Salmon Corn Chowder

Salmon Corn Chowder

Dansk udgave

I had my first chowder in San Francisco, it was one of the things you eat as a tourist, and it was so so. I know you can get good clam chowders, but the one I had on Fisherman's Warf, was not one of them. 

Salmon is my go-to fish, and making it to a chowder seemed to be a great idea, the first day the temperature was dropping below the 80's.  

This Chowder is pretty straight forward, a one pot soup, but is packed with great flavors. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 medium leeks

• 2 stalks celery

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 6 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold)

• 3 ears corn kernels

• 1 pound (450 g) salmon filet, skin and bones removed, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes

• 3 thin slices smoked salmon, chopped

• 1 cup (2½ dl) cream, optional, leave out to get a healthier soup

• ½ cup (1¼ dl) white wine

• 4 cups (1 liter) water

• 2 Knorr fish stock cubes

• 1 bay leave

• 1½ teaspoons white pepper, freshly ground

• 1 lemon, zest and juice

• fresh dill for garnish

Directions:

Thinly slice the leeks.  Peel potatoes and cut them into large dices. 

Melt the butter in a thick bottomed pan over medium heat. Sauté the leeks and celery for about 8-10 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally.  Add the wine to prevent browning. 

Add potatoes, white pepper, bay leave, water, and/or stock. Bring the soup to a boil, and reduce the heat, and let the soup simmer for about 10-14 minutes until the potatoes is almost tender. Discard the bay leave.

Blend about ⅔ of the soup including (⅔) potatoes and leeks until smooth*. This makes the soup nice and creamy. Mix the blended soup with the unblended part, with the cream, lemon zest and the corn kernels. Bring the soup to a simmer and add  both types of salmon, and let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes until the fish is cooked. The big chunks will separate somewhat, but thats perfectly fine.

Season the soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Garnish with a few spring of fresh dill.

Enjoy!

*Be careful when blending hot liquids, it can make the lid pop off, and you may risk getting serious burns on you skin. You can remove the small cap on you blender lid and cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel. You need to hold on to the lid and towel. This will let the steam from the hot soup escape and avoid the lid from popping off. You can also get blenders like the Vitamix, where you can blend hot liquids, without any hassle.

The Danish version:

Lakse- og majschowder

4-6 portioner

Ingredienser:

• 3 medium porrer

• 2 stilke bladselleri

• 1 spsk smør

• 6 medium kartofler (ikke nogle der er melede)

• 3 majkolber, kun kernerne

• 450 g laks uden skin og ben, skåret i 5x5 cm tern

• 3 skiver røget laks

• 2½ dl fløde, kan udelades hvis du vil have en sundere suppe

• 1¼ dl hvidvin

• 1 liter vand

• 2 terninger knorr fiske boullion

• 1 laurbærblad

• 1½ tsk hvid peber, friskkværnet

• 1 citron, saft og skal

• frisk dild til pynt

Fremgangsmåde:

Skyl og skær porrerne tyndt. Skræl kartoflerne og skær dem i ca 2x2 cm tern.

Smelt smørret i en tykbundet gryde, og sauter porre og selleri i omkring 8-10 minutter, uden at brune dem. Tilsæt vinen efter de første par minutter, for at undgå bruningen.

Kom kartofler, hvid peber, laurbærblad, vand og boullionterningen i, og lad suppen komme til kogepunktet. Kog suppen i 10-14 minutter indtil kartoflerne er næsten møre. Fjern laurbærbladet.

Blend ca. ⅔ af suppen incl. kartofler og porre*. Det gør suppen bliver dejlig cremet. Bland den blendede suppe med resterne af suppen og kartoflerne. Tilsæt fløde, revet citronskal og majsen, og kog suppen op. Tilsæt begge typer laks  til suppen. Lad suppen simre 3-5 minutter, indtil fisken er færdig. Laksestykkerne vil gå lidt i stykker, men det er helt fint. 

Smag suppen til med salt, peber og citronsaft.

Kom lidt dild oven på suppen, når den serveres.

Velbekomme!

