Koldskål aka Danish buttermilk soup

We're in the middle of a heatwave here in Estonia, and there's no end in sight. On the contrary, the weather forecast announces that the temperatures will soar even higher during the next few days. I'm not a hot weather person, and the heat has seriously affected my enthusiasm and ability to cook and stand by the stove. We've been eating sandwiches, tabbouleh, lots of hummus, and sugarsnap peas, carrots and radishes from our own garden. And this Danish dessert, koldskål.

The traditional koldskål starts with an eggnog base that's topped with buttermilk, but modern versions often substitute raw egg yolks with thick yogurt. That's what I've done here as well. The traditional topping is kammerjunkere, but you can crumble some cantucci biscuits on top or use granola or müsli. I love the cardamom-scented "skorpor" you'll find at your nearest IKEA (those are the ones I've used here). Most of the recipes I've seen use lemon juice or vanilla extract for seasoning. I opted for elderflower cordial, as I've got fond memories of my host mum Kirsten using elderflower cordial to season lots of different desserts during my summer in Denmark back in 1993. I LOVE the floral notes elderflower cordial adds, and I think my host mum would approve :)



A great dessert to enjoy during those hot summer days. (There aren't many blog posts about koldskål, but you can check out Gitte's recent post. My favourite Danish foodblogger Zarah Maria, has only briefly mentioned this wonderful dessert).

Danish buttermilk soup
(Külm petisupp marjade ja kuivikutega)
Serves four



200 g thick yogurt or creme fraiche
4 Tbsp sugar
750 ml (3 cups) buttermilk
2 to 3 Tbsp elderflower cordial or lemon juice

To serve:
strawberries, raspberries or other soft fruit
crispy biscuits or 'skorpor'
couple of fresh mint or lemonbalm leaves

Combine sugar and yogurt in a bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in the cordial and buttermilk, whisk until combined. If necessary, place to the fridge to cool.
To serve, divide the koldskål into bowls, top with some biscuits and lots of strawberries. Garnish with mint or lemonbalm leaves and serve.
D

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Cottage Cheese and Egg Salad

Egg Salad (called 'munavõi' or 'egg butter' in Estonian) is a popular sandwich spread in Estonia. The traditional version contains just softened butter and boiled eggs, seasoned with salt. However, I've come to prefer this slightly lighter version over the last few years. In addition to the butter and eggs, this version contains cottage cheese or farmer's cheese. As far as the herbs go, I love chives here, but dill, parsley, savory would work as well.

It can be kept in a fridge for a few days, covered, but it tastes best when freshly made. If you do make it in advance, then bring to the room temperature 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve with boiled potatoes, on home-baked rye bread, or as a sandwich filling.

Cottage Cheese and Egg Salad
(Kodujuustu-munavõi)
Serves four to six



3 to 4 eggs
100 g butter, softened
150 g cottage cheese
sea salt
fresh chives, finely chopped

Hard-boil the eggs using your favourite method, cool to room temperature, then peel. Separate the cooked egg yolks and whites.
Place the butter and egg yolks into a bowl and use the back of a wooden spoon to cream the mixture (that gives the gorgeous yellow colour!).
Finely chop the cooked egg whites, stir into the rest of the ingredients alongside the chives. Season with salt.

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Chantarelle bruschetta

I've blogged about serving fried chantarelles on toast two years ago, but as the chantarelle season has began here again and I've been eating fried chantarelle mushrooms several times a week, I decided to blog about them again. The summer lunch of boiled potatoes and fried chantarelles is a classic, a side "salad" of cottage cheese and fried chantarelles is another current favourite, as is this bruschetta-style small toast. Lovely with a glass of chilled white wine or beer on a summer afternoon!

I love pairing chantarelles with dillweed, but thyme or parsley would work as well, as would summer savory.

