New Scandinavian Cooking

THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.

[ LAUGHTER ] CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.

[ THEME MUSIC PLAYING ] HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" FROM BUSKERUD IN NORWAY.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

IT WAS HERE ON THE THOUSANDS OF MOUNTAIN FARMS AND SUMMER PASTURES THAT THE NORWEGIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY WAS FORMED, SHAPED BY THE CONTRADICTION BETWEEN TOO MUCH -- THE ABUNDANCE OF SUMMER -- AND NOT ENOUGH -- THE HARDSHIPS OF WINTER.

AND IN TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE'LL FOCUS ON THE CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES THAT WERE INVENTED TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE WINTER, AND WHICH QUITE INCIDENTALLY ALSO MADE FOOD MUCH MORE INTERESTING AND MUCH BETTER.

[ BLEATING ] AND IN TODAY'S PROGRAM, I'LL MAKE ONE OF THE MOST PECULIAR DELICACIES IN WORLD CUISINE, NAMELY, THE FERMENTED FISH, THE RAKFISK.

AND I'LL ALSO MAKE A MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE VERSION OF THIS, A SORT OF GRAVLAKS, ONLY WITH TROUT, THAT CAN BE MADE IN LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR.

AND FOR MAIN COURSE, WE'LL HAVE SMOKED AND SALTED LAMB SHANKS, FROM SOME OF THE HAPPIEST ANIMALS I KNOW, SERVED WITH AN ENTIRE FAMILY OF ROOT VEGETABLES.

[ MOOING ] I'LL START OFF BY DOING WHAT DAIRYMAIDS HAVE ALWAYS DONE, GIVING FRESH MILK A LONGER AND MORE INTERESTING LIFE, BY TURNING IT INTO YOGURT AND CHEESE.

HAVE YOU EVER TASTED FRESH MILK?

I MEAN, HAVE YOU EVER TASTED REALLY FRESH MILK?

IT'S SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT.

IT IS SWEET AND IT'S AROMATIC, AND IT'S DELICIOUS.

AND I DON'T DRINK MUCH MILK NORMALLY, BUT THIS I COULD DRINK EVERY DAY.

I NEED A LITTLE GOAT MILK, BUT I SENSE A LITTLE RELUCTANCE.

ELEGANCE IN ALL YOUR MOVEMENTS AND MANNERS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL GOAT HUSBANDRY, AS YOU CAN SEE.

THESE GOATS ARE STILL ROAMING FREELY WITH THEIR KIDS, AND THEY ARE NOT VERY HAPPY THAT I MILK THEM.

WELL, I'M SURE AT LEAST I GOT A FEW DROPS OUT OF IT.

IN HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE, ITAID THAT IF YOU HAVE ONE-MILLIONTH OF A COMPONENT, IT'S STILL ACTIVE.

AND I THINK I'M SLIGHTLY ABOVE THAT.

MILK LIKE THIS, UNPASTEURIZED, UN-HOMOGENIZED, STRAIGHT FROM THE COW, IS A LUXURY THAT CAN'T EVEN BE BOUGHT FOR MONEY.

YOU'VE GOT TO OWN A COW OR KNOW A FARMER TO GET MILK LIKE THIS.

AND THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT IN THIS YOU CAN ACTUALLY NOT ONLY TASTE MILK, BUT YOU CAN TASTE THE AREA HERE, THE PASTURELANDS.

IT TASTES OF WHAT THE COWS EAT AND HOW THEY LIVE.

SO, MILK FROM ANOTHER VALLEY OR FROM ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY WILL TASTE DIFFERENT.

AND, I'M GOING TO CONSERVE IT.

I'M GOING TO MAKE YOGURT FROM IT, AND THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE A CHEESE.

AND IT'S A VERY SIMPLE PROCESS THAT CAN ALSO BE FOLLOWED AT HOME.

HERE I'VE GOT THREE LITERS OF MILK.

THAT'S ABOUT THREE QUARTS OF MILK.

AND TO THIS, I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF A YOGURT-STARTER CULTURE.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD GET IN A SPECIALTY STORE, BUT ANY YOGURT IS STARTER CULTURE.

SO, IF YOU JUST BUY A PLAIN YOGURT -- GREEK STYLE, BULGARIAN STYLE -- AND THEN, YOU JUST ADD IT TO THE MILK, AND I'M JUST STIRRING THIS IN, AND THEN GENTLY HEATING UNTIL IT'S 37 CELSIUS, 98 FAHRENHEIT.