*Pas på med at blende den varme suppe, da det kan give skoldninger, hvis låget hopper af. Man kan evt. tage det lille låg af blenderen og dække hullet til med et viskestykke, men der blendes. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Dansk udgave

First time I encountered a butternut squash was after moving to the US. Every fall I would see piles of this oddly shaped beige vegetable in the grocery store. They were hard like a pumpkin, but didn't look like the pumpkins I knew from back home. Pumpkin was not something we cooked with in Denmark, at least not in my family. My mom had made pumpkin jam and sugar pickled pumpkin, but the recipes is long gone.

I got to taste a butternut squash soup at a friends house one Thanksgiving, and I kinda liked it, but I was on the sweeter side, and as I recall it, it had nutmeg or some warm spices in it. 

I don't have to tell you, but I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I will never pass on a Pumpkin Spice Latte. It must be the coffee that make me love it.

I like a fresher and lighter taste to my butternut squash soup, so I was delighted when I found a soup with few ingredients, including an apple, on CHOW.com.  I made a few changes, and got a crisp fresh butternut squash soup, that even my squash-hating husband liked. He ranked it up with his favorite, spicy peach soup, so I must have hit something right with this soup.

Here is my version:

Serves 4 for dinner or 6-8 for an appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced

• 1 small onion

• 4 fresh sage leaves

• 3 teaspoons chicken paste*

• 4 cups (about 1 liter) water

• 2 teaspoons salt or taste

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or taste

Garnish:

• ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

• ½ leek, thinly sliced

• a few sugar pickled chilies

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220℃). 

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Brush them with about 1 tablespoon of butter all over the cut side. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast squashes for about 50 minutes, until knife tender and browned on the edges.

Melt the remaining butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple and onion, and cook while stirring until softened about 5 minutes. 

When the squash has cooled somewhat, scoop the flesh out with a spoon into the sautéed onions and apples. Discard the skins.

Add chicken paste and water, and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, until the flavors are blended. Season with salt, pepper and fresh sage. 

Purée the soup in batches in a blender** until smooth. (You can also use an immersion blender.) Season with more salt and pepper if needed. 

Serve the soup hot with your favorite garnish and a slice of good bread.

* You can use chicken or vegetable stock instead of the paste and water. 

**Be careful when blending hot liquids, it can make the lid pop off, and you may risk getting serious burns on you skin. You can remove the small cap on you blender lid and cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel. You need to hold on to the lid and towel. This will let the steam from the hot soup escape and avoid the lid from popping off. You can also get blenders like the Vitamix, where you can blend hot liquids, without any hassle.

The Danish version:

Bagt Butternut-Græskar-Suppe

Til 4 personer til aftensmad eller 6-8 personer til forret.

Ingredienser:

• 2 mellemstore butternut græskar, halverede på langs og fjern frøene

• 2 spsk smør

• 1 Granny Smith æble, skrællet og skåret i tern

• 1 løg

• 4 friske salvieblade

• 1 liter kylling eller grøntsagsboullion

• 2 tsk salt, eller efter smag

• ¼ tsk friskkværnet sort peber, eller efter smag

Tilbehør:

• ½ dl ristede græskarkerner

• ½ porre skåret i tynde skiver

• lidt sukkersyltede chilier

Fremgangsmåde:

Opvarm ovnen til 220℃. 

Kom staniol på en bageplde/bradepande, og sæt de flækkede græskar her på, med skærefladen opad. Pensl dem med lidt smeltet smør, og krydder med rigeligt salt og peber. Bag græskarne i ca. 50 minutter, indtil de er møre og brunede i kanten. De er møre, når du let kan stikke en kniv ned i kødet.

Smelt resten af smørret i en stor tykbundet gryde, og sauter løg og æbletern heri indtil de er bløde, ca. 5 minutter. 

Når græskaret er kølet lidt og det er til at håndtere, skrab kødet ud af skallen og ned til løg og æbler. Smid græskarskallerne ud.

Tilsæt bouillonen og kog suppen op. Lad suppen simre i ca. 15 minutter. Krydr med salt, peber og salvie. 