Chantarelle bruschette
(Krõbedad saiad praetud kukeseentega)
Serves four

8 slices of white bloomer or Italian style bread
olive oil and butter, for frying

Chantarelle topping:
olive oil and butter, for frying
1 small (red) onion, finely chopped
250 g small chantarelle mushrooms
1 small garlic clove, crushed
fresh dill, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Clean the mushrooms, halve or quarter the larger ones.
Heat some butter and oil on a frying pan. Add the onion and gently sauté for 5-7 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the mushroomsn and fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the crushed garlic clove, season with salt and pepper. Finally stir in the dill.
Fry the bread slices in oil and butter until golden on both sides. Divide the mushrooms on the bread slices, sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top and serve.

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Grilled chicken livers in sherry and honey marinade

When planning the menu for the Midsummer's Eve, I knew I wanted something more unusual in addition to the traditional pork shashlik. I ended up making this simple grilled chicken liver dish, which was much liked by everyone. Such a quick dish to throw together and cook, ideal for those quick (yet leisurely) summertime meals in your backyard.

Serve with a green salad or a watermelon & feta or melon & blue cheese salad.

Grilled chicken livers
(Grillitud kanamaksavardad)
Source: Finnish magazine Apu (14.3.2004)
Serves 4

450-500 g chicken livers

Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
a bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 Tbsp dry sherry
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp runny honey

salt and pepper to season

If you're using frozen chicken livers, then transfer them to the fridge night before.
Drain the defrozen chicken livers carefully. Cut each liver into two large pieces.
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, add chicken liver. Leave to marinate for about 2-3 hours.
Pierce the chicken livers onto a wooden sticks* and grill over hot coals or under a hot grill for about 5 minutes, turning them every now and then.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.

* Soak the sticks in cold water for at least 30 minutes before - then they won't burn as quickly.

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Summer lunches

Chantarelles fried in butter, boiled new potatoes and fresh green leaves from your garden, dressed with some sour cream. I'll never get tired of that combination!

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Wild strawberries, 2010

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Estonian Shashlik Recipe

During the long and light Wednesday night most Estonians stayed up really late, sat around a bonfire and ate lots of barbecued and roasted pork and sausages. So did we, although we chose to stay "in town" this year and enjoy our new garden and patio. Few friends came over and we ate lots of delicious food, including two different types of pork, grilled chicken livers in sherry-honey marinade, boiled new potatoes with lots of dill, Estonian home-made cheese, egg and cottage cheese salad, freshly pickled cucumbers, home-baked rye bread, a crispy coleslaw, and various desserts. (Thank you, P&K and P&K for your potluck contributions ;))!

One of the dishes I really wanted to make again - and share with you - was the traditional Estonian-style "šašlõkk" or shashlik. It's a controversial dish. Most people buy their shashlik meat from the supermarkets, already seasoned and marinated. Those who make it from scratch can argue about the best cut of pork to use, whether or not to use vinegar, how much onion to use etc. I LOVE the hint of vinegar flavour in my shashlik, but it does dry the meat out a little, so you must choose a juicy cut of pork (this is NOT the recipe for using tenderloin or such like), or simply omit the vinegar from the recipe below. It'll still be a delicious meat dish.

Traditional side dishes would include freshly boiled new potatoes, a cucumber and tomato salad with some sour cream (but a coleslaw would work as well) and some ketchup :)

Estonian Shashlik
(Traditsiooniline šašlõkk)
Serves 4 to 6, depending on the amount of side dishes

1 kg pork shoulder
4 large onions
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp vinegar (30% proof)
2 tsp finely ground salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp caster sugar

Cut the pork shoulder into thick slices (about 1,5-2 cm), then into small chunks, sized about 4x4 cm. Place into a large bowl.
Peel the onions and cut into thin slices. Add to the bowl with crushed garlic, salt, pepper and sugar. Sprinkle the vinegar on top:



Now - wearing a pair of kitchen gloves - massage the meat and onion rings for about 10-15 minutes, so the onion juices are released and the seasonings are firmly massaged into the meat chunks. Instead of dark red (as above), the meat should look much paler now:



Cover the bowl and leave to marinate for 24 hours.

Pierce the meat chunks into a skewer and cook over hot coals until fully cooked and dark brown outside. (Sorry, I cannot give more accurate timings here - it all depends on your cooking vehicle).

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