150 g/5½ oz. (drained weight) plain pickled herring
2 tablespoons Swedish wholegrain mustard (or a grainy sweet mustard will work)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon caster/granulated sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons double/heavy cream
1 tablespoon crème fraîche/sour cream
1 small shallot, finely chopped
100 ml/⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sunflower or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
rye bread or crisp bread, to serve
Serves 4
Drain the herring and discard the brine and any onion bits.
In a bowl, mix everything together except the oil, herbs and herring. Slowly pour in the oil while beating continuously so that the sauce emulsifies.
Stir in the herbs, then the herring. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to marinate, then serve with rye bread or crispbread.
1 whole salmon fillet, about 600 g/1¼ lbs., skin on
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon caster/granulated sugar
a handful of dill, torn into small sprigs
2 tablespoons Cognac (optional)
Makes 1 whole salmon gravad lax
Place the fillet on a large sheet of greaseproof/wax paper, skinside down. Sprinkle the salt and sugar evenly over the surface. Scatter the dill on top. Drizzle over the Cognac, if using.
Wrap the paper very tightly around the salmon. Take another sheet of greaseproof/wax paper and wrap that tightly around the salmon too. Place on a dish, skinside down, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn over after 12 hours.
For two open sandwiches spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise over 1 slice of rye bread, sliced in half. Top with 50 g/1¾ oz. thinly sliced Gravad Lax, 4 very thin slices of cucumber and a small handful of roughly chopped dill.
50 ml/3½ tablespoons mayonnaise
100 ml/⅓ cup crème fraîche/sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
3 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
½ red apple, cut into small cubes
150 g/5½ oz. (drained weight) onion-pickled herring, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
chopped red onion and whole dill sprigs, to garnish
Serves 4
In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, crème fraîche/sour cream and mustard. Add the honey, salt and pepper and lemon juice and then fold in the chopped chives and dill. Finally, add the apple and then the herring at the end.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavours mingle. Garnish with chopped red onion and dill sprigs.
200 g/1 cup uncooked black rice
1 cucumber
1 green apple
1 shallot, finely chopped
squeeze of lemon juice
1 bunch of dill, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint (optional)
150 g/5½ oz. hot-smoked salmon
DRESSING
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons good-quality olive or rapeseed/canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (plus extra as needed)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Serves 4 or 6–7 as a side
Rinse the black rice a few times, then bring to a boil in a large pan of water. Cook until al dente following the package instructions (it can take about 30 minutes to cook, a bit like brown rice). Once cooked, rinse well to remove the excess colour. Drain and let cool.
Slice the cucumber lengthways, then scrape out the seeds and chop into 5-mm/¼-inch pieces. Chop the apple into similarly sized small pieces. Add the cucumber, apple and shallot to a serving bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the apple fresh. Add the cooked and cooled black rice, dill, parsley and mint, if using. Flake in the salmon and mix gently to combine everything together.
Beat together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir. Do adjust the seasoning once you have done this – it may need more lemon juice or even a squeeze of lime (this depends on the saltiness of the fish and the sweetness of the apple you have used).
500–600 g/about 1¼ lbs. cooked skin-on new potatoes, cold and cut into bite-sized pieces
CREAMY DRESSING
75 g/⅓ cup natural/plain Greek-style yogurt
75 g/⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 spring onions/scallions, sliced
50 g/⅓ cup chopped pickled cucumber/dill pickles
6–7 radishes, sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Serves 4 as a side
Mix everything together, cover and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavours to mingle before serving. If you need more zing, add pickle juice or lemon juice.
100 g/7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
85 g/scant ½ cup caster/superfine sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
100 g/¾ cup plain/all-purpose flour
60 g/½ cup wholemeal rye flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
FILLING
100 g/⅓ cup crème fraîche
150 ml/⅔ cup sour/soured cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
40 g/3 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 g/1¾ cups blueberries
a 24-cm/9½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable base, greased
Serves 6–8
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.
Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until well mixed. Gradually add the egg, mixing well. Tip in the flours and baking powder and mix again until a dough has formed.
Transfer the dough to the prepared tart pan and push and press it into the pan until the bottom and sides are evenly covered with a neat layer of dough.
To make the filling, put the crème fraîche, sour/soured cream, egg, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into the pastry case/shell, then scatter the blueberries into the tart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the filling has set and the pastry is golden brown.
1 bunch of dill
1 teaspoon white sugar
350 ml/1½ cups vodka, plus extra to taste
a large sterilized Mason/Kilner jar and glass bottle
a coffee filter
Makes around 350 ml/12 fl oz.
Blanch the dill in boiling water for a few seconds, then shake dry and add to the jar (blanching fresh herbs before adding gives a stronger taste).
Add the sugar, then top up with vodka and stir. Seal the jar and let stand at room temperature for 5–6 days.
Strain through the coffee filter to remove the dill. Decant into the bottle and keep for another month before topping up with more vodka to taste. Serve chilled in shot glasses.
