Are you looking for ideas for delicious dishes? We are happy to help with numerous suggestions for Scandinavian Christmas recipes. These delicious dishes are a very special treat, from appetizers to desserts, and can be put together to create a sophisticated Christmas menu. Surprise your family and friends with highlights from your neighbors' kitchen. Alternatively, you can give the traditional Christmas menu a fresh twist with a new starter or dessert. Be inspired by the numerous ideas for quick three-course menus.
The Christmas menu begins with a traditional recipe that is very popular in many Scandinavian countries and is usually a must at the festive table. The tender cured salmon with dill dip (also known as Gravlax) is an absolute classic and is usually served as an appetizer. If you are expecting more than 15 guests, you can also garnish the cold dish on bread as an appetizer. Here comes the basic recipe:
Ingredients for the pickling mixture:
3 beets, peeled and roughly diced
Lemon peel from 3 lemons, finely grated
3 juniper berries, pressed
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1/2 cup sea salt
50 ml Gin
Salmon
Salmon fillet, fresh, with a high fat content
Dill, finely chopped
Violation
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup spelled flour
2 THE Sesamsamen
3 The Leinsamen
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
Dill Dip
200 ml sour cream
1/2 tbsp lemon peel, grated
1 tsp horseradish
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
Preparation:
1. Put all the ingredients for the pickling mixture in a bowl and stir in.
2. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and place the salmon, skin side down, in the center. Spread the pickling mixture over the fish fillet. Make sure that the salmon is completely covered.
3. Wrap the salmon tightly with cling film and leave in the fridge for 72 hours.
4. After 72 hours, carefully remove the fish and wash it under cold water. Pat the salmon dry and wrap it again in foil. Store in the refrigerator for a maximum of 5 days.
5. For the bread, knead all the ingredients using the dough hook of the hand mixer. Roll out the finished dough 2mm thick, cut into triangles and place on baking paper. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 160 degrees.
6. Prepare the dip and leave it in the fridge for an hour. Sprinkle the fish with the spices, cut into very thin slices and serve with the bread chips and dip.
Salad with apple and white cabbage
Of course, a delicious and healthy salad should not be missing at the table.
Ingredients for 8 servings:
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 white cabbage, small head
1 green apple
1 cup kale leaves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Pepper, freshly ground
Sea salt
Preparation:
1. Place the cumin seeds in a saucepan, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and toast over medium heat for a minute, stirring constantly.
2. Place all other ingredients in a large bowl, stir, add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the caraway seeds.
Fluffy cats
The so-called Lussekatters (Lucia's cats) are actually bread rolls and come from Sweden. They are named after Saint Lucia, who wandered through the city on the longest night of the year bringing bread and wine to the poor people.
Ingredients:
45g yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
3.5 g Safran
1 cup butter, melted
900 g Flour
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup raisins
For decoration:
44 raisins
1 No
Preparation: Crumble the yeast in a bowl and mix with the lukewarm water. Season with the saffron and stir until the mixture turns yellow. Add the melted butter. In another bowl, stir in the flour, salt, sugar and raisins. Add the solution with the yeast and knead the mixture into a dough. The dough should be shiny and not sticky. Then place it in a bowl, cover it with a cloth and let it rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
Take the dough, knead it, roll it out, divide it into pieces and form each piece into a Lucia bun. Place a raisin in the center of each circle in the bread. Place the rolls on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes until the rolls have doubled in size. Whisk the egg and brush it on the rolls. Bake at 250 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Cocktail with vodka as a welcome drink
Welcome guests with a Scandinavian cocktail!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp cane sugar
3/4 cup cranberries
4 cups sparkling water
2 cups of aquavit or vodka
Lemon slices for each glass
Preparation: Add sugar and warm water to a water jug or glass teapot and stir well until the sugar dissolves. Squeeze the cranberries and add the juice. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the aquavit and sparkling water and add. Serve each cocktail with a slice of lemon.
Meatballs with wine and lemon as the main course
Meatballs are the perfect main course in the Swedish Christmas menu. They can easily be divided into equal portions, are tasty, filling and ideal for a party with many guests as well as for a family celebration in a small circle.
Ingredients:
500g minced meat
100 g bread, dry or breadcrumbs
100 g Milch
100 g Parmesan, grated
4 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped
Garlic clove, pressed
50 ml high fat cream
Nutmeg, grated
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
12 slices of lemon
4 bay leaves
300 ml white wine
Preparation: Soak the dry bread in milk, put it in a bowl together with the minced meat and the pressed garlic clove. Season with nutmeg and parsley, season with salt and knead everything in. Form equal-sized meatballs from the mixture and place them on a baking tray. Spray with olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for 15 minutes. Take out the baking tray, add the white wine and the bay leaves, dissolve the cream in the lukewarm water and add it. Garnish the meatballs with the grated Parmesan. Bake at 160 degrees for 2 hours.
The glazed honey ham gets a spicy note from Worcestershire sauce, which makes it a festive highlight.
