MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT ESPECIALLY FOR YOU

THE BELGIAN STOEMP

or mash potatoes with twists

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This is a really lovely traditional Belgian winter dish which in actual fact is so simple that I wonder why we Danes never thought of doing our traditional mash like this. We do have all the ingredients available in every shop and supermarket, yet we did not make this combination. We make this one very often at home because it goes so well with a sausage, any kind of meat or as part of a vegetarian dish. What’s more you can mix in other vegetables and herbs according to your taste. Here comes the basic recipe for

STOEMP

1 kg potatoes

1-2 onions

3-4 carrots

1 clove of garlic

1 vegetable stock cube

Peel and cut the vegetables into 2 cm cubes and put them in a pot. Cover with water and add the garlic and the stock cube. Bring to the boil and let it cook for approx. 20 minutes. Pour out the stock and work the vegetables to a lumpy mash. Add a big lump of butter, salt and pepper to taste. Et voila your Stoemp is ready.

BUT you could also add water cress, Brussels sprouts, spinach or leaks. In the case of  leaks you should leave out the onion.

The last time I made it I added a big tablespoon of my homemade pesto to the basic recipe and that was simply delicious. So

BON APPETIT – ENJOY!

KØKKENSKRIVEREN ..... about food and more
Written by Liselotte Thøgersen

E-mail: liselottethogersen@gmail.com
Blog with some past recipes:  ( in Danish – you can translate them with Google Translate 
http://kokkenskriveren.blogspot.com

This time, I must write  about Greece, and there are obvious reasons for this. I suppose everybody follows Greece in the media hearing about the financial drama they are enduring. The heavy burdens which the Greeks must now carry on their shoulders, makes one shiver. Personally I am very concerned because I have several very good Greek friends and it is the country in Europe I have visited most times both at work and on vacation, and especially so because our son-in-law is Greek and our two grandchildren therefore small beautiful Greek / Danish girls, Anna Maria and Zoë Kiriaki! They live  in England, but their  family in Kos, which is strongly affected and whom we  think about all the time. But what can one as an ordinary person do? Personally, I have taken the decision to buy Greek products where at all possible: Greek yogurt (Total 2%), Greek honey, Greek olive oil, Greek feta, dolmades (the good stuffed vine leaves), olives and Greek wine. I wish I could find even more Greek products, but it is difficult and perhaps an explanation for one of the country's problems - lack of export of the many goodies that are manufactured in Greece.

And then it might be worth considering going on holiday to Greece this year. Tourism is one of the most important sources of income for the Greeks, if not the most important - so this is certainly a good way to support them and back them up. And I think they really deserve it!

And then it soon Easter and  the most important holiday in the Orthodox Church. This year Easter in Greece  is about one week after our Easter, but in any case, this also inspired me to share some wonderful Greek dishes with you in this edition. Perhaps the Greek cuisine is not the world's most famous and most versatile, but they have great ingredients, and they can make even the most boring vegetables  taste heavenly. The secret  according to a wise Greek mother-in-law to one of our friends is simply olive oil - lots of olive oil!

So let’s start with the beginning:

The other day I read that one of the currently most sought after articles in “Den Store Danske”
(the new Danish encyclopedia) was about tzatziki. Yes, the glorious yogurt / garlic sauce that is so easy to
make, and which reminds us of  wonderful holidays in Greece. Grate a whole cucumber
roughly, put it in a tea towel and press out all the liquid.  Add to a few cups of the good
Greek yogurt (2% but the 10% will make it even more delicious), add a BIG clove of crushed garlic, salt and then pour a decent splash of olive oil on top. Voila, a nice starter eaten with some rally good bread.
Next a few quick, healthy and hearty dishes that can stand alone – perhaps supplemented with a good salad. Enough for 4 people as a main course.

Greek Lentils: Take 250 g small green lentils. Let them come to the boil then throw the water away. Fry a chopped onion to the pan in a little olive oil, add the lentils and a can of peeled tomatoes, 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, and finally, a bay leaf and a good splash of red wine vinegar - the last 2 ingredients are the key! Add a little bit of water if necessary, but not too much. They are ready in approx. 30 minutes – add a good splash of olive oil in the last minute. You could also add some grated carrot or selleri.
Greek white beans: Take 250 g of white beans and soak them overnight or at least 6 hours. Then throw away the water (can be poisonous) and rinse the beans well in a sieve in cold water. Then fry a chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in a little olive oil, add a can of peeled tomatoes and a small can of tomato pure, the beans and a little water. Let it boil for two hours on a low heat. Can be eaten cold or hot, sprinkle with oregano and again a good splash of olive oil.

