Sweden Archives - International Cuisine

Toast Skagen ( Swedish Prawn Toast)

January 7, 2021 By Darlene at International Cuisine

Toast Skagen is a scrumptious little Swedish appetizer made with prawns or shrimp on toast. It is served with a generous portion of roe or caviar on top which makes it an elegant first course for any occasion. The prawns are supposed to be shelled by hand for the freshest and best flavor. These are quite popular and can be found in many restaurants in Sweden.

This little appetizer was created by a Swedish Chef Tore Wretman, just after the second world war and is named after a Danish fishing port. Toast Skagen is also called Skagenörra. It is super easy to make, simply mix together a few simple ingredients like shrimp or prawns, mayonnaise, sour cream with a bit of lemon, dill and red onions. Seasonings come in many varieties like Tabasco, brandy or grated horseradish which is what I used in these, and they were superb.

I used sour dough bread to make the toast which is simply fried in a little butter until crispy. Of course, you could simply toast it if you don’t want the extra calories. Sometimes they serve this on crispy potato pancakes and served as a light lunch.

Did you know that Stockholm, the capital of Sweden has been called the “Venice of the North”? This is due to the fact that it is built around water with 12 islands and 42 bridges. Some say it is the prettiest capital in the world. If you would like to learn more be sure to check out “Our Journey to Sweden”, there you will also find more authentic Swedish recipes like Swedish meatballs and Kladdkaka, a sticky gooey chocalate cake that I highly recommend.

Craving even more? Be sure to join the culinary and cultural journey around the world, so you don’t miss a thing, it’s free, You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook , Pinterest and youtube to follow along our journey.

Please note that this page contains affiliate links in which I will earn a small commission however, it will in no way affect the price you pay. I thank you for your support!

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5 from 1 vote

Toast Skagan (A Swedish prawn toast appetizer)

A wonderful little appetizer sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Swedish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Refrigeration time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings

Calories 325kcal

Author Darlene at International Cuisine

Ingredients

1/2 cup shrimp peeled and de-veined
1/4 medium red onion diced
1/4 cup dill chopped
1/2 lemon juice of
3 Tbsps Mayonnaise
3 Tbsp Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Horseradish grated
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Slices Sourdough bread cut into thirds or rounds
1 Tbsp Butter
Dill for garnish
lemon slices for garnish
1 jar Caviar/ roe as desired

Instructions

In a bowl gently mix together the shrimp, red onion, dill, mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon juice until well combined.
Add in the horseradish and salt and pepper to taste
Cover and place in refrigerator so flavors can meld together at least 30 minutes.
Cut the bread into the desired form, small toasts or rounds.
In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat and transfer the bread pieces to the pan.
Fry each side until golden brown.
Top each piece of toast with a generous helping of the shrimp mixture and a big dollop of caviar. Garnish with a piece of dill and lemon.

Nutrition

Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)

January 7, 2021 By Darlene at International Cuisine

Swedish Meatballs are considered to be the national dish of Sweden. They are known throughout the world to be a symbol of the country. They are simply delicious! These are made with a sauce and to be honest there is a lot of controversy whether it should be a brown sauce or cream sauce. To me, the cream sauce makes the dish, especially when served with mashed or boiled potatoes.

Lingonberry sauce is somewhat similar to a cranberry sauce and is typically served with the meatballs as well. It isn’t the easiest ingredient to find here in the states, but you can order it here online if you want to be authentic.

The Swedish meatballs are made with a combination of pork and beef and then flavored with seasonings like nutmeg, and allspice. The meatballs get an airiness from day old bread soaked in cream. The meatballs are browned in butter and then finished in the oven.

I did not include a recipe to make mashed potatoes, but they are super easy to makes just boil peeled cut up potatoes until tender, drain and mash with a potato masher, add in some cream or milk and butter with a little salt and pepper. They go perfect with little Swedish meatballs.

Another side dish that is typically served with the meatballs and potatoes is a cucumber salad. The sweet and sour side salad adds a refreshing bite and balance to the meal.

Did you know that the Swedish company Ikea which was founded in 1943 serves an average of 1,836,000 Swedish meatballs daily in its 313 store worldwide? No wonder they are known throughout the world! If you would like to learn more about this intriguing nation, be sure to check out “Our Journey to Sweden” to learn more. There you will also find more authentic Swedish recipe like Toast skagen and Kladdkaka to name a few.

Please note that this page contains affiliate links in which I will earn a small commission however, it will in no way affect the price you pay. I thank you for your support!

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5 from 2 votes

Swedish Meatballs (Kottbullar)

The national dish of Sweden

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Swedish

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings

Calories 526kcal

Author Darlene at International Cuisine

Ingredients

2 pieces day-old white bread crumbled
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon butter plus 1 tablespoon butter divided
1 small onion minced
2/3 pound ground beef
1/3 pound finely ground pork
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg
1/4 cup beef stock

Brown Gravy

2 tablespoons Swedish meatball pan drippings
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
4 ounces sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350º F
Place the bread and cream in a small bowl, mix, and let stand about 10 minutes until absorbed.
Melt the teaspoon of butter in a large, shallow skillet and cook the onion for approximately 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
Transfer browned onion to a large mixing bowl and add the meats, brown sugar, salt, spices, and egg, then mix until nearly combined.
Add the moistened bread and mix gently until combined.
Melt the tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat.
Form meatball mixture into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and cook in batches until the outsides are evenly browned, approximately 5 minutes. The meatballs will still be pink inside.
Transfer to a baking dish when browned and add more butter to the skillet as needed to cook all of the meatballs.
Pour 1/4 cup of broth into the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes, until the meatballs are fully cooked and tender.
Transfer meatballs to a serving dish and pour gravy over (recipe follows).

