Toast Skagen
DESCRIPTION
Probably one of the most traditional Swedish starters, invented by Tore Wretman.
Toast Skagen, or Skagenröra, can be made in a lot of ways, and it doesn't have to be the "traditional" recipe to be good or correct. My personal preferences about what aspects that are important to consider when it comes to making a, in my opinion, really good Skagenröra:
Hand peeled shrimps (important) that are really dry, see note below
Ratio 2:1 mayonnaise/creme fraiche
Enough sauce to make it creamy, but not so much that it runs out on the plate
Lots of dill
Lemon and salt for flavor, nothing else
Butter roasted bread for serving
You can of course flavor the Skagenröra with whatever you find suitable; other herbs, other types of seafood, horseradish etc. It won’t be the traditional recipe, but it will be YOURS! And we all know that’s the best one.
INGREDIENTS (8 sandwiches)
2 kg shrimps, preferably 50/70 but 70/90 is also good
1 dl mayonnaise, potentially more (see recipe below)
0.5 dl creme fraiche, potentially more
One pot of dill
salt, freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pieces of white bread
Enough butter to smear 8 breads
Home-whipped mayonnaise
(makes ~3-4 dl but might just as well make a lot; lasts for weeks/months i the fridge)
1 whole egg
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
0.5 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp high quality olive oil (for flavor)
3 dl peanut oil/neutral cooking oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Mayonnaise: pour the egg all ingredients in a high mixing bowl. Put in a handheld mixer in the bottom, turn it on and slowly lift it so everything comes together. Lift it up and down a few times to make sure everything is evenly mixed. Taste so it's a good balance between acidity and saltiness. If necessary, add a little more vinegar or salt.
Skagenröra: peel the shrimps. Put on a generous amount of kitchen paper. Put an equally generous amount of kitchen paper on top of the shrimps and pat it a bit. Soggy shrimps = watery Skagenröra, dry shrimps = creamy skagenröra. Let sit 10-15 minutes so the moisture is absorbed by the paper.
Add the shrimps to a bowl. Add mayonnaise and creme fraiche, ratio 2.1, until you get the consistency you want.
Add finely chopped dill, salt and lemon juice, stir until evenly incorporated then taste and potentially adjust seasoning.
Smear the bread with butter. Roast in a 200 degree oven until golden.
Top the bread with the Skagenröra, a slice of lemon and some more dill!
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