Christmas in Scandinavia

Christmas is celebrated throughout Scandinavia on the evening of December 24th. It is widely regarded as the most sacred holiday where families and relatives meet in their homes and celebrate. Besides the customary Christmas tree and presents under it, it is the traditional Julbord that is at the center of attention for most Scandinavians. A delicious home made protein rich feast that takes several days to prepare and has its roots in the Norse celebration of midvinterblot…

Many restaurants in the larger cities of Scandinavia serve Julbord during the month of December and they are well worth a visit if you ever get a chance. If you want to get a taste of the Scandinavian Christmas you can also make your own Julbord.  Here are some of our favorite recipes!

This Vodka marinated Lox is to die for and will melt in your mouth…serve it with boiled potatoes and mustard sauce or on rye bread.

Vodka Marinated Lox

• 2 lb of deboned salmon file with the skin still on, cut in two equal pieces.
• 3 tbs ABSOLUT vodka
• 3 tbs sugar
• 3 tbs salt
• 1 tbs crushed white pepper corns
• 1 cup of fresh dill

Rub the vodka into the fish pieces. Mix sugar and salt with the very coarsely ground white pepper and rub it in to the fish. Put one piece of the fish into a dish with it’s skin facing the bottom. Evenly distribute the dill on top of the Salmon and place the other piece of salmon on top of the first piece. Cover the dish with plastic foil and place a weight on top of the salmon. Let it stand in the refrigerator for aprox. 1-2 days. Turn the fish a few times during this time. When ready to eat, remove the dill and scrape off any visible salt/sugar/pepper mix. Cut very thin slightly angled slices.

Mustard Dill Sauce.

• 3 tbs mustard ( Swedish)
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch white pepper
  
• 1 tbs vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (neutral in tast)
  
• 1/2 cup finely cut fresh dill

Mix everything except oil. Whip with a tea spoon while slowly pouring the oil into mixture. Serve with Lox.

Swedish meatballs are probably one of the best known Swedish cooking specialties, definitely a necessity on the Julbord. This recepie call for half beef, half pork but if you have any dietary or political objections you could even use ground Turkey.

Swedish Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 minced yellow onion
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix cream and bread crumbs, let stand for 10 minutes, mince onion. Mix all ingredients and form into small balls. It’s easier to handle meat if you wash your hands in cold water and keep them slightly wet. Heat a pan with butter and fill it with meatballs. Lower the heat and brown them evenly using a wooden spoon or shaking the pan carefully.  They should be done after 10-15 minutes.

There is no Christmas in Scandinavia without Jansson’s temptation.

Jansson’s Temptation

• 7 medium potatoes, cut into french fries size pieces
• 2 small cans of Swedish flat anchovies
• 1 large onion, chopped.
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 stick of butter
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a buttered oven proof dish layer the potatoes,  the onions, and the anchovies and add a little bit of salt and pepper. Pour the cream over the dish, sprinkle the bread crumbs and divide the butter evenly.  Bake until it has some color – about  40 minutes in total.

Enjoy!

Huset wishes you all a wonderful Holiday season!

Christmas themed Almedahl’s landskap tea towel.