Brown Gravy

After making the Swedish meatballs, transfer their drippings to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until light gold in color, then slowly pour in stock while whisking constantly.
Simmer the gravy until thick, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Just before serving the meatballs, stir in the sour cream.
Serve warm with mashed or boiled potatoes, lingonberry sauce and Swedish cucumber salad.

Nutrition

Swedish Cucumber Salad (Pressgurka)

January 7, 2021 By Darlene at International Cuisine

Swedish cucumber salad called pressgurka is a must-have side dish alongside Swedish Meatballs. This easy to make little side dish adds a sweet and sour balance to the plate that is perfect. The cucumbers are thinly sliced on a mandolin which is perfect for this task. In Swedish, gurka means cucumber and press means to press or squeeze.

After you slice and press the cucumbers to remove the excess liquid, you put them in a sweet and sour mixture. By pressing the cucumbers, you remove excess liquid in the cucumber that then better absorbs the flavors of the pickling juice and is a crispier bite. In Sweden, they use a much more potent vinegar called Attika. You can get the more potent vinegar on-line here. Typically, white vinegar in the states is only 5% whereas the attika pickling vinegar is 24% adding much more acidity.

This Swedish cucumber salad is a crisp and refreshing bite that would be wonderful as a side dish for just about any meal. Recipes differ with what seasonings are added to the pickling juice. The common choices are parsley, caraway seeds, dill, and white peppercorns. I used caraway seeds, and parsley, it was lovely.

Make sure to plan ahead as you will need at least an hour for the cucumbers to sit in the pickling solution before serving.

Did you know that the capital of Sweden, Stockholm is often referred to as “the Venice of the North”? This is because the city is built around water with 12 islands and 42 bridges. Some say it is the most beautiful capital city in the world!

If you would like to learn more about this intriguing nation, be sure to check out “Our Journey to Sweden”. There you can also find more authentic recipes like toast skagen, swedish meatballs and the best gooey chocolate cake called kladdkaka that I have ever had.

Please note that this page contains affiliate links in which I will earn a small commission however, it will in no way affect the price you pay. I thank you for your support!

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5 from 1 vote

Swedish Cucumber Salad

A delcious sweet and sour salad that is always served with their famous meatballs

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Swedish

Prep Time 10 minutes

pickling time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings

Calories 48kcal

Author Darlene at International Cuisine

Ingredients

1 large cucumber
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp vinegar white
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp parsley chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds optional
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Wash and slice the cucumber as thinly as you can or use a mandolin
Put the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt and place a plate with something heavy on it to press the cucumbers. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
While the cucumbers are sitting you can whip up the pickling sauce.
In a sauce pan put all the remaining ingredients except the parsley into the pan and warm up until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from stove and stir in the parsley.
Squeeze or press out any excess liquid from the cucumbers and put the cucumbers in a shallow dish or jar.
Pour over the pickling sauce and put in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving
These will last several days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition

Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate Cake)

January 7, 2021 By Darlene at International Cuisine

Kladdkaka is what the Swedish call a sticky gooey chocolate cake. Honestly, I think it is the best cake I have ever had! To me, it was much more like a brownie than a cake, it had a wonderful thin crust that added just the perfect amount of texture to go with the sticky gooey inside. It was sprinkled with just a bit of powdered sugar and a few raspberries. Truly a heavenly bite.

This cake whips up in a hurry and literally in about an hour you can be enjoying this amazing Swedish dessert. I bet you just might even have everything you need without a special trip to the store. It is made with just 7 ingredients, flour, butter, cocoa powder, salt, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.

In Sweden, they have a tradition called Fika which is a break that occurs two times a day usually for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. It is a time for socializing and especially enjoying a cup of coffee and a pastry or sweet of some type. Kladdkaka is a perfect Fika dessert to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Honestly after I ate my piece, I had to give the rest away, or it would have ended up in my belly. Fair warning!

If you would like to learn more about this intriguing nation, be sure to check out “Our Journey to Sweden”. There you can also find more authentic recipes like toast skagen, swedish meatballs and a sweet and sour cucumber pickled salad called pressgurka.

Please note that this page contains affiliate links in which I will earn a small commission however, it will in no way affect the price you pay. I thank you for your support!

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5 from 1 vote

Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate Cake)

This is one of the most delicious cakes ever! Sticky and gooey on the inside with a little crusty top.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Swedish

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings

Calories 444kcal

Author Darlene at International Cuisine

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter unsalted
6 Tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
1 cup all purpose sifted flour
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar optional for dusting
raspberries optional, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt the butter.
In a bowl mix together the butter, flour, cocoa, sugar and salt
Gently whisk the two eggs and add them to the mixture along with the vanilla. Stir gently until it is all mixed together taking care not to over mix.
Prepare an 8" or 9" cake tin or springform pan. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and then using a bit of butter, grease the top of the paper and sides of the pan, use a bit of cocoa powder to dust over the butter.
Pour the mixture into the dusted pan
Bake for about 25 minutes but do check it after about 20. You want the top firm and the inside gooey but not jiggly.
Let cool for about 30 minutes and then run a knife around the edges and invert on a cake plate if using a tin. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and garnish with a few berries.

Nutrition