AND THE NEXT DAY, THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS.

THIS SKIN IS BECAUSE THE MILK WAS NOT HOMOGENIZED, SO THE FAT TENDS TO COLLECT ON TOP.

THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU USE NORMAL, STORE-BOUGHT MILK, BUT THE TEXTURE WILL BE MORE OR LESS THE SAME.

YOU SEE, IT'S GOT A KIND OF JELLO-LIKE CONSISTENCY.

AND IT IS INCREDIBLY FRESH-TASTING.

AND IT'S LOVELY TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST.

BUT I'M GOING TO USE THIS TO MAKE CHEESE.

AND, TODAY I'M GOING TO MAKE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEESE.

ONE CHEESE THAT I'M GOING TO STORE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, AND THEN EAT IT SOMETIME THIS FALL OR THIS WINTER.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE A MUCH QUICKER VERSION, AS WELL, THAT WILL ONLY TAKE ME A DAY.

BUT HERE I TAKE 7.5 DECILITERS, THREE CUPS OF YOGURT.

AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO MAKE YOUR OWN YOGURT, YOU CAN JUST MAKE STORE-BOUGHT BULGARIAN STYLE OR GREEK STYLE YOGURT.

JUST PLACE IT IN A CHEESE-CLOTH, TIE IT WITH A STRING, AND HANG IT.

THE SECOND CHEESE I'M GOING TO MAKE IS A FRESH CHEESE THAT WILL ONLY TAKE TWO DAYS TO MAKE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE PACKED WITH FLAVOR.

I'M GOING TO FLAVOR IT WITH THYME AND MINT.

AND THEN I'LL JUST TIE THE CHEESE UP WITH A STRING AS WELL.

I HOPE MY DENTIST ISN'T WATCHING.

NOW, BOTH OF THE CHEESES ARE GOING TO HANG FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS.

IT IS A GOOD IDEA NOT TO HANG THEM OUTSIDE IN THE SUN.

DO HANG THEM IN A SHADY PLACE, SOMEWHAT COOLER THAN ROOM TEMPERATURE, BUT PREFERABLY SOMEWHAT WARMER THAN NORMAL REFRIGERATOR TEMPERATURE.

AFTER 24 HOURS, I'VE PLACED THE CHEESES IN SALT WATER.

THAT'S WATER WITH ABOUT 6% TO 8% SALT, AND I'LL LEAVE THEM FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS.

AND THIS IS HOW THE SMALL CHEESE LOOKS NOW.

YOU SEE, IT HAS FIRMED UP VERY NICELY.

ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?

WELL, IT WILL NEED SOME MORE RIPENING, SO I'VE JUST PUT A SPRIG OF ROSEMARY, AND I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF SALT, AND THEN JUST CAREFULLY PLACE THE CHEESE INSIDE.

AND I JUST PRESS THE CHEESE EVER SO SLIGHTLY.

AND THEN I'LL ADD A LITTLE MORE ROSEMARY, JUST FOR FLAVOR.

A LITTLE MORE SALT, CLOSE IT UP.

I'M GOING TO STORE IT IN MY CHEESE CUPBOARD UNTIL WINTER.

YOU COULD STORE IT IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR, AS WELL, BUT THE WARMEST ZONE IN YOUR FRIDGE.

THE SECOND CHEESE, THE FRESH CHEESE, IS REALLY FINISHED NOW.

IT'S READY TO EAT, AND YOU SEE, IT'S GOT QUITE SOFT TEXTURE, BUT STILL QUITE FIRM.

AND IF YOU WANTED IT HARDER, YOU COULD JUST HANG IT A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

BUT, SINCE THIS IS NOT A PARTICULARLY FATTY CHEESE, I THINK IT'S NICE WHEN IT'S STILL QUITE CREAMY AND YOU CAN EAT IT WITH A SPOON.

AND THE FLAVOR IS FABULOUS.

IT'S GOT SOME OF THE FRESHNESS OF THE YOGURT.

AND THEN THE HERBY FLAVOR, AS WELL.

THE FLAVOR OF THE MINT AND THE THYME, AND I THINK IT'S LOVELY.

YOU CAN SERVE IT JUST LIKE THIS OR WITH OLIVE OIL.