Blend suppen i en blender eller med en stavblender. Pas på med at blende den varme suppe, da det kan give skoldninger, hvis låget hopper af. Man kan evt. tage det lille låg af blenderen og dække hullet til med et viskestykke, men der blendes. 

Smag suppen til med salt og peber en sidste gang, og server den brændvarm med det ønskede tilbehør.

Velbekomme

NB. Man kan få blendere som f.eks. Vitamix, som gør det muligt at blende varme supper uden problemer.

Cold Asparagus Soup

Cold Asparagus Soup

I have always known an asparagus soup as a white hot creamy soup. And there is nothing wrong with the classic soup, not at all. But for me it's more a soup for the winter months. The fine new delicate white asparagus you're able to get in the stores or farmers markets in the spring has a sweet and delicate taste, which is perfect in a cool soup like this. 

Serves 10 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches white asparagus, washed, peeled and sliced, save the tops for later
• 3 leeks, only the white part, washed and sliced
• 750 ml water
• 1 tablespoon chicken paste (I use Better than Bouillon*)
• ¾ cup (1½ dl) white wine, use a non oaky one
• ½ cup (1 dl) dry sherry (I used a cooking sherry)
• 227 g creme fraiche (I used Cowgirl Creamy Creme Fraiche)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt to taste

Toppings:

• dry chorizo, thinly sliced and fried to crispy
• asparagus tops (save some of the tops, and blanch them briefly)

Directions:

Bring water, chicken paste, wine and sherry to a simmer in a medium pot over high heat. Add asparagus and leeks and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 8-12 minutes, for thin to medium thick asparagus. Transfer asparagus and leeks to a blender with a small amount of the liquid. Add the creme fraiche and some of the lemon juice, and blend until smooth. Add more of the cooking liquid if the blended soup is too thick.  Season the soup with salt and lemon juice.

In the leftover cooing liquid, give the asparagus tops a quick blanching. (Bring to a boil, and quickly cool down in ice water.) Put the tops in the refrigerator.

Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

Just before serving fry up the chorizo until crispy.

Serve the soup in small glass bowls with a small amount of topping.

Enjoy.

* I use Better Than Bouillon pastes in my dishes. I think it has a better flavor than the dry bouillon cubes or other brand name stocks. And I think that the paste has seen real ingredients like chicken, beef and vegetables. But I do believe that du get the best flavor by using your own homemade stock. But to be honest, I rarely have time to make homemade stocks. 

Inspired by "Spise med Price"

The Danish version:

Kold aspargessuppe

10 portioner som forret. 

Ingredienser:

• 2 Bundter hvide asparges, vaskede, skrællede, gem toppene til senere.
• 3 porrer, kun den hvide del, vaskede og skivede
• 750 ml vand
• 1 spsk kyllinge pasta eller en hønsebouillonterning
• 1½ dl hvidvin
• 1 dl tør sherry 
• 227 g creme fraiche (minimum 18%, men helst 38%)
• 2 spsk citronsaft
• salt efter smag

Toppings:

• chorizo, tyndskåret og stegt sprød
• aspargestoppe (blancheret kort)

Fremgangsmåde:

Kog vand, bouillon, vin og sherry op i en gryde sammen med de skrællede asparges (minus hovederne) og porrer. Kog indtil aspargesne er møre, men stadig har lidt bid. ca.  8-12 minutter, alt efter tykkelse. Kom de kogte porrer og asparges over i en blender sammen med lidt af kogelagen, creme fraiche og lidt af citronsaften. Blend det indtil du får en jævn og ensartet suppe. Tilsæt mere af kogelagen, hvis suppen bliver for tyk. Smag suppen til med salt og citronsaft.

I den overskydende kogelage blancheres aspargeshovederne. (De bringes i kog og køles hurtigt ned i isvand.) Kom de blancherede hoveder i køleskabet indtil de skal bruges.

Afkøl suppen i køleskabet i minimum 3 timer før servering, eller natten over.

Lige før suppen skal serveres steges tynde skiver af choizoen til den bliver sprød.

Server suppen i små glasskåle eller glas, og kom lidt aspargeshoveder og choizo på toppen.

Velbekomme!

