Hey everyone! Welcome to 2023.
I just got back from a trip to Norway to visit my partners family. I had a great time eating all of the amazing food. Just a few being cured meats, cheese, pinnekjøtt (salted sheep ribs), skoleboller, vafler, lumpe shawarma, fiskesuppe, reindeer, surpølse (nose to tail soured sheep sausage) and more!!
Before arriving to Norway I tried to learn as much norwegian as I possibly could. But you can only learn so much when using duolingo or other language apps. I was nowhere near prepared enough to engage in conversation with people. In Norway most of this generation and our parents generation know english, which makes it easier for the most part. But once a couple glasses of akvavit go down the norwegian comes in strong. It is such a beautiful language and I was able to pick up on a lot more after hearing my inlaws family talking.
My solution to learning norwegian is going to be through cooking! I picked up some incredible cookbooks on my journey. I also got gifted the most beautiful cast iron vafler iron so i can make tasty treats at home without the use of electricity!! I thought I would share some of my favorite foods from my travels from these books.
While I was wandering Oslo I stumbled across Godt Brød. They made the most amazing chai tea with steamed milk and little did I know that they had their own cookbook!! I am enthralled, the staff was super friendly and were equally excited as I was about learning norwegian though recipes.
Baking videos - https://www.godtbrod.no/Bakerensvarer/Bakevideoer
Main website - https://www.godtbrod.no/
Location I went to - https://www.godtbrod.no/Bakeverksted/MunchBrygge
My favourite recipe is from a book I found when I visited Røros! I toured their copper mine museum and found it in their giftshop. It is called Kokebok med tradisjoner fra Rørostraktene og Nord-Østerdalen, written by Else Marie Øvrebø and May Kari Wagenius Distad. There is so many amazing historical recipes in this book which I find incredible. Preserving old (current) norwegian food traditions is so important. I haven't tried making this recipe yet but I did have it at a restaurant in Røros that evening and it did not disappoint!
It is called Surpølse fra Nord-Osterdalen. This is found on Page 124 ( I highly recommend purchasing this book!)
Here is the link to purchase it - https://museumsforlaget.no/produkt/kokebok-med-tradisjoner-fra-rorostraktene-og-nord-osterdalen/
3-4 sauehoder og annet kjøtt fra bein
(4kg kjøtt til sammen)
3/4 kg nyretalg
1kg hele bryggryn
1 L mjølk
4ts salt
2ts malt pepper
2ts malt ingefær
2 ts malt allehånde
2ts tørket timian
10-12 m tarmer
rengjorte tarmer til stapping av pølsene
Sauehodene kløyves og vannes godt ut. Renses og kokes sammen med kraftbein til alt kjøttet slipper beina. Avkjøles litt før alt kjøttet plukkes av og males én gang i kjøttekvern. Byggryn bløtlegges noen timer og kokes i kjøttkrafta, eventuelt tilsett litt søt mjølk. Skal koke inn til en tjukk graut. Tilsett malt kjøtt og talg, og la alt koke noen minutter. Smak til med salt og krydder. En kan eventuelt steke en liten prøvekake av surpølse grauten for deretter å justere med salt og krydder. Deresom grauten er litt tynn, kan man tilsette en liten hvetemjøl-jevning og la den koke litt ekstra. Avkjøl grauten til kroppstemperatur før surmjølka (helst kefir) tilsettes. Det er viktig at ikke massen er for varm når surmjølka tilsettes, for da vil syrningsbakteriene i mjølka bli drept. For sikkerhets skyld kan man tilsette litt 7% eddik i massen. Surpølsemassen stappes i rengjorte tarmer mens den fortsatt er lunken. hver pølse knyttes for i endene med hyssing.
det er greit å være to stykker når man skal stappe surpølse, for <<graten>> avkjøles raskt og kan gjøre stappingen vanskelig.
FORVELLING
Neste trinn i prosessen er forvelling av pølsene. De dyppes et par minutter i kokende kraft eller lettsaltet van for at pølseskinnet skal bli kokt. Pølsene henges så på pølsestenger/treåler oppunder taket på kjøkkenet eller i et annet lunt og rent rom.
TILBEREDNING
Surpølse legges i varm, tørr stekepanne (jernpanne) og stekes i sitt eget fett på begge sider til den blir brun og sprø i skinnet. Må ikke stekes ved for sterk varm, for da vil den sprekke. Serveres rykende varm med kokte mandelpoteter og gjerne litt kålrotstappe.
My partner Scott is obsessed with skoleboller !
Here is a recipe from Bread by Else I really would love to try!!
https://breadbyelise.com/school-buns-skoleboller/
Look forward to next week when I talk about all the amazing pottery I found in Norway!!
Today is going to be my first day back into my studio! I have a bunch of new ideas to share with you all this year and new and wonderful creations! Get a quick studio tour and meet my quails on my youtube !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hFGFKoXMlU&feature=youtu.be