OR HERE WE'VE GOT SOME COLD-PRESSED RAPESEED OIL.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE OLIVE OIL OF THE NORTH.

AND THIS IS A TRULY MEDITERRANEAN DISH, BUT USING ONLY VERY SCANDINAVIAN INGREDIENTS.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE, NEWSCANCOOK.COM.

LIFE ON THE SUMMER MOUNTAIN PASTURES WAS DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL 19th-CENTURY LIFE.

IT WAS A WOMAN'S WORLD.

THE WOMEN GOVERNED.

THEY MADE BUTTER AND CHEESE, WHICH WAS BOTH AN IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE FAMILY ECONOMY AND FOOD FOR THE HOUSEHOLD.

THE MEN, ON THE OTHER HAND, LOOKED AFTER THE FARM BACK HOME.

THEY HARVESTED AND STORED HAY.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DID ALL THE BORING STUFF.

BUT WHEN AUTUMN CAME, THEY WOULD FISH, HUNT, CURE MEAT, SMOKE FISH, AND MAKE THE INFAMOUS RAKFISK, THE FERMENTED TROUT.

ORIGINALLY, RAKFISK WAS MADE BY BURYING FISH IN THE GROUND, LIKE JAHN BIRGER FURUSETH DEMONSTRATES.

HOWEVER, THIS IS NO LONGER HOW WE DO IT, APART FROM A FEW DAREDEVILS WHO WILL RISK ANYTHING FOR AN AUTHENTIC RAKFISK EXPERIENCE.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WHEN YOU'RE MAKING FERMENTED TROUT IS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT THE HYGIENE.

YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE TO CLEAN THE FISH THOROUGHLY TO REMOVE ALL TRACES OF BLOOD.

AND THERE'S NOTHING CLEANER THAN THIS MELT-WATER COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINS.

THEN IT'S TIME TO SALT THE FISH, AND THE SECRET NUMBER FOR SALTING IS FIVE AND A HALF.

5.5% PERCENT SALT, ACCORDING TO THE WEIGHT OF THE FISH.

THE FISH IS PLACED IN LAYERS IN A BUCKET.

AND WHEN THE BUCKET IS FULL, A WEIGHT IS PLACED ON TOP, AND THEN IT'S LEFT FOR FOUR TO FIVE DAYS.

AFTER THAT, IT'S COVERED WITH LIGHTLY SALTED WATER, AND THEN IT CAN BE LEFT IN A COOL PLACE TO FERMENT FOR A LONG TIME, UNTIL WINTER IS HERE.

WINTER USED TO BE A TIME OF HIBERNATION.

NOW IT'S THE MOST ACTIVE TIME UP HERE.

LOTS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF ACTIVITIES.

AND TOWNSPEOPLE COME HERE TO EXPERIENCE THE WINTERS THAT COUNTRY FOLK HAVE ALWAYS DREADED THIS TIME OF YEAR, WHEN EVERYTHING IS COVERED WITH ICY, COLD SNOW.

UNTIL ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, MUCH OF COMMUNITY LIFE IN WINTER WAS DEPENDENT ON SKIS.

SKIS WERE USED FOR TRANSPORT AND HUNTING.

THEY WERE PRACTICAL IN A SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTRY, WHERE DISTANCES WERE GREAT AND THE TERRAIN DIFFICULT.

AND, AS WE'VE SEEN, THESE OLD TRADITIONS OF CONSERVING FOOD ARE STILL IMPORTANT IN THIS REGION.

I LIKE THE WAY THEY TASTE, BUT ALSO THE WAY THEY CONNECT US TO OUR PAST.

[ SPEAKING NORWEGIAN ] ALPINE SKIING HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED IN POPULARITY IN NORWAY.

HERE, IN GEILO, YOU'LL FIND A WIDE RANGE OF SLOPES AND TERRAIN PARKS FOR SNOWBOARDING, AND NEW TALENTS SURFACE CONSTANTLY.

AN ODD COLLECTION OF WORDS OF NORWEGIAIGIN HAVE MADE THEIR WAY INTO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

"BAG" IS ONE OF THEM.

"OMBUDSMAN" IS ANOTHER, AND "SLALOM" IS A THIRD, AND PERHAPS THE MOST RELEVANT HERE TODAY.

AND "SLALOM" CONSISTS OF "SLA," WHICH BASICALLY JUST MEANS A SLOPE, AND "LOM," WHICH MEANS A TRACK.

