Scandinavia has the art of ‘hygge’ – cosy comfort – down pat. Get a taste with Trina Hahnemann’s warming supper
“Nobody in my family can remember how this dish originated. We had it once a week all through my childhood, and it’s named after the street we finally settled in after years of living in different communes.”
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
For the brine:
• 2½ water
• 150g fine salt
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1kg beef brisket
For the stock:
• 3 litres water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
For the horseradish cream:
• 200g Greek yogurt
• 200g full-fat crème fraîche
• 30g freshly grated horseradish
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• salt and pepper
For the vegetables:
• 1kg small potatoes
• 4 turnips, cut into wedges
• 1 cabbage, cut into wedges
• 8 baby carrots, halved lengthways
• fresh chervil, chopped, to serve
Method
1 Put all the brine ingredients except the beef in a large, deep saucepan, bring to the boil, and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, then pour into a bowl. Add the beef to the cold brine, making sure it is completely covered – use a heavy object to keep it submerged. Refrigerate overnight.
2 The next day, put all the stock ingredients into a large, deep, lidded saucepan. Drain the beef from the brine and add to the stock. Bring to the boil, skimming off any froth from the surface, then reduce to a simmer. Half-cover the pan and cook gently for 2½ hours, or until the meat falls apart when tested with a fork. Reserve the stock.
3 Meanwhile, make the horseradish cream. Mix the yogurt and crème fraîche together, then mix in the grated horseradish. Add the lime juice and sugar, stir, and season to taste.
4 Towards the end of the beef cooking time, cook the potatoes in boiling water, then drain. Just before the meat is ready, add the other vegetables to a separate pan, half-cover with some of the reserved beef stock, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
5 Serve the beef, vegetables and potatoes sprinkled with chervil, with a dollop of horseradish cream on top.
Recipe courtesy of Trina Hahnemann. Extracted from ‘Scandinavian Comfort Food’ by Trine Hahnemann with photography by Columbus Leth. Published by Quadrille, RRP £25
