Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad.
Cooking smoked trout by the fjord.
Produced by Tellus Works.
Recipes: http://www.scandcook.com
Nettle and Spinach Soup with Smoked Mountain Trout
Nettles and spinach are so healthy you can almost taste the rich flavor of health. Despite their richness on nutrition, nettles are not common in cooking. If you have them in the garden, this is a fine way to get rid of them. Use gloves! Otherwise, you can also use spinach only.
Serves 4
1/2 pound (225 g) smoked trout or salmon, finely sliced)
4 cups (a little less than 1 l) loosely packed nettles
4 cups (a little less than 1 l) loosely packed spinach
1 cup (a little more than 2 dl) heavy cream
1 cup (a little more than 2 dl) chicken stock (or bullion)
½ tablespoon flaky salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
¼ teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
For the nettle and spinach soup:
Remove the stem from the spinach and nettles. Transfer to a medium pot, add stock and cream, and place over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes, until entirely collapsed, and the nettles thoroughly unarmed. Transfer the soup to a blender and pure until smooth. Return to pot and reheat over low heat. Add salt to taste. Transfer to serving bowls, and sprinkle with nutmeg and rosemary.
Using your hands, clean the fish, removing any skin and bone. Cut the fish in bite-sized pieces, and arrange on top of the soup. Drizzle with yoghurt, and serve right away.
How to Smoke your own Trout
If you are smoking your own trout, do not try it at home. Do it outside.
2 medium mountain trout, approximately ½ pound (225 g) each, cleaned
½ tablespoon flaky salt
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 cups (a little more than 2 dl) oak wood shavings (alternatively apple or hickory)
Using your hands, rub the fish with rosemary and salt.
If you have a smoke oven:
Fill the smoke oven with wood shavings, and ignite. Smoke the fish for approximately 20 minutes.
If smoking in a large pot:
This rather unconventional way of smoking works just fine. Use a large pot and a stick.
Attach the fish to the stick, long enough to rest across the top of the pot. Place a large pot over high heat (on a grill or over direct flame), and fill with wood shavings. Hang the fish from the top of the pot, and place the lid carefully on top (you will not be able to cover the pot completely). Let the fish smoke for 20 minutes, and turn of the heat. Leave it for 5 minutes more.
Tags: norway cooking fjord