THE MOUNTAIN AREA AROUND HEMSEDAL IS A SKI SPORT CENTER.

IT'S BEEN REFERREDAS THE SCANDINAVIAN ALPS.

AND IN MANY WAYS IT'S TRUE, EXCEPT YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SPEAK FRENCH.

THE LATEST INNOVATION IS TO HAVE CHILDREN'S PLAY-SLOPES.

IT USED TO BE SAID THAT NORWEGIANS WERE BORN WITH SKIS ON THEIR FEET.

THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE, I'M AFRAID, AND THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF GRAND PLAN IF NORWAY IS GOING TO CONTINUE BEING A SKIING NATION.

THE IDEA IS THAT AT THESE SITES, CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEARN THE BASIC SKILLS OF SKIING AT A VERY EARLY AGE -- AND, OF COURSE, TO HAVE FUN WHILE LEARNING THEM.

THEY SAY THAT THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING.

WELL, WHEN IT COTO RAKFISK, THE FERMENTED TROUT, THE PROOF OF THE RAKFISK IS REALLY IN THE SMELLING.

IT IS PRETTY INTENSE AFTER ALL THIS TIME OF FERMENTATION.

IT'S A BIT LIKE THAT KIND OF UNPLEASANT PLEASANTNESS OF WALKING INTO A CHEESE SHOP IN FRANCE.

BUT I THINK THE GREAT THING ABOUT RAKFISK IS THAT, MUCH LIKE FRENCH CHEESE, WHILE THE SMELL IS INTENSE, THE FLAVOR IS QUITE MILD AND SUBTLE.

AND THE TEXTURE NOW IS SOFT, ALMOST VELVETY.

AND THE TYPICAL WAY OF SERVING RAKFISK IS ON TRADITIONAL FLATBREAD WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ONION... AND THEN A DOLLOP OF SOUR CREAM.

MMM.

IT IS AMAZING, BECAUSE YOU CAN STILL SENSE THAT THING THAT MAKES IT REALLY SMELL QUITE POWERFUL, BUT...

BUT STILL IT HAS A MILDNESS, AND ALMOST A KIND OF SWEETNESS TO IT.

AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S MADE FROM A FISH, BUT IT'S UNLIKE ANY OTHER FISH YOU'VE HAD.

ALTHOUGH RAKFISK IS ONE OF THE MOST, SOME WOULD SAY EXTREME, SOME WOULD SAY PECULIAR, FOOD TRADITIONS, IT DOES HAVE SOME RELATIVES THAT ARE NOT QUITE AS HARDCORE.

THE MOST IMPORTANT, PERHAPS, IS GRAVLAKS.

AND YOU MAY KNOW GRAVLAKS -- IT'S A KIND OF CURED SALMON THAT IS CURED WITH SALT AND SUGAR.

AND NORMALLY, IT'S CURED FOR... FOR LIKE THREE TO FOUR DAYS.

WELL, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A VERSION WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A KIND OF GRAVLAKS IN JUST 20 MINUTES OR SO.

AND THE SECRET THEN IS TO CUT THE FISH INTO THIN SLICES.

IN THIS CASE, I'M USING TROUT.

JULIA CHILD USED TO LIVE IN NORWAY IN THE 1950s.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH WAS GRAVLAKS, AND SHE ALSO DEVELOPED THIS EASY WAY TO MAKE A KIND OF QUICK GRAVLAKS.

I'VE GOT HERE A COMBINATION OF SALT AND SUGAR, AND THEN I ADD ABOUT HALF A TEASPOON OF DRIED DILL.

AND I JUST SPRINKLE THIS MIXTURE ON A PLATE AND THEN ADD THIN SLICES OF TROUT.

AND THEN I SPRINKLE THE REST OF THE SALT-AND-SUGAR MIXTURE ON TOP.

AND WHAT JULIA CHILD WOULD ALWAYS DO WAS ADD A COUPLE OF TABLESPOONS OF BRANDY OR COGNAC, OR EVEN AQUAVIT WHEN SHE MADE GRAVLAKS.

I'VE ADDED SOME COGNAC TO THIS, AND I'M JUST SPRAYING IT OVER.

JUST ENOUGH TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF MOISTURE AND START THE CURING PROCESS.

