Nordic recipes

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: These are a Swedish specialty, particularly good in the summer with new potatoes still in their skins. Adapted slightly from "The Nordic Cookbook," by Magnus Nilsson.

• 1 3/4 lb. potatoes, skins on or off (about 16 small to medium new potatoes)

• Salt

• 3 1/2 tbsp. butter

• 3 tbsp. flour

• 1 c. milk

• White pepper

• Freshly grated nutmeg, optional

• 1 good bunch dill, fronds picked and stalks finely chopped

• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Directions

To prepare béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in small pot over medium heat. Remove pot from heat and whisk in flour. Return pot to medium heat, gradually whisk in all the milk and cream, making sure the sauce is smooth between each addition. Season with salt.

Lower heat, cover pot and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and not run off. Season with more salt if necessary, then add pepper and nutmeg, if using. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk. If it is too runny, simmer for a bit longer.

To finish the dish: Add the potatoes to the sauce. Stir carefully from time to time, while heating the mixture over a low heat. Make sure the sauce doesn't burn, but also take care not to break up the potatoes too much.

Once the potatoes are hot enough, and just before serving, add the dill and season well with salt and quite a bit of white pepper.

Tester's notes: We used red new potatoes, with the skins, and cut them into a 1/2-inch dice. This dish is reminiscent of a warm potato salad.

Calories245Fat12 gSodium420 mgSaturated fat7 g

Carbohydrates31 gTotal sugars5 g

Protein5 gCholesterol35 mgDietary fiber3 g

Exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 2½ fat.

Makes 4 to 6.

• 3/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 5 eggs

• Good pinch salt

• 2 c. milk, divided

• Butter, for frying

Directions

Combine flour, eggs, salt and 1 cup milk in a mixing bowl, and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the remaining 1 cup milk, whisking continuously.

Heat a little butter in a frying pan or skillet and add 1/4 or 1/6 of the pork or bacon (depending on how many you are making). Fry until it starts to brown a little. Ladle in 1/4 to 1/6 of batter. Fry pancake until underside is golden, then turn and fry on other side. Keep warm while you fry the remaining pancakes with additional butter and pork or bacon, and serve with your choice of accompaniments.

Tester's notes: These are big pancakes, made from a thin batter that will expand to take up the entire pan, so these pancakes can only be made one at a time. Make sure the pancake is very firm before you flip it because it easily can break. We used a 10-inch skillet. How thick these pancakes end up, and the resulting cooking time, will depend on the size of the skillet you use and the amount of batter. Nilsson prefers to use cake flour rather than all-purpose. These taste more similar to the crêpe-like Swedish pancake than the traditional pancake found at a diner.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Carbohydrates16 gTotal sugars3 g

Protein10 gCholesterol210 mgDietary fiber1 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 1 medium-fat protein, 9 fat.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: While this is eaten throughout the Nordic countries, it is in Finland where the dish is most common and cherished. If you don't have something to grind the allspice or peppercorns, place them on a cutting board and, with a sturdy knife, press hard on them until crushed. From "The Nordic Cookbook," by Magnus Nilsson.

• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 in. slices

• 2 onions, cut into wedges

• 2 bay leaves

• 10 allspice berries or black peppercorns, ground (see Note)

• 1 1/4 c. cream

• About 1 lb. salmon fillet, cut into 1-in. cubes

• 1 bunch dill, fronds picked and stalks finely cut, for sprinkling.

Directions

Put the potatoes, carrots, onions, bay leaves and allspice into a large pot, and add enough water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cream and salt to taste.

Continue simmering until potatoes are almost done, then add the salmon to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning one last time, then remove the pot from the heat and leave the salmon to sit in the hot liquid for a few minutes until just done. You mustn't stir the soup any more after adding the salmon.

Tester's notes: We used Yukon Gold potatoes, which hold their shape nicely, and about 8 cups water to simmer them in.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Calories350Fat12 gSodium640 mgSaturated fat5 g

Carbohydrates41 gTotal sugars6 g

Protein22 gCholesterol62 mgDietary fiber6 g

Makes 24 (2-inch) meatballs.

Note: This is classic Danish comfort food, usually served with white rice. The curry sauce is common throughout the Nordic countries and served with everything from chicken or beef to eggs from sea birds. It's really only a cream sauce flavored with a very mild yellow curry powder from the supermarket. Adapted slightly from "The Nordic Cookbook," by Magnus Nilsson.

• 1 lb. minced ground pork or veal

• 1 onion, grated, or finely chopped

• 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided

• 1 egg

• Salt and white pepper to taste

• 1 3/4 tbsp. butter

• 2 tbsp. curry powder

• 3/4 c. cream

To make the meatballs: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the meat, onion, 3 tablespoons flour, 1/3 cup milk, egg, and salt and pepper to taste. You need to add quite a bit of salt from the start to facilitate this [we used 1/2 teaspoon]. Mix this together until dense and well combined.

Bring pot of water to boil and start shaping the meat into suitably sized meatballs dropping them into the water one by one as you finish shaping them. Simmer the meatballs until done [about 10 minutes for a 2-inch meatball; check with a thermometer to make sure it's 160 degrees]. Lift them out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving plate.

To make the curry cream sauce: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the curry powder and stir for a minute to warm through. Add 1 tablespoon flour and stir for a few minutes. Add cream, whisking so that no lumps form. Whisk in 3/4 cup milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until it reaches the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To complete: Pour the hot sauce over the hot meatballs just before serving them.

Tester's notes: We made these meatballs from pork and they were incredibly tender, with a simple curry sauce that we will definitely be using for other protein.

Calories290Fat20 gSodium120 mgSaturated fat9 g

Carbohydrates10 gTotal sugars5 g

Protein19 gCholesterol105 mgDietary fiber2 g