Food / Drink

Danes eat very little beef and a lot of chicken, pork, and fish. In a country surrounded by water, fish is a primary element to their diet. From raw herring drenched in garlic and onion sauce to baked cod, fish is very popular. Boiled potatoes are a mainstay, also. The foods are bland in taste but not unappetizing.

One thing they do well is bake. There is nothing on this planet that can beat the taste of an authentic Danish pastry. Although bakers in the United States make decent imitations, they are nothing like the real thing. Denmark exports butter cookies to the United States. You may have tasted one of these. They are usually sold in blue tins labeled "Danish Butter Cookies."

(NOTE: This is an answer to a question that I wrote for the America Online Knowledge Database.)
Prepared by AACMsSwan, AAC Staff
Use of this material is protected under America Online and other copyright.
Any use of this material must cite AOL's Academic Assistance Center and the author as a source.



Bacon and Egg Cake (Flaeskeaeggekage)

12 slices bacon
6 - 8 eggs
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh chives for garnish (optional)

Fry the bacon in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet until crisp. Drain on
paper towels and crumble. Discard the fat in the skillet and place
half the crumbled bacon in the bottom. Beat together the eggs, flour,
milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into the skillet. Bake in a
preheated 375F (190C) oven until set, 30 to 40 minutes. Garnish with
the remaining bacon and the optional chives. Cut into wedges to
serve. Serves 4 to 6.



Danish Apple Pizza
Servings: 12 to 16 servings

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, separated
1 cup crushed cornflakes
6 medium tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

GLAZE
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 teaspoons hot water

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Combine milk and egg yolk; mix well. Gradually
add to dry ingredients until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for
at least 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of pastry to
fit an ungreased 13-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with cornflakes. Top with
apples. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples. Roll out
remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over apples; cut slits in top.
Seal pastry and flute edges if desired. Brush with beaten egg white.
Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Bake at 3500F for 40 to 45
minutes or until golden brown. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar,
vanilla, and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over
pizza.

Source: http://www.recipegal.com/desserts/DanishApplePizza.htm

Danish Apple Cake

Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon butter, melted
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup apple, chopped
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
cinnamon & nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Beat together egg, sugar, vanilla and melted butter (can add up to 3 tbs. melted butter). Stir in sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Add chopped apple, nuts and cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Put in greased pie plate and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Source: http://www.sweetbabymedia.com/recipes/allbynumber1/003628.shtml

Danish Beer Soup
(Ollebrod)

According to the website (http://www.soupsong.com/rbeer1.html), this Danish Beer Soup hits just the spot when you are recovering from a hangover. I don't know about you, but just because this is included on the website, definitely doesn't mean I'll be making it any time soon!

In fact "in medieval times, the Medical School of Salerno was already recommending the hair of the dog:"

Si nocturna tibi noceat potatio vini
Hoc tu mane bibas iterum, et fuerit medicina
or
If an evening of wine does you in,
More the next morning will be medicine.
Serve this belly-calming soup hot to 4-6 people.

Ingredients
8 slices pumpernickel bread
2-3 cups dark ale
1 cup water
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
sugar
whipping cream, plain or whipped

Preparation
Break the bread into small pieces.
Place in saucepan.
Add beer.
Soak for at least 3 hours.


When ready to serve, simmer the soup over low heat until it thickens.
Puree, stirring in the lemon rind and juice, and sweeten to taste.

Return to the saucepan, bring to a boil, then serve immediately.

Garnish with whipped cream.



Danish Rye Bread

This bread does not rise very much. It is a very heavy bread.

7 1/2 cups cold water
1 envelope active dry yeast, softened in 1/2 up warm water and 1 tsp. sugar, for 10 minutes
2 tbsp. salt
2 1/4 lb (1 Kg) dark rye flour (save a little for kneading)
2 1/4 lb. (1 Kg) whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredients. The dough will be sticky. Knead slightly on well-floured board. Form into 3 loaves and put in greased bread pans. Let rise 3 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Source: Fit to Eat (A collection of nutritious recipes for active people).



DANISH SUGAR BROWNED POTATOES

Ingredients
1 lb (small) potatoes
Tablespoons fresh butter
1/4 cup white (granulated) sugar
Salt to season to taste

Preparation
Cook potatoes (in their skins) in salted boiling water until tender, drain and peel.