Lamb and Easter go together, and I am convinced that everybody has a good recipe for any piece of the lamb: But to make it really Greek, there must be lots of garlic, potatoes in the bottom of the roasting pan, lots of oregano, lemon juice and olive oil poured all over and salt and pepper of course. With the lamb the Greeks will serve a salad of romaine lettuce with lots of fresh dill, spring onions and a dressing of lemon and olive oil.

And just a wonderful spinach pie with dill - yes, it is also true Greek:

Greek spinach pie with dill
1 short crust or puffed pastry
1 kg fresh spinach
300 g feta cheese
1 large chopped onion
1 bunch of dill
2 eggs
1.5 dl milk or cream
Salt and pepper

Fry the chopped onion in a little olive oil, add the spinach and let it fall together, add some saltand pepper, coarsely chop the dill and let it "cook" with the spinach just for a minute or two. Pour the mixture into a sieve and allow to drain well before putting it on the crust. Mix eggs with milk/cream, pour over the spinach and finally crumble the feta over the surface. Bake at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

Yes, this was my Greek inspiration, but to tell you the truth, I've got all the ideas from Anne Glinos! And yes, it is her mother-in-law, I refer to above! So many thanks to Anne! Maybe you or maybe your mother- in-law have some great recipes – if so please send them to me – I am always happy to get exciting new ones!

Bon appétit – and happy Easter!

Liselotte Thøgersen
17th February 2012

DENMARK, THE DANES AND THE POTATOE

 

Danes certainly have a very close relationship with the potato. I personally would take it as far as calling it a very serious love affair which has lasted for a long time! Many Danes will say that a meal without potatoes is not a meal at all! By the way potatoes are called kartofler in Danish.

The potato arrived late in Denmark – actually we know the exact year to be 1719 although it came to Europe from South America as early as 1534. So in a few years we can celebrate 200 years of potatoes in Denmark!

In the good old days there would not be many varieties, the most common one was the bintje and we would usually boil them in salt water for 20 minutes and that was it. New sorts were introduced and new recipes developed over the years and some very special ones were created in order to better suit the different dishes they would accompany. For some reason the “brunede kartofler” stands out, and I can confirm that these sugar-caramelized potatoes is a genuine Danish dish. I have never found that cooking method in any other cuisine.

Nowadays it is especially the new potatoes which are sought after. They arrive around midsummer, and there is actually a competition among potato growers about who can bring the first new ones to the market. Restaurants in particular are keen to get their hands on them, and they will pay anything for them. It could easily be up to 100 Euros for 500 grams!

Potatoes are grown everywhere and anyone who has even a small vegetable garden will grow his own. It is almost considered a sacred ritual to go into the garden, dig up the delicious small potatoes, clean and brush them, leaving the skin on and put them directly into the pot to be boiled, then served with a bit of salt and not least with a lump of good Danish butter! That is indeed a royal treat!

Potato growing on a larger or smaller industrial scale is of course widespread and of great importance. It is said and believed that the best ones come from Samsø, a beautiful small island in the Kattegat or from the Lammefjord (Fjord of the Lambs), a large reclaimed area of land on the island of Sjælland (Sealand) some 80 km west of Copenhagen.

Last but not least potatoes are also used to produce the world famous Danish Aquavit or snaps as we call it. You will find many different varieties of snaps the most classic being Rød Aalborg named after the town of Aalborg where it is produced – rød meaning red being the dominant colour on the label. Rød Aalborg has the taste of cumin, but many other herbs and spices are used to pep up this popular drink with an average alcohol percentage of 40! So be careful! It is a must to serve it with the classic Danish open sandwiches called smørrebrød  and especially with herring and cheese!

A FEW WORDS ABOUT MYSELF

I was born in Copenhagen and have lived there for most of my life, except for a couple of years in Switzerland when I was young and the last almost 24 years in Belgium!

I have been working in tourism for more than 20 years. For 15 years sending people on tours all over the world and the last years in Danish tourism trying to attract tourists to my small and beautiful country.

Food has always been of interest to me. I have always loved cooking and having travelled to many parts of the world I have gained a lot of knowledge about different cuisines.

I have also written 3 small dictionaries on the French/Belgian, Italian and Spanish cuisines.

They are called “Menu guides” and they are an essential companion for the Danish traveler to understand what is on the menu in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain in case you do not speak any of these languages. Each edition contains about 800 words in alphabetical order translated into Danish and English and supplemented with a short explanation.

