BarBecued or Grilled Prawns with tarraGon tartare sauce

Seafood is king during summertime in Scandinavia. People are not inclined to spend hours preparing and cooking elaborate dishes when it’s warm outside; after all, summers are so short in the region and everyone needs to top up their vitamin D. This is a superb dish, one that easily scales up to feed a crowd.

ServeS 4

1kg fresh shell-on tiger prawns olive oil lemon wedges, to serve

For the tartare Sauce

100g crème fraîche

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp dijon mustard

½ unwaxed lemon, zest and juice 2 tarragon stems, leaves picked and finely chopped small bunch of dill, finely chopped 1 tbsp chopped gherkins

1 tbsp chopped capers

★ Begin by making the sauce. Mix the crème fraîche together with the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest and a squeeze of juice, the herbs, gherkins and capers. Taste, adjusting the lemon juice and herbs according to preference, then season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.

★ Soak several bamboo skewers in water, ensuring they are completely covered, for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the barbecue.

★ Meanwhile, remove the shells and heads from the prawns but keep the tails. Devein the prawns and thread them on to the skewers, about 4-5 prawns on each.

★ Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat the barbecue or griddle pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until pink and cooked through. Serve the prawns immediately with lemon wedges and the tartare sauce for dipping.

Lax Pudding

Essentially a creamy potato gratin given a luxurious twist thanks to smoked salmon. Here, it is taken to another level with the addition of nutty, brown butter. The dill and fresh lemon help balance out the rich flavours. This makes a terrific brunch or lunch dish at a smörgåsbord.

ServeS 6-8

1kg small waxy potatoes (such as charlotte), peeled

50g butter, plus extra for greasing

½ tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

150ml whole milk

150ml double cream

4 eggs

300g smoked salmon slices, roughly chopped large bunch of dill, finely chopped, plus extra to serve ½ unwaxed lemon, zest and juice

★ them into rounds 5mm thick.

★ Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7 and generously butter a large baking dish (about 25cm x 20cm). Heat the oil in a pan to fry the onion until soft, about 10 minutes, then set aside.

★ Whisk together the milk, cream and eggs and season with salt and pepper.

★ Layer one third of the potato slices and half the onion over the bottom of the baking dish, then arrange half the salmon and dill over the potatoes. Repeat with another third of the potato slices, then the remaining onion, salmon and dill and finish with a final layer of potato. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the potatoes and grind over a little more pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown.

★ Gently heat the butter in a small pan until foamy and brown. Immediately remove from the heat then add the lemon juice and zest along with a tablespoon of water. Stir a little more dill through the sauce and serve with the lax pudding.

CardamOm BUnS wiTH CrEam a n d m a r z i Pa n

Enriched yeast buns (semlor) scented with cardamom are an essential part of Scandinavian baking. These are a crowd pleaser. An almond-rich marzipan – one with a 50 per cent almond content or more – gives the best flavour.

MakeS 25 bunS

50g fresh yeast

125g caster sugar

150g butter

500ml whole milk

2 tsp coarsely ground cardamom seeds (pods removed)

425g strong white bread flour, plus a little more for dusting 425g plain flour icing sugar, for dusting

For the Filling

250g marzipan 50ml whole milk 600ml double cream

★ Sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl and add a spoonful of sugar.

★ Melt the butter in a small pan and pour in the milk. Heat gently to 37C (until lukewarm).

★ Pour a little of the buttery milk into the bowl with the yeast and stir to dissolve. Add the remaining liquid, sugar and cardamom seeds then whisk together. Slowly add in the flours, beating together to form a wet dough. On a generously floured work surface, knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic then leave to prove in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, covered with a tea towel, for 1 hour.

★ Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead it briefly then divide into 25 even-sized pieces and roll each into a round bun. Place on baking sheets lined with baking parchment, leaving 2cm-3cm between buns. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 30-40 minutes.

★ Preheat the oven to 240C/220C fan, gas 9. Bake for 10 minutes until risen and golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

★ To fill the buns, grate the marzipan coarsely into a bowl, add the milk and whisk well with electric beaters until you have a thick paste. Whip the cream – not too stiffly. Cut the top quarter off the buns to create lids. Scoop out a little of the inside of each bun then fill halfway with the marzipan. Pipe a generous dollop of cream on top then add the lids. Finally, dust with icing sugar to serve.

Put the potatoes in a large pan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until just tender. Drain well then leave until cool enough to handle. Slice