FOOD HEIRLOOM: IN HIGH SPIRITS
A GRANDDAUGHTER CONTINUES HER SWEDISH GRANDMOTHER’S CHRISTMAS TRADITION OF MAKING GRAVLAX, WITH A TWIST.
Christmas is a time for gravlax for this Swedish family and a way of remembering the past.
AT CHRISTMAS, no self-respecting Swedish smörgåsbord would be without Jansson’s Temptation — a classic dish of creamy potatoes layered with salty anchovies. But Linn Wayne’s mother (pictured above with an 18-month-old Linn) devised another way to introduce potatoes to their Christmas feast by lacing their gravlax with a homemade vodka made from the tasty tubers.
“Every household in Sweden makes their own version of gravlax,” Linn, 41, explains of this classic cured salmon dish. “This recipe was originally my grandmother’s but my mother spiced it up by using vodka made from potatoes, rather than the traditional brandy or akvavit. This gives it a unique flavour that’s really delicious.”
There is another reason why vodka became the tipple of choice for Linn’s family. In 1994, her mother Birgitta Sundin, now aged 62, and father Steffan, 69, opened a restaurant on a small island just outside of Stockholm. A few years later they added a distillery. “It took about 300 applications for the government to approve the distillery but it became the first restaurant in Sweden to make its own vodka since it became illegal in 1865,” Linn says.
The whole family was involved in the business, called Skansholmens Sjökrog, which only operated in summer when Swedes flock to the archipelago. Linn’s grandfather, Karl Lord, who passed away five years ago, helped build the distillery, while her grandmother, Ulla, now 89, tended the herb garden. “I’m not sure how they learnt how to make vodka, since it was illegal, but my grandfather was known as the Swedish version of Macgyver,” Linn says. “I would help my grandmother pick the herbs and berries used to flavour the vodka and people would come for tastings, just like you do at a winery. My brother, Love, was a chef in the restaurant.”
In winter, the family would return to their country house Olberga Gård, close to the small village of Näs, just outside Stockholm, that dates back to the 1400s. It was here that they would celebrate Christmas with a traditional smörgåsbord including pickled herring, beetroot, dark bread, meatballs, mayonnaise, and, of course, gravlax with mustard sauce. “Sweden is beautiful at Christmas. It gets dark around 2pm and every house is lit up with candles in the window. Santa also visits every family,” says Linn. “I have great memories of him walking through the fields to my grandparents’s house.”
Linn and her Australian husband, Andy, eventually took over running the restaurant and distillery but sold it to move to Manly in 2008. This year they’ll spend Christmas in Australia with their two young daughters where the gravlax will be deftly prepared by Andy. They’ll talk to her parents and Ulla via Skype, before enjoying another family favourite — vodka ‘snaps’ flavoured with cardamom and dried coriander — to toast the year ahead.
SWEDISH GRAVLAX WITH MUSTARD SAUCE
Serves 10–12
1kg whole salmon fillet, skin on, pin-boned ⅓ cup white sugar
⅓ cup salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup finely chopped fresh dill 2 tablespoons vodka or brandy extra fresh dill sprigs, to garnish lemon slices, dark bread and capers,
to serve
MUSTARD SAUCE
2 tablespoons seeded mustard 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
⅓ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Cut salmon in half lengthways to make 2 equal pieces. Place both halves, skin-side down, on a large piece of plastic wrap. Mix sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Scatter sugar mixture in a thick layer over salmon. Sprinkle with dill, then vodka or brandy.
Using plastic wrap, carefully sandwich salmon together so sides with curing mixture are touching and narrow ends are together. Wrap tightly with at least 3 more layers of plastic wrap, pressing firmly to expel as much air as possible. Place salmon on a tray and refrigerate for 48 hours, turning every 12 hours.
To make mustard sauce, combine mustards, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl and season. Whisking vigorously, pour oil in a steady, thin stream until it reaches a mayonnaise-like consistency. Stir in dill.
To serve, remove plastic wrap from gravlax and carefully place top layer skin-side down. Using a piece of damp paper towel, gently wipe gravlax to remove excess sugar mixture. Pat with dry paper towel and place on a serving plate. Scatter with fresh dill. Using a sharp knife, cut thin shavings of gravlax on an angle, leaving skin behind. Serve with mustard sauce, lemon, dark bread and capers.