Royal Danish Embassy – Washington, D.C.

– History and Background
– Provision of Raw Materials
– Eating Patterns
– Danish Cooking Recipes

The Danish cuisine still contains elements harking back to the time before industrialization, i.e. the time before c. 1860, the age of storage housekeeping with a cuisine based on beer and rye bread, and salted and smoked pork. Among the dishes from those days which are still eaten today are øllebrød (a dish made of rye bread, sugar and non-alcoholic beer), vandgrød (porridge, usually barley porridge, made with water), gule ærter (split pea soup), æbleflæsk (slices of pork with apples fried in the fat), klipfisk (dried cod), blodpølse (black pudding), finker (an approximation to haggis), and grønlangkål (thickened stewed kale).

In the second half of the 19th century, i.e. the age of the cooperative movement, milk and potatoes played a prominent part, and the stove, the mincer and the developing retail trade provided new possibilities for dishes such as roast pork and gravy, boiled cod with mustard sauce, consommé with meat, bread or flour dumplings, rissoles, minced beef patties and other dishes based on minced meat. The same period saw the emergence of many fruit dishes such as rødgrød (thickened stewed fruit), sødsuppe (fruit soup) and stewed fruits, and the range of vegetable dishes was expanded with boiled cabbage in white sauce, red cabbage, pickled beetroot, cucumber salad, and peas and carrots in white sauce.

Great changes and increased choices appeared in the Danish cuisine in the 1960s as a result of increased affluence, internationalization, the advent of self-service in the retail trade, the use of electricity in the kitchen, refrigerators and freezers, and also of the increasing number of women going out to work. American influence is obvious with such dishes as salads, pasta, baked potatoes, barbecue, turkey, and ready-to-eat chicken dishes. Italian cuisine has also established itself with for instance pizzas and a widespread use of tomatoes. Meat consumption has risen dramatically, still with pork as the most common kind of meat. The tendency is towards steaks and to minced meat. Gravy and potato dishes still maintain their place, so that sausages and rissoles are the dishes most frequently seen on Danish dinner tables.

Provision of Raw Materials
Thanks to industrial methods, produce and dishes that were once the preserves of the upper classes have become commonplace. This applies for instance to mushrooms, chicken, caviar (in Denmark usually synonymous with lumpfish roe), smoked salmon, and duck as well as mayonnaise and other cold sauces. Imports and new technology have evened out seasonal differences, so that most foodstuffs are on offer all the year round. At the same time exotic foods such as eggplant, avocado, fresh pineapple, baby maize, Barbary duck breast, courgettes, Chinese prawns, kiwi fruit and peppers have become everyday sights on the Danish table. In the 1980s, meanwhile, a reaction set in against industrialization, the leveling off of seasonal dishes and the influence of the foreign fast food concept: chefs like Erwin Lauterbach and Jan Hurtigkarl have created an original Danish cuisine based on the vegetables and fish that thrive best beneath Danish skies.

Eating Patterns
The pattern of meal times has changed from the five meals a day of pre-industrialized society to the three that are common now. Most people have their midday meal away from home in the form of a packed lunch or a canteen meal. Hot food is eaten in the evening, and most people only have a single course on weekdays. First courses consisting of gruel, fruit soup or porridge are nowadays only eaten by older people. The individualization of meals, such as is known in the USA, has only caught on in Denmark with respect to breakfast; at the evening meal families make an effort to arrange for a family meal prepared at home. Ready-to-eat dishes are mainly used by single people.

Danish Cooking Recipes

Here are some of the favorite dishes in Denmark:
– Open-faced Sandwiches – Smørrebrød
– Some Favorite Danish Dishes
– The ultimate Danish dessert
– … and some other favorites
– Christmas
– New Year’s Eve

Open-faced Sandwiches – Smørrebrød
Danish open-faced sandwiches are usually made with dark rye bread. The bread should be whole grain and as firm as possible. White bread can be used, and may be toasted.

The butter should be fresh, not too hard, and should be spread on the bread in an even layer right out to the edges. Slices of rye bread should be halved before the sandwich food is placed on them. You should have ready all the food you are going to use. The types of sandwich which do not dry so quickly should be done first. Little bits of decoration should be left until last.

A practical tip is to place green, completely dry lettuce leaves under salads, but don’t put lettuce leaves on all kinds of smørrebrød. Vary the kind of greenery with cress, dill, parsley, cucumber, chives, or finely sliced rings of green and red pepper.

