Recipe: Salmon Pudding

I cook a lot, especially what we in Sweden would call 'husmanskost.' I suppose you could translate it as 'old-fashioned food', but there's more to it - the word carries connotations of everyday, no-fuss, rustic food. It's 'slow-food' in that it often takes long to make, and it's based on the sort of ingredients traditionally found in Sweden.

A typical, traditional dish is 'laxpudding', which means 'salmon pudding'. I made that recently, but I updated the recipe a little and gave it a few twists. First, I made it with smoked salmon rather than cured salmon as is traditional. I also added fennel for taste and texture and I ate it plain, rather than pouring melted butter over it, which is the traditional and super-yummy, but, frankly, appallingly calorific, way to serve it.

For me, this was 4 servings, but you should be advised it's 4 rather small servings, Vintage-sized portions, if you will.

150-200 g smoked salmon, sliced and diced
8-10 boiled potatoes, sliced
3 dl milk (1.2 cups)
2 eggs
1/2 - 1 fennel, sliced
1-2 handfuls of chopped dill
a little butter
salt & pepper

Take an oven safe dish and apply a little butter to it. Cover it with a layer of potato slices. Follow up with a layer of salmon. Spread the dill evenly over the fish and cover with fennel slices. Finish with a final layer of potatoes.

Whisk the eggs with the milk and add a little salt and pepper. Pour the mix over the potatoes and salmon.

Put a few small pieces of butter on top of the dish and bake in the oven for 40-55 minutes at 200°C  (~ 400°F).