Let's Change Gears for a Minute

One thing I’ve learned about the Danes is they’re adaptable. This is so true for hubby. He went from eating Danish meatballs (called frikadeller) and potatoes to eating fiery Thai food without breaking a sweat. He should have been born Thai.

Although he never asks for it, I know he wouldn’t mind a good frikadelle and potatoes every once in a while. Luckily for him, I actually know how to make traditional Danish foods. How did I learn? I interned at a Danish restaurant in Copenhagen for 6 months.

The thing I really came to appreciate about Danish food is the quality of the ingredients. Using little more than salt, pepper, lemon and/or parsley as seasonings, the meat and fish had to be stellar. I also loved that I could still buy my meat at a real butcher shop or my fish at the local fishmonger or my bread at a real bakery.

BUT one thing I never learned to appreciate was pickled herring. If you’ve never experienced it, it’s sour and fishy and the texture is not quite like ahi and not quite like cooked fish either. The Danes eat it with gusto (and a shot of Akvavit, maybe to kill the taste?). There are several different “flavors”, none of which I care for…except the curry flavor, of course.

Curried Pickled Herring

• 2 tbs chopped sweet pickles
• 2 tbs chopped onions (I recommend sweet)
• 1 ½ to 2 tbs toasted mild curry powder
• 6 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 20-oz jar of herring in wine sauce, drained

Mix all of the ingredients together and let it sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Adjust the taste by adding more curry powder or mayonnaise.

Traditionally, herring is eaten atop Danish-style rye bread, which is dense and loaded with seeds. I wouldn’t recommend the soft rye breads because they will get soggy. Trader Joe’s recently started carrying the Danish rye, but if you aren’t close to a TJ then those small pumpernickel cocktail squares will do. I also like to top mine with slices of hard-boiled eggs and thinly sliced sweet onions.

(Kinda an aside: I took this dish to a Superbowl party once, and instead of eating it with the rye bread, the guys were eating it with tortilla chips. To hubby this was equivalent to eating salsa with a croissant).