Practically all kinds of leftovers can be used on a sandwich: cold ham with a fried egg, cold roast pork with beets or red cabbage, roast beef with tartar sauce and fried onions, meatloaf with cucumber salad, cold sausages with scrambled eggs. In short, the combinations are endless and with a little imagination it is very easy to make smørrebrød.

But please do remember – they are called open-faced sandwiches because they really are open, so please don’t spoil your beautiful creation by putting a piece of bread on top.

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* Rye-bread – rugbrød

3 ½ oz (100 g) yeast 1 pint (5 dl) buttermilk 3-4 tablesp. (1 dl) water About 1 3/4 lb (850 g) rye flour

1 teasp. salt

All the ingredients should be at room temperature before baking.

Heat the buttermilk and water until lukewarm (35° C), stir in the yeast and gradually add the salt and flour. Knead until smooth and shiny, adding a little more water if necessary. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 2 hours with no draft.

When risen, knead lightly, transfer to a greased form and set aside for 1 hour to rise again, covering with a damp cloth. Brush with water and bake at 400° F (200o C) for about 1 1/4 hr, brushing now and again with water during the baking.

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* Curry Herring – Karrysild

4 marinated whole herrings 2 hard-boiled eggs 1 chopped onion 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablebsp. cream 2 teasp. curry powder lemon juice salt and pepper

hard-boiled eggs and parsley for garnish

Cut herrings into small pieces. Slice eggs. Layer herring and eggs in bowl. Put chopped onion on top. Mix mayonnaise with cream and curry powder. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over herring and decorate with sliced hard-boiled eggs and chopped parsley. This can be artfully arranged in a clear glass bowl to show the layers.

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* Sherry Herring – Sherrysild

4 Matjes herrings 1 chopped onion 1 bunch dill weed 1/4 cup sherry ½ cup tomato juice 1 to 2 tablesp. sugar

½ teasp. allspice

Cut herring in 1- to 2-inch pieces. Combine with onion and dill weed. Combine sherry, tomato juice, sugar, and allspice. Pour over first mixture.

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* Crab Salad – Krabbesalat

1 cup mayonnaise tarragon vinegar to taste salt to taste paprika to taste 1 tablesp. tomato puree ½ lb. crabmeat 1 stick celery, diced 4 large tomatoes

alfalfa sprouts

Mix mayonnaise with vinegar, salt and paprika to taste. Add tomato puree, then crabmeat, and celery. Neatly slice tops off tomatoes and scoop out seeds, fill with salad and sprinkle alfalfa sprouts on top. Serves four. Good with hot French bread.

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* Shrimp Salad – Rejesalat

½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 1 to 2 tablesp. cocktail sauce 3 to 4 tablesp. sherry dash white pepper 1 to 1½ Ibs. cooked shrimp ½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced, or 1 small can sliced mushrooms 1 8-oz. can cut asparagus canned sliced pineapple

drained lemon for garnish

Stir together first five ingredients. Fold in cooked shrimp, sliced mushrooms, and asparagus. Serve on slices of pineapple on leaf lettuce. Garnish with lemon slices.

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* Spiced Meat Roll – Rullepølse

1 flank beef or lamb 3 or 4 thin slices of pork 2 tablesp. salt ½ teasp. saltpeter 1 teasp. pepper 1 chopped onion ½ teasp. allspice Brine: 2½ qts. boiling water 2 cups salt

½ teasp. saltpeter

Remove sinew from meat and cut it so it forms a square or rectangle. Flatten out and sprinkle with seasonings. Lay pork slices on flank. Roll meat tightly so when it is cut it will slice across the grain of meat. Sew ends and sides. Put in cold brine for 10 days.

After 10 days, remove meat from brine, tie securely with cord and put into boiling water. Cook slowly for 2 hours or until tender. Remove from water and press between two flat surfaces until cold. Serve thin slices on bread.

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* Pickled beets – Syltede rødbeder

2 lb (1 kg) beets 1½ pint (3/4 l) vinegar About 7 oz (200 g) sugar 2-3 thin slices horseradish 1 tablesp. pickling spices

Preservative – follow the instructions on the bottle

Cook the beets until tender, rub off the skins and slice thinly. Lay the slices in a scalded jar. Boil the vinegar with sugar and spices, remove from the heat and add the preservative. Pour over the beets. Leave to stand for a few days before serving.

