Nordic Salmon Soup/Chowder

Lohikeitto (Finland), Fiskesuppe (Norway), Laxsoppa (Sweden), and Fiskisúpa (Iceland) are all Nordic creamy salmon and potato soups or chowders. This is a simple warming meal in a bowl that takes just over 30 minutes to cook.  I based my recipe on an online recipe for Lohikeitto, and added extra potatoes to make this into a simple dinner for 4.

Serves 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 leeks, washed and sliced

2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

1kg potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed 

1 litre fish or vegetable stock

400g salmon, skinned and cut into large chunks

200ml double cream (I only had 100ml hence mine not looking very creamy)

Small bunch of dill, finely chopped (didn't't have any but would definately add it next time)

Sweat the leeks in the olive oil in a large covered pan over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time.

When the leeks have wilted down to half their size at the start (about 20 minutes), add the carrots. Sweat in the covered pan for a couple of minutes whilst you chop the potatoes. 

Add the chopped potatoes, garlic, and stock which needs to just cover the potatoes.  Put the lid back on the pan, bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are cooked through stir in the cubed salmon, cover and simmer for 5 minutes to cook the salmon.  When the salmon is cooked, pour in the cream and chopped dill.  Heat the creamy soup gently and remove from the heat when it is steaming but not boiling.  

Serve.

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Swedish Cardamon Buns

Just like Cinnamon Buns, but with ground cardamon. Surprisingly easy, even the plaiting.

I've taken the Richard Bertinet's Cinnamon Bun recipe I first used a couple of months ago, and halved the quantity so it made 12.

Makes 12 buns

For The Dough;
100g Full Fat Milk
1 Medium Eggs
300g Strong White Bread Flour
6g dried quick yeast
25g Caster Sugars

100g Salted Butter (at room temperature)

For The Filling;

75g Salted Butter (at room temperature)

125g Soft Brown Sugar

1 tsp ground cardamon or crushed seeds from 35 cardamon pods

For The Egg Glaze;

1 Egg

Start by making the dough. Put the milk and eggs into the bowl of a food mixer (I used a bread machine on dough cycle instead), add the flour, then the yeast to one side of the bowl, and the salt and sugar and butter to the other side of the bowl

Mix on a slow speed for 4 minutes then increase the speed to medium and mix for a further 10-12 minutes until the dough comes away cleanly from the side of the bowl. Or just leave the dough cycle on your bread machine to run. Mine is 45 minutes long, including proving time.

If using a food mixer, form the dough into a ball and pop into a clean floured bowl. Cover and leave for around 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

For the filling, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and stir in the cardamon. Spread the filling over the top of the dough (if softening the butter in the microwave, take care not to let it melt too much - mine was a little sloppy to work with and oozed out of my rolls when twisting).

Roll out the pastry to a rectangle roughly 35 x 45cm, with the longer edge facing you. Spread the cardamom butter over the surface, right to the edges. Fold the top third down to the middle and the bottom third up, like an envelope, so you have three layers of dough. Score, then cut into 12 equal strips, measuring about 3.5 x 11cm each. 

If you're able to plait, make 3 cuts down strips leaving 1 cm uncut at the top. Take each plait and roll it up along its length starting from the cut end then place, uncut end down, in a greased 12 cup muffin tray. I used silicone muffin cases to save greasing. If you can't plait, cut each strip into 2 and twist instead of plait. Cover and allow to prove for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the knots with the egg glaze and sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

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