Midsummer & Schnapps Salad

Midsummer Eve always falls on the third Friday in June. It is a survival of Teutonic pagan festivals celebrating the summer solstice. Also known as St. John´s Eve. Celebrations continue into Midsummer Day. I am not going to bore you with any details about the traditions of Swedish Midsummer. You can read about them here4 Midsummer and some traditions or here4 Midsummer .

A typical Midsummer meal consists of different kinds of herring served with sour cream (gräddfil), chives and fresh potatoes, schnapps and fresh strawberries.















One of my family´s favorite dishes is the so-called Schnapps Salad. (Nubbesallad) served with a small glass of Scandinavian liquor distilled from a grain or potato mash and often flavored with caraway seeds. The main salad ingredient is Matjes Herring. Matjes means maiden. Matjes herring is made from female fish that have not spawned. They are filleted and prepared with salt, vinegar, sugar, and spices.


INGREDIENTS:
* 300 g Matjes Herring, cut into small pieces
* 1½ dl (150 ml) mayonnaise
* 50 - 100 g crème fraiche
* 4 tablespoons smoked Swedish Caviar (a creamed cod roe paste)
* 1 red onion, finely chopped
* ½ dl (50 ml) leek, finely chopped
* ½ dl (50 ml) dill, finely chopped
* 5 boiled, cold potatoes, cut into small dices
* ab. 3 dl hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
* parsley, finely chopped

METHOD:
1. Mix créme fraiche, mayonnaise, caviar, onion, leek and dill.
2. Stir down matjes herring and potato.
3. Garnish with egg and parsley.

This year I am not going to celebrate Midsummer in Sweden. I am going to Rome, Italy, to stay with a son for quite a while. I suppose I am going to do in Rome as the Romans do.

See you at Piazza Campo di Fiori!