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* Liver Paste – Leverpostej

1 lb. pork liver 3/4 lb. pork fat 2 tablesp. butter 2 tablesp. flour 2 cups milk 2 eggs 1 chopped onion 3/4 teasp. pepper 1 tablesp. salt

½ teasp. allspice

Put liver and fat through meat grinder about 5 times. Melt butter. Add flour, stirring to blend. Add milk and cook until smooth. Add this cream sauce to liver mixture. Add eggs, chopped onion and spices. Beat well. Bake in a loaf pan set in a pan of shallow water for 1¼ hours at 350oF. Serve cool as a sandwich spread decorated with pickles.

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* Cucumber salad – Agurkesalat

1-2 cucumbers 3 teasp. salt 2 tablesp. vinegar 2 tablesp. water 1 tablesp. sugar

Pinch of pepper

Wash and slice the cucumber finely. Sprinkle with salt. Place in a marinade previously prepared by boiling the vinegar, water, sugar and pepper together and allowing to cool. Leave in a cold place for about two hours before serving.
If, instead of vinegar, lemon juice is preferred, do not boil the marinade but stir in the sugar until dissolved.

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* Chicken Salad – Kyllingsalat

6 oz. cream cheese 2 tablesp. milk 1 lb. cooked chicken (diced or sliced) 2 tablesp. butter 2 oz. split blanched almonds 1 10½-oz. can asparagus

salt and pepper

Mash cream cheese with milk until soft and well blended, then stir in pieces of chicken, reserving a few pieces for decoration. Melt butter in frying pan and fry almonds until golden. Drain asparagus and cut 2/3 of it into 1-inch pieces. Stir these with almonds into chicken and cream cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining chicken and asparagus.

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* Meat Balls – Frikadeller

1 lb. ground beef (ground steak or chuck) ½ lb. Iean pork ½ cup flour 1 teasp. salt ½ teasp. pepper 1 small onion, grated 2 eggs 1 cup milk

4 tablesp. margarine

Mix the first six ingredients thoroughly. Add eggs, milk and margarine. Form into 8 patties, and fry in butter until brown. Turn down the heat and cover for 30 minutes to thoroughly cook. Serve cold sliced on rye bread or warm with a potato-salad.

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Some Favorite Danish Dishes

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* Burning Love – Brændende kærlighed

2-2½ lb (1 kg) floury potatoes 1½-2 oz (40-50 g) butter About ½ pint (3dl) cream 8-10 thick rashers of fat bacon 3 onions Salt White pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Peel and cut up the potatoes. Cook until tender in unsalted water, drain and mash. Whip in the butter gradually, and finally the cream, until the mashed potato is light and airy. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cut the rashers and onions into small cubes and fry until crisp in a little of the bacon fat. Pile the mashed potatoes into a dish. Scoop out a hollow in the middle, pour in the fat and sprinkle with onion and bacon cubes. Serve with slices of rye bread and pickled beets.

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* Minced beefsteak – hakkebøf

2lb (1 kg) minced beef 2 tablesp. cream 4 large or 6 medium onions about 3 oz (75 g) butter Salt Ground black pepper 8-10 eggs

About 1/4 pint (1-1½ dl) bouillon

Mix the meat with the cream and divide into suitable portions, forming them into flat, oval or round patties.

Peel the onions, chop finely and fry in one third of the butter until golden brown. Add a little of the bouillon to keep them soft, turn into an ovenproof dish and keep hot.

Boil out the pan and dry with paper. Season the beefsteaks with salt and pepper and fry in half the remaining butter for 4 min. on each side. They should remain pink inside. Serve in an ovenproof dish. Boil the onion with a little more bouillon and distribute over the meat.

Fry the eggs in the rest of the butter and place one with each steak. Use the remainder of the bouillon to boil out the pan, and pour the gravy into the dish with the meat. Serve with rye bread and pickled beets.

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* Fried plaice – Stegte rødspætter

3 lb (1½ kg) plaice Flour Salt Ground white pepper

Butter for frying

Wash the plaice and remove the skin. Divide into two along the mid-line or cut into 3 pieces across. Coat in seasoned flour and fry in browned butter 3-4 min. on each side until white and firm right down to the bone. To serve with parsley sauce.