Ingredients:
1.5 kg cured ham roast
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 Tasse Worcestershire Sauce
1 bunch of soup greens
4 cloves
Preparation:
Place the roast in a pot with the greens and cloves and bring to the boil. Then let it simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, melt the butter and thyme in a saucepan. Then cut the ham crosswise, place it on a baking tray and cover with baking paper. Cook at 160 degrees on the second shelf for 1 hour 45 minutes.
Bring the apple cider vinegar to the boil in a small saucepan and reduce to 1 tbsp. Remove from the heat and mix with the honey, Worcestershire sauce and butter with thyme. Mix the mixture well. After 1 hour 45 minutes of cooking, remove the roast from the oven and remove the baking paper. Brush the ham with half of the honey glaze and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove, brush the roast with the second half of the glaze and grill at 220 degrees until golden brown.
Side dish of potatoes and goat cheese
Kransekage tower cake: recipe for the delicious Danish pastry
The traditional Danish Kransekage tower cake is a pastry made from marzipan that not only tastes good, but also has an impressive look. Whether as a dessert at the New Year's Eve party buffet or as a wedding cake - it ensures a WOW effect on every festive table. We'll show you a recipe
Both the glazed honey ham and the meatballs go great in combination with a hearty side dish of potatoes and goat cheese.
Ingredients:
800g potatoes
400 g soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons rosemary, freshly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Almonds, baked (for garnish if desired)
Cut the potatoes into thin slices. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the potatoes on it. Drizzle with olive oil, season with rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the potatoes turn golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Grate the goat cheese. Then turn over, spread the cheese over the potatoes and cook until they turn golden brown on this side too. Garnish with almonds if desired and serve as is.
Serve Glögg with the main course
The Scandinavian version of mulled wine is made from red wine and vodka. We offer you a recipe where the vodka is replaced with brandy. Depending on your personal taste, you can also buy aquavit instead of brandy.
Ingredients:
1 bottle of port wine
1 Wood Flask
1/2 bottle of red wine, dry
1 bottle of sherry, dry.
100 g vodka/ aquavit/ corn/ brandy
2 cinnamon sticks
20 cloves
15 cardamom capsules
220g sugar
1 cup raisins
1 cup blanched almonds
Preparation: Put all the ingredients except the brandy, raisins and almonds in a pot and heat slowly. Place the sugar in a separate pot. For example, heat the brandy with the steam jet from the coffee machine, then light it with a match and add it to the sugar. Delete with the wine. Garnish the very alcoholic drink with the raisins and almonds and serve to the guests.
Danish dessert: Finally, impress the guests with delicious rice pudding
Diefirst dessertcomes from Denmark and is called rice pudding. Combined with sliced almonds, cherries or cranberries and cream, it becomes a sweet temptation. And if the guests get bored, you can pass the time with a fun game. A whole almond is hidden in a jar and whoever finds it will be rewarded.
Ingredients:
200 g Reis
800 ml milk
50g powdered sugar
1 Vanilla extract
75 g almonds, whole
300 ml double cream
Place the rice in a double-bottomed pot and add the milk. Add the vanilla extract and stir in all the ingredients. Cook over medium heat for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. Then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, mix the double cream with the almonds. Garnish the rice with the cream and almonds and possibly spread cherries or seasonal berry jam over it.
Serve Swedish gingerbread with coffee
The next recipe for gingerbread is extremely simple:
1 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups flour
2 THE Natron
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp ginger, freshly ground
1 1/2 tbsp Nutmeg
1 EL Cayenne Pfeffer
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 No
2 EL Surip (zB: vom Ahorn)
1 EL Wasser
Preparation: First mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, mix butter and sugar, then beat and add the egg, stir in the syrup, add water. Whisk until fluffy. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, knead into the dough and leave under cling film in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours. Then preheat the oven to 180 degrees, take 1/4 of the dough, flour the work surface and roll out the dough on it. Cut out stars with the cookie cutter, place on baking paper and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The cookies are ready when they turn golden brown. Serve the cookies with tea or coffee. According to Swedish tradition, 7 different cookies are served as a bedside table at Christmas. No more, then it looks exaggerated. But not less so that the host doesn't look lazy. We have already given you many other ideas for gingerbread, if you wish you can combine one of the other recipes with this one to follow the rule of sevenTypes of cookiesto keep.
Regardless of whether Christmas is celebrated with close friends and family or many guests are invited to the party: a delicious Christmas menu ensures a good mood. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a complicated and elaborate dish, as these Scandinavian Christmas recipes clearly prove. It is much more important to have a uniform concept. If around 10 guests are expected, you can cook dishes in a pot with tasty sauce for all of them. In any case, if more than 10 guests come to visit, then setting up a Christmas buffet makes more sense. Starters, appetizers, appetizers and the like play the main role. Think about the quickest way for guests to have access to all the delicacies and how you can serve them. Meatballs, potatoes and rice pudding are much quicker to divide into individual portions. This way, as the host, you will always have an overview if something comes to an end.