Place the butter in a frying pan. When butter is melted, add the sugar and cook until this mixture forms a caramel.

Add the skinned potatoes and coat with the caramel.

Sauté 3 to 5 minutes.



Leverpostej ~ Liver Paste

2 T butter 3 flat anchovy fillets, drained
2 T flour 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, thinly-
1 c heavy cream 2 Eggs
1 c milk 1½ tsp salt
1 pound fresh pork liver 3/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 pound fresh pork fat ½ tsp allspice
1 onion, coarsely chopped (½ c) ¼ tsp ground cloves
3/4 pound fresh pork fat, sliced into long, 1/8-inch-thick strips
or sheets

Melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from the heat, and stir in the flour. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil over high heat, beating constantly with a whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick. Let it simmer for a minute, then set aside to cool.

Cut the liver into chunks. Roughly chop the pork fat and mix both with the chopped onion and anchovies. Divide the mixture into thirds. Purée each batch in an electric blender set at high speed, adding enough sauce to keep the mixture from clogging the blender. Transfer each completed batch to a large bowl and beat in any remaining cream sauce. (To make by hand, first have the butcher grind the liver and pork fat together 3 times very fine, then combine with the cream sauce, beating them together thoroughly.)

Beat the eggs well with the salt, pepper, allspice and cloves and mix thoroughly into the liver mixture. The blender mixture will be considerably more fluid than the one made by hand.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 1-quart loaf pan or mold with the strips of pork fat. Arrange the strips lengthwise or crosswise, making sure they overlap slightly and cover the bottom and sides of the pan. If the strips are long enough, let them hang over the sides; otherwise, save enough strips to cover the top. Spoon the liver mixture into the loaf pan and fold the overhanging strips (or extra strips) of pork fat over the top. Cover with a double thickness of aluminum foil, sealing the edges tightly, and place in a large baking pan. Pour into the baking pan enough boiling water to reach at least halfway up the side of the loaf pan, and bake the liver paste in the center of the oven for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and lift off the foil. When it cools to room temperature, re-cover with foil and chill thoroughly. Liver paste may be served in ½-inch-thick slices as a first course, luncheon dish or on bread as smørrebrød.


Red Jelly and Cream
(serves 4-6 people)
Take 250g of raspberries, 250g of red/blackcurrants and wash, top and tail. Put two thirds of the fruit into a saucepan together with 1/4 liter of blackcurrant juice.
Add 80g of sugar, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for about five minutes. Purée the berries using a very fine sieve and return to the pan. Mix 25g of cornflour with 1/8l of cold water, add to the purée and allow to simmer for another three minutes. After a minute or so, add the rest of the berries to the mixture. Pour this jelly mixture into a bowl, leave to cool and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve with cream: either fresh or lightly whipped, according to taste.
Source: http://parleunet.jrc.it/m0059.htm

* Red Fruit Jelly with Cream - Rødgrød med fløde*

1 lb (500 g) red currants
½ lb (250 g) cherries or raspberries
½ lb (250 g) black currants
or make use of all the fruits of the season
5-6 tablesp. sugar
About 1½ pint (3/4 l) water
2½-3 tablesp. corn starch per 1 pint liquid

Wash the berries (there is no need to remove the stalks). Place in
layers in an enamel saucepan, adding just enough water to cover.
Bring slowly to the boil and simmer until the fruit has all broken up
and the juice is dark red in color.
Sieve the juice through a clean, scalded piece of linen or
cheesecloth, pressing as much juice out of the berries as possible.
Measure the juice, boil up and thicken with the required amount of
cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water.
Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with sugar to prevent a skin forming and
serve cold with milk or cream.

 

Links to Danish Cooking Websites

Danish Recipes
http://www.mindspring.com/~cborgnaes/

Danish Rye Bread
BBC Online - h2g2 - Danish Rye Bread - A500482

RecipeSource: Danish Recipes
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/danish/
From one of the best sites I've found for ANY recipes.

Great Danish Recipes from Snyder Web
http://www.snyderweb.com/stones_in_the_web/recipes.htm

Cooking Supplies

Aebleskiver Needle / Booklet (available at http://www.happycookers.com)
A wooden pick, or needle used for turning the aebleskivers while cooking in the aebelskiver pan. The attached booklet has suggestions and ideas for making aebelskiver. The perfect companion for all aebelskiver pans.