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* Parsley Sauce – persillesovs

1½ oz (40 g) butter 1½ tablesp. (40 g) flour 3/4 pint (4 dl) milk 3-4 tablesp. cream

Parsley

Make a white sauce with the butter, flour and milk, adding sufficient cream to provide the required consistency. Add finely chopped parsley – enough to turn the sauce a brilliant grass-green – and season with salt.

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* Sailor’s stew – Skipperlabskovs

1 lb (½ kg) stewing beef 2 lb (1 kg) potatoes 2 large onions 3-4 bay leaves 12-15 peppercorns Salt Butter for frying About 7 oz (200 g) cooked ham if desired Finely chopped parsley

Wocestershire Sauce

Cut the beef into 3/4 inch (2 cm) squares, blanch and rinse in cold water. Chop the onions finely, peel and cut up the potatoes. Brown 2 tablesp. butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan, turn the meat in the butter until just colored. Add the onions and simmer until transparent. Add the potatoes, bay leaves and peppercorns, and cover with water. Simmer gently until all the potatoes have mashed up.

Traditionally about 7 oz chopped ham may be added just before serving.
Season with salt and serve with a lump of butter, finely chopped parsley and Worcestershire Sauce.

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The ultimate Danish dessert

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* 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.

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… and some other favorites

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* Danish Apple Cake – Æblekage

3 lb (1½ kg) apples – not too sweet 10 oz (300 g) sugar 10 oz (300 g) dried breadcrumbs 7 oz (200 g) butter

1/4-½ pint (2½) dl) whipping cream

Grease an ovenproof dish and line with a layer of breadcrumbs. Dot with lumps of butter, sprinkle with sugar to taste and cover with a thick layer of peeled and sliced apples.

Repeat the procedure till all is used up. Finish with a layer of breadcrumbs. Press it all well together and dot with butter and bake at 330oF (165oC) for about 30 minutes. The apples must be well cooked. Cool the apple cake and turn it out of the form. When the cake is cold, decorate with whipped cream. You may also serve the cake lukewarm.

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* Rum Pudding – Romfromage

4 eggs, separated 2/3 cups sugar 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup water 1 ½ ounces rum

½ pint whipping cream, whipped

Beat egg yolks and sugar until lemon colored. Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup water and melt over hot water. Combine egg yolks and gelatin mixture and add rum. Let stand until it begins to thicken. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, then whipped cream. Chill until firm. Serves 12. Serve with raspberry sauce.

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* Raspberry Sauce – Hindbærsovs

1 pt. frozen sweetened raspberries 1 Tablesp. cornstarch

1 Tablesp. water

Thaw frozen raspberries and place in covered saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Strain and discard pulp. Blend cornstarch and water and add it to the juice, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture boils and thickens. Chill until serving time.

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Christmas

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* Flæskesteg – Roast pork

5-6 lb (2½ kg) leg of pork About 1/3 pint (2½ dl) stock Salt Ground black pepper Colman’s mustard 4-6 tablesp. cream 1 tablesp. tomato purée Soy sauce

Corn starch for thickening

Score the pork and rub with salt, mustard powder and a little pepper. Place on a grid and roast at 480o F (250o C) for about ½ hour or until the crackling turns white. Turn the oven down to 360o F (180o C) and pour in the boiling stock.

Roast the joint for a further 2 1/4 hours depending on the size. Do not baste, or the crackling will become soft, but turn down the heat if it becomes too dark.

Pour the gravy into a small saucepan, leaving the joint to keep hot in the oven with the door ajar. Skim the fat off the gravy and add the cream to taste. Boil up with the salt, pepper, tomato purée and soy sauce, thickening with cornstarch if desired.

Serve with red cabbage and caramelized potatoes.

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* Stegt and – Roast Duck

1 duck (4-5 lb for 4 persons or 2 2½ kg) Salt Ground black pepper 1 lb (250 g) sour apples 1/4 lb (125) pit less prunes About 3/4 pint (3½-4 dl) stock Soy sauce 3-4 Tablesp. cream

Corn starch for thickening

Dry the duck carefully inside with kitchen paper and rub with salt and pepper. Scald the prunes in boiling water and stuff the duck with them. Rub the outside of the duck with kitchen salt. Place the duck in a cold oven. Set the oven at 220o F (160o C) and, after about 45 min., pour in the stock and continue roasting for another 1½ hours. Turn up the heat to 440o F (225o C) and roast for about 20 min. to finish. Pour off the gravy. Prepare and serve.

