Trendspotting Scandi Craze
Viking Soul Food Truck: love the helmets on the tables!
We’ve fallen in love with Viking Soul Food, a food truck in Portland, Oregon that features freshly made, Nordic-inspired fare. And we’re not the only ones. Recently Food & Wine Magazine ran a piece called “Trendspotting: Nordic Food and Style“, which featured a delicious recipe for Grilled Salmon Gravlax from Viking Soul Food, which they typically serve with lefse, a Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes. We asked Viking Soul Food owner Megan Walhood to come up with a great side dish for her gravlax, and she suggested Jarlsberg Rosti. Both recipes can be found below.
Grilled Salmon Gravlax: cured with Aquavit
Grilled Salmon Gravlax
One 2 1/2-pound whole salmon fillet, with skin
3 tablespoons aquavit
2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Vegetable oil, for rubbing
Horseradish mayonnaise and radish salad, for serving
Set the salmon skin side down on a large rimmed baking sheet and rub with the aquavit. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, coriander and cardamom. Rub the sugar mixture all over the salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 36 hours.
Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Pat the salmon dry and cut it into 6 portions. Rub the salmon skin and the grill with oil. Grill the fish, skin side down, over moderately high heat until the skin is crisp, about 1 minute. Cover the grill and cook the fish over moderate heat until rare within, about 6 minutes. Serve hot or chilled with horseradish mayonnaise and a radish salad on the side.
Grilled Salmon Gravlax in lefse
Jarlsberg Rosti
2-3 med-large potatoes, the starchier the better. Look for heirloom varieties from your local farmer if possible, but Idaho russets will do.
Kosher salt
butter
1 cup grated Jarlsberg
Grate potatoes, add 3/4 teaspoon salt, set in colander for 5 min. Squeeze most of the moisture from the potatoes and mix with the Jarlsberg. Form mixture into 3-4 inch round patties, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Heat a frying pan (cast iron works well) to medium, add butter. Fry patties on both sides until crispy, approximatley 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on a grated cooling rack or on paper towels. Serve immediately, or hold in a warm oven if necessary while you finish the rest of the meal. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.
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Viking Soul Food recently added the “Norsky Bord” to their menu options. According to their facebook page, the Norsky Bord features “A sampler of team V.S.F.’s pickles, salads, fish, cheese, etc. Served with a lefse and rye crisps.” Another great reason to visit Viking Soul Food!