Although I am definitely an amateur, I consider cooking my main hobby. I enjoy good honest food made from fresh and tasteful ingredients, so Belgium is certainly the right place to be. So many nationalities present in this country guarantees that one can always find the original product from almost any country in the world, and fine local Belgian products just add to the joy of living in Belgium.

Below I give you the recepies that I made for you:

Brunede karfofler (brown potatoes/caramelized potatoes)

Stuvede kartofler (stewed potatoes with cream)

Sursød kartoffelsalat (sweet and sour potatoe salad)

Nye kartofler med sild (new potatoes with herring)

Kartoffelmad (open sandwich with potato)

 

 

Liselotte Thøgersen

18.01.2012

RECIPES FOR DANISH POTATO DISHES

 

Brown caramelized potatoes (brune kartofler)

 

1 kilo small firm potatoes (25-30 mm)

50 g white sugar

50 g butter

 

1.      Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water with the skin on for no more than 15 minutes. Peel them.

2.      Rinse the potatoes in cold water. The water helps to give a shiny and silky look.

3.      Melt the sugar in a dry roasting pan – big enough to hold the potatoes in one layer.

4.      Add the butter when the sugar has melted (be careful that it does not burn) and mix well.

5.      Add the potatoes to the roasting pan. Be careful – the water will make the butter splash. Roast well on all sides turning them over with a wooden spoon.

6.      Serve immediately.

 

They are perfect with roast duck or goose or a pork roast with crackling skin, but also with smoked meat served with spinach or green cabbage à la crème.

 

 

Potatoes in cream sauce (flødestuvede kartofler)

 

1 kilo firm potatoes

Salt

400 ml double cream

White pepper

Pinch of grated nutmeg

 

1.      Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces – the size of an olive.

2.      Boil the potatoes in salt water for a few minutes until the water foams. Pour into a strainer and rinse in cold water.

3.      Put the potatoes into a wide and low (thick bottomed) saucepan and cover with the cream. Leave them to soften in the cream at a low heat, covered with a lid for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. When the potatoes are soft and the cream has turned thick from the starch in the potatoes add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

These potatoes are traditionally served with pieces of fresh eel, covered in rye flour and fried in butter. It is definitely a rich and luxurious dish. The tradition says you have to eat so many pieces of eel so that the bones of the eel will make a full circle around your plate! This potato dish is also very good with fresh salmon, or any smoked fish or meat.

 

 

Sweet and sour warm potato salad (varm sursød kartoffelsalat)

 

1 kg small firm potatoes

50 g butter

3 big onions

100 ml of white vinegar

200 ml water

1 table spoon of sugar

Salt and pepper

 

1.      Boil the potatoes with the skin on for 15-20 minutes. Peel and leave to cool. Cut into slices (1/2 centimeter)

2.      Peel the onions and cut into thin rings. Melt the butter in a pot and boil the onions until they are clear – do NOT brown. Add vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper and leave the onions to cook until tender.

3.      Add the potato slices. Leave them to heat with the onions in the sweet and sour mixture for 8-10 minutes. Add a little water if the salad turns too dry – it should be nice and watery.

You can add a bit of chopped parsley or dill.

Serve the salad warm with roasted or boiled meats. It is VERY good with any kind of sausage.

 

 

 

New (a must) potatoes with herring (Nye kartofler med sild)

 

1 kg of new potatoes

1-2 big filet/s of white or red pickled Scandinavian herring *)

Red onions and dill

Sour cream and/or butter

 

1.      Boil the potatoes – not too long – new potatoes require about 15 minutes.

2.      Arrange the filet(s) of herring on individual plates garnished with raw red onion rings and chopped dill, a knob of butter and a spoon full of sour cream.

You could definitely use the wonderful traditional matjes for this dish!

Put the warm potatoes in a beautiful bowl decorated with some finely chopped dill and make the potatoes the center piece of your table.

A cold beer and a glass of aquavit (snaps) will lift this simple dish to a heavenly state!

*) The Scandinavian type of marinated herrings (Danish – even Swedish will do) can be found in supermarkets, in the Scan Shop in Waterloo or Brussels and in IKEA.

