Belated Happy New Year! - Feast we had

Hey all;

I hope the turn of the year brings better days for one and all.

Here what I cooked up for our New Year's Day feast.  I found out I have an ancestor who was born in Denmark (circa 1640), so I decided on a Danish themed meal.  Each dish makes 8 regular sized servings.  ***Holiday Indulgence***

Spinatsuppe (spinach soup)

Foodstuffs: 2# fresh spinach - washed and coarsely chopped, 2 qt chicken stock, 3 T sweet butter, 2 T flour, 1 t salt, 1/4 t white pepper, 1/8 t ground nutmeg, 2 hard boiled eggs - 1/4d, 8 t shredded Hvarti cheese

Method: Bring the stock to a boil and cook the spinach in a steamer basket over the broth for 6 minutes, then remove to a warm bowl.  In a 4 qt saucepan, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour to make a roux.  Off the heat, whisk in the hot stock  a little at a time to blend things evenly.  Bring the whole back to a slow boil, add in the spinach and seasonings.  Simmer on low for 5 minutes.  Serve with a piece of egg and teaspoon of cheese as a garnish and a slice of dark rye bread with honey on the side.

Stegt Rød spoette (sautéed sole with shrimp)

Food stuffs: (8) 1/4# sole fillets, salt shaker, 1/2 c ea flour and fine breadcrumbs, 2 eggs - beaten with 2 T water, 2 T sweet butter, 2 T olive oil, 24 small shrimp - cooked and shelled, 2 sm lemons - 1/4d

Method: Rinse and then pat dry the fillets.  Salt lightly, dredge in flour, then egg then breadcrumbs.  Lest rest 10 minutes.  In a fry pan, bring 2 T butter and the oil to med-high heat.  Fry the fillets until light golden brown.  Remove to a warm plate.  Wipe the pan and then melt the remaining butter, reheat the shrimp in this.  Serve 1 fillet with 3 shrimp and a lemon wedge. and Parseley sauce on the side.

Persille souse (parsley sauce)

Foodstuffs: 2 T sweet butter, 2 T flour, 2 c fish stock (or chicken), 1/2 t smoked salt, 2 T parsley - finely chopped, 2 T lemon juice

Method: Over high heat, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour to make a roux.  Take off the heat and whisk in the stock.  Return to heat, add-in the parsley, lemon and salt.  Simmer 5 minutes while whisking.

Rødkaal (red cabbage)

Foodstuffs: 1 med head red cabbage - cored and coarsely chopped, , 4 T butter pats, q T light brown sugar, 1 t salt, 1/3 c water, 1/3 c cider vinegar, 1/4 c red currant or plum jelly, 1 sm tart apple - grated

Method: Preheat oven to 325F.  Combine the butter, sugar, salt, water and vinegar in a 4 - 5 qt "range to oven" casserole dish; once the butter is melted and the mix is at a slow simmer, mix in the cabbage.  Cover tightly and bake for 2 hours, adding water as needed to keep the mix moist.  10 minutes before the end, stir in the jelly and apple.

Bunede kartofler (carmelized potatoes)

Foodstuffs: 24 sm red potatoes, 1/2 c light brown sugar, 8 T sweet butter - melted.

Method: Drop the unpeeled potatoes into a pot of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.  When done, rinse under cool water and then peel.  In a heavy fry pan, melt the sugar and stir constantly, once it has "toasted slightly, add-in the butter and then the potatoes, a few at a time, making sure to coat them as evenly as possible.

...and, for dessert...

Halve Aebler med Svedsker (poached apples stuffed with prunes in port wine)

Foodstuffs: 16 med prunes, 8 med size tart apples - halve top to bottom and cored, 1 T honey, 1/2 t ea cinnamon and allspice, 2/3 c Port wine, 1 c light brown sugar, 1 qt water

Method: In a bakeable mixing bowl, combine prunes, honey, spice and Port, marinate overnight.  Preheat oven to 350F, bake the prune mix for 30 minutes, uncovered.  While this is happening, Bring the water to a boil in a 2 - 3 qt saucepan, dissolve in the sugar and cook the apples a few at a time until tender, but not soft.  Serve with a prune in each apple half and a little of the Port "juice."

The meal was accompanied by Tuborg Pilsner style beer, dessert by dry mead (honey and apricot, which I brewed 5 years ago).

[TrudieC]

That sounds divine.  Glad I checked in here today.