If you like a good chicken soup, you will love this grouse soup, made with a rich grouse broth, root vegetables, rye or barley and peas. It is full of ingredients common in Scandinavian cuisine, but is not a riff off any traditional recipe. Ruffed grouse can have a funky aroma and taste that is
Scandinavian Recipes
Nordic food has been having a moment lately, so this collection of several dozen Scandinavian recipes will whet your appetite for more.
What follows are my Scandinavian recipes that feature fish and game, wild edible plants, and mushrooms -- all of which are a big deal in Nordic cuisine.
In addition to these recipes, some of my favorite Nordic cookbooks include Faviken, Fire & Ice, North and Icelandic Food & Cookery by the awesomely named Nanna Rognvaldardottir.
Here you will find favorites like Norwegian meatballs, and yes, Swedish meatballs, but also duck breast with beer sauce and a light, bright cucumber sauce for salmon that is perfect for summer.
The Latest
Norwegian Meatballs
Kjøttkaker, Norwegian meatballs, made with venison. As the name suggests, these are a bit more like meat cakes than balls. They are made of awesome.
Pan Roasted Ptarmigan or Grouse
A simple recipe for pan-roasted ptarmigan — or any other small game bird. This method works in a frying pan, either in camp or a kitchen.
Swedish Potato Dumplings
Swedish potato dumplings, kroppkakor, filled with ptarmigan and fried in butter, then served with caramelized onions and lingonberries.
Nettle Soup
A recipe for Scandinavian nettle soup; basically a nettle bisque. This recipe is based on Swedish nasselsoppa, and can be made with any vivid spring green.
Pike Soup
Northern pike make an excellent soup fish, as they are lean, white and firm — and, when you fillet them, you often get odd-shaped pieces that work well cut into soup bits. This is my take on Northern pike soup, done Manitoba style.
Icelandic Salmon Soup
A Nordic take on salmon soup. Chunks of salmon or trout, served with potatoes, cream, dill and, if you have it, whey.
Nordic Goose ‘Pho’
Goose soup, Nordic style… sorta. A clean, bright goose soup with Nordic ingredients, but made in the style of Vietnamese pho. It’s awesome.