I ACTUALLY LIKE IT BEST WHEN IT'S CURED FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SAY 20 MINUTES, HALF AN HOUR.

IT'S SAID THAT CHEESE IS MILK SEEKING IMMORTALITY.

THESE ARE A COUPLE OF THE CHEESES MADE FROM THE LADIES HERE DOWN IN THE VALLEY.

BUT WHAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS MY OWN CHEESE.

IT'S NOW A COUPLE OF MONTHS OLD, AND IT'S STARTING TO FIRM UP, AND IT SMELLS FANTASTIC.

AND I'M SAYING THAT LY BECAUSE I MADE IT MYSELF, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T QUALIFY ME AS A KIND OF MASTER CHEESE MAKER.

NOW IT'S BEEN ABOUT 20 MINUTES, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TEXTURE IS CHANGED.

THE FISH IS SOMEWHAT FIRMER, AND THERE IS AN EXCESS OF WATER HERE.

THAT IS WATER THAT HAS BEEN DRAWN OUT BY THE SALT AND THE SUGAR.

AND YOU CAN USE THIS IN A SALAD.

IT'S WONDERFUL WITH SOMETHING TART, LIKE APPLES AND SALAD WITH A BIT OF BITE IN IT, LIKE ARUGULA.

BUT I THINK THAT IT'S VERY NICE WITH THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF SERVING IT, AS WELL, ON DARK RYE BREAD WITH COARSE-GRAIN MUSTARD LIKE THIS, AND THEN JUST A SMALL SPRIG OF FRESH DILL, BECAUSE -- AS I NORMALLY SAY -- WHEN IT COMES TO DILL, I'M ABSOLUTELY INSATIABLE.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE, NEWSCANCOOK.COM.

BUT ALL THIS IS NIBBLE-NIBBLE FOOD.

AND MAN'S GOT TO EAT, SO I'VE ALREADY STARTED WITH THE MAIN COURSE, WHICH IS SMOKED LAMB SHANKS WITH ROOT VEGETABLES.

LAMB SHANK IS LIKE THE LOWER PART OF THE LEG OF THE LAMB.

THE UPPER PART OF THE THIGH WAS NORMALLY EATEN SOMETIME DURING AUTUMN.

BUT THE SHANK IS A DIFFERENT CUT, AND IS VERY EASY TO PRESERVE, SO A GOOD WAY IS TO SMOKE IT AND SALT IT A LITTLE BIT AND THEN YOU CAN JUST HANG IT UP, AND IT WILL KEEP FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

WELL, THESE ARE QUITE FRESH LAMB SHANKS, BUT WE STILL SALT AND SMOKE THEM, BASICALLY FOR FLAVOR.

SO I JUST TRANSFER THE LAMB SHANKS.

THE ROOT VEGETABLES THAT I'VE USED IS CELERIAC, PARSNIP, CARROTS, RUTABAGA -- OR SWEDE -- AND THEN SOME OF THESE SMALL AND VERY SWEET ALMOND POTATOES.

AND I'VE COOKED IT IN ABOUT A BOTTLE OF BEER.

AND THE REST IS JUST A STOCK THAT COMES -- THAT'S RELEASED FROM THE LAMB SHANKS THEMSELVES.

AND THEN I JUST MAKE A PUREE OUT OF IT.

AND BECAUSE I USED SALTED LAMB SHANKS, THEN I DON'T NEED TO ADD EXTRA SALT.

IF YOU'RE USING FRESH ONES, YOU MIGHT NEED TO ADD A BIT OF SALT.

LAMB SHANK CAN BE A VERY, VERY TOUGH CUT OF MEAT, BUT WHEN IT'S COOKED FOR A LONG TIME, LIKE NOW, IT'S REALLY FALL-APART TENDER.

I'M GOING TO SERVE IT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ROWANBERRY JELLY.

YOU COULD USE RED CURRANT JELLY OR PORT WINE JELLY.

THE BEST THING IS TO USE SOMETHING THAT HAS A BIT OF A BITE TO IT, SO IF YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING WITH CRANBERRIES, THEN THAT WOULD BE PERFECT, AS WELL.

BUT THIS IS IT, IN ALL ITS GLORY AND SIMPLICITY.

FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT SCANDINAVIAN DESTINATIONS AND FOOD, VISIT OUR WEB SITE, NEWSCANCOOK.COM.

THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.

[ LAUGHTER ] CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.