>> Yeah?
>> Ekstedt: Yeah.
>> Do that.
>> Ekstedt: Yeah, it's gonna be cold?
>> No.
>> Ekstedt: It'll be okay.
>> Four degrees.
>> Ekstedt: [ Laughing ] Okay!
!Takk, !Aage.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
>> Bye.
>> Ekstedt: [ Gasps ] Oh!
That's it!
That's all for me from Lofoten.
It was wonderful here but really cold in the water.
Thank you!
[ Laughs ] >> For more of the "New Scandinavian Cooking" experience, visit our website or Facebook page.
>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following... >> Up Norway, curates Norwegian travel experiences in the footsteps of "New Scandinavian Cooking."
>> No, take me home Take me home where I belong >> Vgan, the full taste of chocolate.
>> Grieg Suites.
Chocolate with apples from Norway.
Havila Voyages.
Pure Northern.
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