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* Brunede kartofler – Caramelized Potatoes

2 Tablesp. granulated sugar 1/4 cup butter

1½ lbs. plain boiled potatoes

Put sugar in a heavy frying pan or saucepan over low heat. Stir gently until sugar melts and turns golden. Add butter and allow to melt. Gently stir in the drained potatoes and heat gently until well glazed. Makes four servings.

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* Rødkål – Red Cabbage

1/4 cup butter 5 lbs red cabbage, finely cut ½ cup vinegar ½ cup sugar

1 Tablesp. salt

Brown butter lightly. Add finely cut cabbage and stir well. Add vinegar, sugar and salt. Let simmer 2-3 hours. To reduce cabbage odor, bring the mixture to a boil, then place in a 325o F oven in a covered container for two hours. The flavor is even better when it is reheated.

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* Ris à l’amande

4 oz (120 g) Patna rice 1 1/4 pints (3/4 l) water ½ vanilla pod ½-3/4 pint (3-4 dl) whipping cream 3-3½ oz (75-100 g) finely chopped almonds 2 tablesp. sugar

canned or bottled cherries

Cook the rice in the water until tender, together with the vanilla pod and sugar. Stir in half the cream and the chopped almonds. Whip the rest of the cream and fold into the mixture. Serve cold with slightly heated preserved cherries.

It is a Danish custom to hide a whole almond in the rice. The lucky person who finds the almond receives a small prize.

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* Æbleskiver – Danish Doughnuts

1/4-½ pint (2½ dl) cream ½ lb (250 g) flour 4 eggs 3-4 tablesp. stout 1 tablesp. sugar 6 oz (175 g) butter 1 teasp. lemon juice

½ teasp. cardamom

Beat the cream and flour together and beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Stir in the stout, sugar and cooled, melted butter. Flavor with lemon juice and stir in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Allow to stand for a while. Place a little butter in the hollows of a doughnut pan (the butter is necessary for the first batch only), and fry the doughnuts, turning on all sides until brown. Serve hot, sprinkled with icing sugar and raspberry or strawberry jam.

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* Brune kager – Brown Cookies

It is recommended to make the dough a couple of days before the actual baking.

1 lb (450 g) syrup 9 oz (250 g) butter 9 oz (250 g) brown sugar 1 oz bitter orange peel 1 tablesp. cinnamon 1 tablesp. ground cloves ½ teasp. cardamom 1 teasp. baking powder 2 tablesp. rosewater 2 lb (1 kg) flour

Almonds

Warm the syrup in a saucepan, add the butter, orange peel, spices and sugar. Stir in the baking powder, dissolved in the rosewater. Gradually add the flour, kneading thoroughly after each addition. Turn into a bowl, cover with a cloth and keep cold.

Before baking, roll out thinly and cut into rounds. Place well apart on a greased baking-sheet, brush with water and decorate with sliced almonds. Bake for 8-10 min. at 400o F (200o C).

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* Pebernødder – Peppernuts

1 cup butter 1-1/3 scant cups sugar 2 eggs 4 cups flour 1 tablesp. soda 1 tablesp. ginger 1/2 tablesp. anise extract 1/4 tablesp. nutmeg 1/2 tablesp. salt 1/2 tablesp. cinnamon ½ cup sorghum

½ tablesp. vanilla

Work all ingredients together and roll in tiny balls about the size of a nickel. Put on cookie sheet. Bake 9-10 minutes at 300o F. Quantity depends on size of the nuts.

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* Vanillekranse – Vanilla Wreaths

1½ cups butter 2 1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1½ tablesp. vanilla 3½ cups flour

½ cup finely chopped almonds

Cream butter and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until dough is smooth. Put dough in cookie press and press out onto greased cookie sheet in small wreaths (1½-inch diameter). Bake at 325o F until slightly brown. Makes approximately 150.

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New Year’s Eve

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* Boiled Cod – Kogt Torsk

1½ Ibs. cod 1½ qts. water

1½ tsp. salt

Boil cod until it flakes. Save the water to use for the sauce made with mustard. Serve with boiled potatoes garnished with dill.

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* Mustard Sauce for Cod Fish – Sennepsovs til kogt torsk

3 tablesp. margarine, melted 3 tablesp. flour 1 cup fish water from boiling cod 1 cup milk 1 tablesp. dark Danish fish or Dijon mustard

½ teasp. salt

Add flour to melted margarine. Stir thoroughly and gradually add milk and fish water. Cook until thickened. Stir in mustard and salt.

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