Louisiana Eats: A Region of Extremes — Nordic Culinary Traditions
On this week's show, we voyage to the Land of the Midnight Sun and explore Nordic culinary traditions. To begin our journey, we visit with Chef Magnus Nilsson, the genius behind Fäviken, a world renowned restaurant in a far-flung farming region of Sweden.
Chef Magnus Nilsson at Fäviken in Sweden.
ANDERS CARLSSON / FLICKR
Magnus has taken on the whole of Scandinavia and beyond in his newly-released Nordic Cookbook, an enormous tome that illustrates the way Nordic food traditions emerged from the cold, harsh climate of Northern Europe.
We then hear from culinary academic and nordophile Darra Goldstein, for whom the icy climes of the Nordic region represent warmth and comfort. Darra's close ties to Norse culture inspired her to write about the diverse food that comes from what she calls "a region of extremes" in her latest book, Fire and Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking.
Next, we discuss Sweden's most celebrated export, Absolut Vodka. Carefully hand-crafted and distilled using a secret 100-year-old recipe, Absolut Vodka is much more than what appears in those sleek blue bottles. We speak with Absolut's Miranda Dickson and Jonas Tahlin, who demystify the Absolut Vodka legacy.
Finally, we check in with Michael Bossetta, an old friend and New Orleans expatriate living in Copenhagen. Like any good New Orleans boy, Michael recently brought his friends home for a visit. Michael and his pack of Great Danes stop by our studio and tell us all about bar life in Copenhagen.
The Deep South meets the Far North on this week's Louisiana Eats!
Rakor me krondill - Shrimp In The Style Of Crayfish
From Fire & Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking by Darra Goldstein
Serves 4
3 lbs. jumbo unpeeled shrimp (10/15 count)
6 cups cold water
3 cups stout (or one 22-ounce bottle)
4 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dill seed
8 large flowering crowns of dill
Bring the cold water, beer, salt, sugar and dill seed to a boil in a large stockpot. Drop the shrimp into the boiling brine and immediately turn off the heat. Toss in the flowering crowns of dill, stirring to submerge them, then cover the pot. Let the shrimp sit in the brine at room temperature for 6 - 8 hours. To serve, remove the shrimp from the brine and mound on a large platter.