Pølsesalat - Danish Sausage Salad

Pølsesalat - Danish Sausage Salad

Pølsesalat, or Danish sausage salad, is a typical mayonnaise based lunch salad served on rye bread in Denmark. I remember standing at the butcher shop's deli section with my mom or dad, and the sausage salad would be my pick, if I had a say. And sometimes I was allowed to get it. I do believe that I was the only one in the family who liked it. As an adult, I still bought it now and again, for a trip down memory lane. Most deli's would have pieces of cold boiled potatoes in their sausage salad, but I left them out here. 

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ravigotte sauce, or a sweet mustard
• 4 german franks, boiled, cooled, sliced
• chives, for sprinkle

Directions:

Put the german franks in a Bowl and pour over boiling water, let stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the franks and put them into a bowl with ice-water, set aside to cool.

Mix the mayonnaise and ravigote sauce together in a bowl. Slice up the franks, and mix them into the dressing. 

Serve the sausage salad on a slice of Danish rye bread, as an open-faced sandwich. Sprinkle some chopped chives on top.

Enjoy!

Lemon Marinated Skirt Steak

Lemon Marinated Skirt Steak

I love grilling skirt steak. You can marinate the meat to make it fit the cuisine you are aiming for. The beef flavors are pretty intense and the it is not as pricy as regular steaks. Here I marinated the skirt steak in a soy-lemon marinate, giving the meat a clean bright flavor. 

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

• 700 g (1 ½  pounds) skirt steak
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lemon, for serving
• fresh coriander, for serving

Marinade:

• 60 ml (¼  cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 60 ml (¼  cup) soy sauce 
• 2 lemons, the juice from 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

Directions:

Place the skirt steak in a ziplock bag, and add the ingredients for the marinade. Rub the marinade into the meat. Let the meat marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or up to 6 hours in refrigerator.

Heat grill to medium-high. Remove meat from marinade and pat off excess juices with some paper towel. Grill the meat, just turning once, until  medium/medium rare about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, cover with some aluminum foil and let stand to rest for about 5 minutes.

Thinly slice meat against the grain (muscle fibers) and serve it with some cilantro on top, and lemon slices on the side. I served the warm Asian-style slaw on the side, but you can easily serve the meat in tacos.

Enjoy!

Danish Meatballs

Classic Danish Meatballs with creamed green cabbage.

Danish meatballs or frikadeller as they are called, are a popular dish in Denmark. It might even be the national dish at one point. According my mom the traditional meatballs are made with half pork and half veal, but you can make them with most ground meats. I always use rolled oats in meatballs, even though my mom used all-purpose flour. I think the meatballs become more compact using flour. This recipe is the basic recipe for Danish meatballs, and the taste fantastic. But you can spice them up by adding different spices like garlic, rosemary, thyme or any other spice you like. 

There are many different ways of serving these simple meatballs. You can serve meatballs with:

• boiled potatoes, brown pan-gravy and pickled red cabbage.

• creamed green cabbage or pointed cabbage

• a cold potato salad

• or served on rye bread as a open-faced sandwich

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 750 g (about 1⅔ pounds) ground pork

• 750 g (about 1⅔ pounds) ground veal

• about 50 g (about ½ cup) rolled quick oats

• 2 eggs

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped or grated

• ⅓ cup milk

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• pepper

• olive oil for frying

Directions:

Mix the meat with salt.  Divide the meat in quarters, lift one quarter up unto the other quarters. Fill the missing quarter with rolled oats (about 50 g or ½ cup). Put in finely chopped or grated onions, the eggs, milk and pepper and mix until you have a cohesive meat mixture.  Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in the skillet.

How to make the meatballs taken from my lamb meatball post.

Forming the meatballs dip a tablespoon in the oil and scoop up a good spoonful meat. Use the hand and the spoon to form the meatball.  The meatball should be oval an the size of a small egg. Placed the meatball in the skillet, repeat until you have a full skillet. Be careful not to let the meatballs touch each other.

Fry the meatball for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side until they are well-browned and no longer pink in the center. Depending how big the meatballs are and how hot your pan is the time may varies.  When done remove the meatballs and set aside.

If you have a more meat mixture in the bowl, clean the skillet with a kitchen towel and add new butter and fry another batch.

Serve the warm meatballs. 

Enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I have been experimenting with stuffing chicken breasts for years. I wanted to stuff cheese and some kind of vegetables. Most cheeses will melt and disappear during the cooking process, but somehow goat cheese works perfectly, and the flavors from the scallions and bell peppers pair well with the chicken and sage.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons goat cheese
• 5 scallions, finely sliced
• ¼ red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2-4 sage leaves
• 6 slices prosciutto
• 100 ml white wine
• a splash cream, optional

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Mix the goat cheese with scallions, bell pepper and water, so you have a paste. Place a chicken breast on the cutting board. Cut a pocket into the breast horizontally from the side. Place half the cheese mixture into the pocket you just made. Place a sage leave on top of the chicken breast. Wrap 2-3 slices prosciutto round the chicken breast, to lock the mixture inside. Place chicken breast in an ovenproof dish. Repeat with the other chicken breast.

Pour the wine and cream into the dish, and cook the chicken in the oven for 40-45 minutes. 

Serve the chicken with pasta and a nice salad.

Enjoy!

Ginger Chicken

Ginger Chicken

I love clean thai dishes with few ingredients and this it a hit in my book. The ginger is a lovely bright flavor and it pairs perfect with the oyster sauce and the chicken.  It will be back on the menu in my house again soon. Nadia you are a star.

Recipe adapted from Foodfanatic Thai.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced 

• 250 g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1-2 onions, depending on size, cut into small wedges

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 40 g ginger, cut in thin sticks

• 100 ml (about ½ cup) oyster sauce 

• 100 ml (about ½ cup) chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon palm sugar, or regular sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

• oil for frying

• 5 scallions, sliced

• 1 chili, thinly sliced for topping

Directions:

Wash and slice all the ingredients, so you have everything ready to go in the wok/pan. 

Heat oil in a wok, add the garlic just to get fragrant a few seconds, then brown the chicken, while stirring. Add the onions and cook until almost translucent, it takes a few minutes. Add, mushrooms, ginger, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, fish sauce and stock. Cook for a few minutes until all the ingredients are tender and the chicken is just done. Finally add the scallions, and let then just warm before serving. 

Serve the ginger chicken over rice or cauliflower rice, sprinkle with chili to add some heat.

Enjoy!