Lasagne Soup

Lasagne Soup

Lasagne is the ultimate comfort food for me, so why not make the dish into a yummy hearty soup?

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
• 1 large onions, chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 5-6 cups (1½ l) Beef stock (I used leftovers from my beef soup)
• 1 handful pasta (I used  XX)
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping: 

• 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream or creme fraiche
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the beef, breaking it up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. 

Add onions and cook until softened, then add garlic, and spices. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and heat it through, until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves and beef stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. The longer you let it cook, the deeper the flavors become. 

Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Right before serving stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the topping. In a small bowl combine all but the mozzarella, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup in bowls with a dollop of the topping and som sheredded mozzarella on top.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Lasagnesuppe

Ingredienser:

• 2 tsk olivenolie
• 450 g hakket oksekød
• 1 stort løg, groft hakket 
• 4 fed hvidløg, presset
• 2 tsk oregano
• 1 tsk timian
• 1 tsk basilikum
• 1 tsk rosmarin
• ½ tsk chiliflager
• 2 spsk konc. tomatpuré
• 1 dåse hakkede tomater 
• 2½ dl rødvin (behøves ikke, men giver mere dybde i smagen)
• 2 laurbærblade
• 1½ l okseboullion (jeg brugte resterne af min oksekødssuppe)
• 1 håndfuld pasta 
• 1 dl hakket frisk basilikum
• salt og friskkværnet peber, smag retten til

Topping: 

• 240 ml creme fraiche
• 1 dl friskrevet parmesan 
• ¼ tsk salt
• 1 knsp friskkværnet peber
• ½ dl hakket frisk basilikum
• revet mozzarella

Directions:

Varm olien i en tykbundet gryde, og brun det hakkede oksekød heri. Sørg for at kødet bliver findelt, mens det brunes. Tilsæt løg, hvidløg og krydderierne, og steg i et par minutter indtil løgene er blevet bløde. Tilsæt tomatpureen og varm den igennem, til den får en rødbrun farve, Dette tage lidt af syren i tomatpureen.

Tilsæt de hakkede tomater, rødvin, laurbærblade og oksebouillonen. Lad suppen simre i omkring 30 minutter. Jo længre tid den koger, jo dybere bliver smagen.

Kom den ukogte pasta i suppen og kog indtil den er al dente.  Kom den friske basilikum i suppen lige før serveringen. Smag suppen til med salt og peber. 

Mens pastaen koger i suppen, mix toppingen. Bland alt undtagen mozzarellaen  og smag det til med salt og peber.

Server suppen i skåle med en klat topping og revet mozzarella på toppen

Velbekomme!

Koldskål - Cold Sweet Buttermilk Soup

Strawberry Koldskål - Cold Sweet Strawberry Buttermilk Soup

Koldskål, or kærnemælkskoldskål, is a sweet cold soup made from buttermilk. Koldskål is mostly eaten in the summer months. It's normally a dessert, but is also served as a light and fast dinner on a hot day.

My mom made koldskål with eggs, sugar, vanilla and buttermilk, but I make mine without eggs, and I think it's just as good. Sometimes I add some whipping cream to make it more creamy. Serve the koldskål the traditional way with lemon juice, kammerjunker and an iceberg (raw meringue), or with a sprinkle of granola. Koldskål is easy to change up by adding your favorite fruit, I used Strawberries here.

This is my first time making koldskål in my vitamix, and I think I got way to much air incorporated this time, Next time, I'll mix the koldskål at a lower speed, to avoid all the bubbles. 

Ingredients:

• 1 quart buttermilk

• 170 ml (6 fl oz) yogurt with vanilla

• 1 dl whipping cream (optional)

• 1 lemon, the juice of, (I used the juice of 2 meyer lemons)

• 85 g sugar (start with a little less, and add more if needed)

• 1 vanilla pod, the seeds from, or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

For Strawberry koldskål, add 6-12 strawberries.

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until you have a homogenous mixture. Add more sugar and/or lemon juice if needed.

Serve the koldskål cold and with the topping of your liking.

Enjoy!

Koldskål - Cold Sweet Buttermilk Soup