 

 

 

Open Danish Potato Sandwich on Rye Bread (kartoffelmad)

 

Slices of rye bread*)

Boiled potatoes (new ones are the best)

Butter

Good mayonnaise

Raw red onion rings

Chopped chives

 

1.      Cut the bread into thin slices (3-4 mm).

2.      Put on a nice layer of fresh butter.

3.      Cut the potatoes into slices of ½ cm and put them nicely on the bread.

4.      Top the potatoes with a good spoonful of mayonnaise, the onion rings and the chives.

Serve on individual plates as a starter or as a good lunch dish. It should of course be accompanied with a nice cold Danish beer and a glass of aquavit – or snaps as we say!

*) The dark rye bread is a necessity for making real Danish open sandwiches. Danish rye bread is of the same type as the German one, made with a sourdough. You can find rye bread in supermarkets in Belgium or in the Scan Shops in Waterloo or in Brussels. In the Scan Shops you can even buy a mixture for making your own. Very easy as you just have to add yeast and water (or as I usually do: replace part of the water with a good dark Belgian beer for instance the Leffe!

 

Finally let me give you what some professional cooks call THE BEST WAY TO COOK POTATOES – any potato!

 

Put the potatoes into cold water with a bit of salt, bring to the boil and let them boil on the heat for 7 MINUTES – turn off the heat but leave the pot on the warm plate for another 7 MINUTES – they are perfectly done.

 

 

Liselotte Thøgersen

Rixensart 19.01.2012

liselottethogersen@gmail.com  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KØKKENSKRIVEREN ..... something about food

 

First of all I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. I hope you will have beautiful days with your families and friends enjoying the company and a lot of good traditional food. Most of us in Northern Europe at least just have to look outside and the Christmassy feeling is definitely there. We are buried in snow, and at this very moment the sun is shining from a clear and blue sky. It is just wonderful to look at. Niels has just been outside clearing our way out of the house and the pavement for the people passing by – good exercise for a Viking!!

 

And when Christmas is over there is another reason to celebrate: The coming of the new year 2011!  I have just written one of my “Køkkenskriver” articles which includes some festive food for the end-of-the-year celebration. Perhaps you would like to try them. I can assure they are delicious, quite easy to prepare and they look beautiful on the plate. First of all a nice sauce to accompany some really good smoked salmon or any other smoked fish:

 

CREAMY SAUCE WITH EGGS AND CRESS

 

3 whole eggs

1-1,5 table spoon of Dijon mustard

40-50 g of butter

3 dl double cream

1 tray of cress (a handful)

 

1. Mix the eggs with the mustard in a bowl. Add salt and pepper.
2. Melt the butter in a small casserole and add the egg and mustard mixture.
3. Keeping the temperature very low make the eggs thicken – you must stir all the time to avoid the eggs turning into scramble eggs and to stick to the bottom.
4. When the eggs have turned almost solid add the cream. Continue to stir – but the sauce must NOT BOIL. Add the cress and perhaps a bit more salt and pepper.
5. This sauce can be served hot or cold.
6. If you cannot get cress, a handful of chopped chives are a good alternative.

 

* * * * * * *

 

So for the main course I suggest a very delicious and tasty fish dish. Even Niels likes it and that is definitely a recommendation!

 

MONKFISH ON A SKEWER WITH BACON (serves 4)

 

800 g of filet of monkfish

2 thick slices of smoked bacon (1 cm)

1 big green or red pepper

1-2 onions

2 table spoons of olive oil

1 dl white wine

5 dl double cream

Salt and pepper

 

 

1. Cut the filet into 16 pretty squares. Cut the bacon into 8 pieces. Empty the pepper and cut into 12 nice squares. Peal and cut the onions into smaller pieces (“boats”).
2. Put all the pieces alternately on 4 skewers. If you are using wooden skewers you must put them in water first otherwise they will burn. Begin and end with a piece of the pepper – it keeps everything nicely together. This can be done well in advance. Just keep them in the fridge until you prepare them.
3. Roast the skewers in a big pan in the oil – keep the heat high – and roast them for a couple of minutes on each side. Transfer the skewers to an ovenproof dish. Add the white wine to the pan and finally add the cream, and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Add salt and pepper to your liking and pour the sauce over the skewers. Finish the fish in the oven at 200 C degrees for 20-25 minutes until the sauce has thickened and turned slightly golden. Do not overcook them!
4. Serve with small firm boiled potatoes or a rice pilaf with saffron, and vegetables or salad to your liking.

 

* * * * * * *

 

What could be more appropriate and festive than having a nice bottle of champagne to go with the fish courses! Cheers and bon appétit !!

 

Finally I wish you all

 

A VERY HAPPY AND EXCITING NEW YEAR 2011!

 

Warmest greetings from

Liselotte

 

 

 

 

liselottethogersen@gmail.com