The Top Nordic Menu for Summer Lunch Outside

Norwegians have a word for their first al fresco drink of the year: ‘utepils’ (literally: ‘outside beer’). Halfway through summer, drinks and lunch taken street-side and in gardens. These recipes are selected to help you enjoy that summer sunshine: all the more precious up north, in the hours of almost endless daylight.

 Strawberry daiquiri

I had this in Stockholm, during the Midsummer celebrations last year. A group of us met in the park with a punch bowl and ladle, and the contents was constantly stirred and adjusted. We arrived at a soupy consistency, with strawberry seeds still needing filtering through teeth.

25 strawberries

200ml white rum

150ml lime juice

4tbsp caster sugar

1.     Mash the strawberries, then put in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and the remaining ingredients.

2.     Shake and turn into a large, clear glass punchbowl, adjusting to your taste (these are the recommended quantities for five people).

Salmon and crème fraîche canapés

This hardly needs a recipe. I ate tonnes in Tvedestrand, amongst the islands of southern Norway, where I fell in love with Scandinavia. Before dinner, on blinis, it’s a perfect alternative to the caviar ‘stack’. Or, on crispbread, it’s a refreshing canapé for lunch outside.

350ml crème fraîche

300g smoked salmon

100g dill

5 crispbreads

1.     Cut the smoked salmon into small pieces and finely chop the dill.

2.     Mix both together with the crème fraiche, then place atop the crispbreads.

Fishcakes

These are perfect outside, particularly when served with a dollop of remoulade. You can buy remoulade in shops across Scandinavia. Otherwise, make your own by mixing 100ml mayonnaise with a teaspoon each of mustard, curry powder, capers and cornichons.

600g cod fillets

100ml cream

3 spring onions

2 eggs

3tbps parsley

1.     Finely slice the spring onions and parsley. Break up the cod fillets and mix with the eggs, cream, chopped spring onions and parsley. Add a squeeze of lemon and season with salt and pepper.

2.     Squash everything together, forming small balls, and fry in a pan, over a medium heat, until brown on each side.

Jansson’s Temptation

This, surely, is Sweden’s national dish (after meatballs, of course). Sprat-riddled gratin might sound disgusting, but this alternative works well in winter and summer, and with both meat and fish (particularly – like gratin dauphinoise – with lamb… honestly!).

700g large potatoes

600ml milk and/or cream

200g onions

Small tin of anchovies

Handful of breadcrumbs

1.     Cut the potatoes into thin strips, then place on a baking sheet for 20 mins at 200C. Finely slice the onions.

2.     In a saucepan, melt a large tablespoon of butter, then add the sliced onions. When soft, add the cooked potatoes, take the pan off the heat and mix until combined.

3.     In a medium baking dish, layer the potatoes and anchovies with the milk mixture. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and return to the 200C oven, baking for 45-50 mins.

 Fig cheesecake

Like vineyards, fig walls aren’t unheard of in Scandinavia’s southern corners these days. Figs and asparagus (a more common sight up north) must be the best ingredients of late spring. So, as I’ve left asparagus off the list, here’s my recipe for a deliciously light fig cheesecake.

8 figs

200g biscuits

200g cream cheese

100g icing sugar

75g butter

1tbsp honey

1tsp vanilla extract

1.     Melt the butter and crush the biscuits with a rolling pin. Combine both and squash the mixture into the bottom of a springform tin, placing in the fridge to set.

2.     Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Place this mixture atop the base and return to the fridge for 5 hours.

3.     Before serving, quarter the figs and place atop the cheesecake, drizzling over the honey to decorate.

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Thirsty for a Finnish long drink? Check out our guide from last year…