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The long winter evenings are perfect for experiencing the Danish philosophy of hygge. Severe Scandinavians know a lot about comfort and how to create it – including in the kitchen. We offer several recipes to fill the house with the aromas of cozy and satisfying food, which will turn the external cold into internal warmth.
Hygge food puts any diet on hold and has nothing to do with calorie counting or haute cuisine. These are simple and understandable dishes, familiar to the inhabitants of Andersen’s country since childhood and especially attractive to the inhabitants of the whole planet on cloudy cold days. Simple recipes designed to pamper yourself and others. Aromas of muffin, cinnamon and raisins filling the house.
The rules of a hygge-style feast are to cook simply, a lot and satisfying. Foie gras is not hygge. Hearty hot stew is hygge. The effect is enhanced if the food was cooked by hand.
The pleasure of cooking is one of the most important components of hygge dishes. Carrying around in flour, conjuring over a pie, stewing meat for a long time, watching how apples are baked in the oven – it’s not for nothing that they say in Denmark that happiness cannot be bought, but you can buy a cake. And it’s almost the same.
Forget about all things. Relax. Organize a warm and soulful evening in the Scandinavian style, without luxury and pretentiousness. The ability to enjoy the simplest things, meat or meatballs, a mug of mulled wine or gingerbread is a skill that can be developed. As is the ability to be happy.
For hot
Cecils
Ingredients
- Minced pork – 800 g
- Milk – 190 ml
- Eggs – 2 pieces.
- Butter – 75 g
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Broth (meat or chicken) – 600 ml
- Flour – 50 g
- Ground allspice – ¼ tsp
- Bread pulp – 1 cup
- Salt, dried dill, black pepper – to taste
Method of preparation
In a bowl, mix the minced meat, finely chopped garlic, eggs, bread pulp and spices. Add 10 ml of milk. From the resulting homogeneous mass, mold meatballs about the size of a plum. Put them on a baking sheet covered with foil, and send to the oven, preheated to + 220 ° C. Bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes.
To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk in a thin stream, followed by the warm broth. Season with salt and cook, stirring, until thickened. Put the finished meatballs in a deep bowl, pour over the sauce and serve.
Pork with onions and apples
Ingredients:
- Pork – 600 g
- Onions – 2 pcs.
- Sweet apples – 4 pcs.
- Dried thyme – ½ tsp
- Salt, black pepper – to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying – 2 tbsp. l.
Method of preparation
In a pan with vegetable oil, fry the meat until cooked, put it on a paper towel to remove excess fat. We also drain the fat from the pan, leaving only a little to fry the onion on it.
Peel the apples from the seeds and cut each into about eight slices. We spread the pork, onions and apples in a deep baking sheet, sprinkle with thyme and salt and put in the oven, heated to + 180ºС. Bake until the apples are soft. The dish is best served with rye bread.
Potatoes with honey
Ingredients
- Potatoes (medium-sized, one size) – 8 pcs.
- Black peppercorns – 3 pcs.
- Bay Leaf – 1 pieces.
- Vegetable oil – 1,5 tbsp. l.
- Honey – 1 tbsp. l.
- Dried rosemary – ½ tsp
- Salt, ground black pepper – to taste
Method of preparation
Wash the tubers, boil in their skins in salted water with bay leaves and peppercorns (make sure that the potatoes do not boil). Remove skin from tubers.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes on all sides until golden brown. Add honey and keep the pan on fire for a couple more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with rosemary and serve.
For sweet
Danish pear pie
Ingredients
- Wheat flour – 150 g
- Hazelnuts – 50 g
- Baking powder – 10 g
- Cognac – 1 tbsp. l.
- Eggs of chicken – 3 pcs.
- White sugar – 100 g
- Brown sugar – 2 tbsp. l.
- Refined olive oil – 60 ml
- Soft pears – 2-3 pcs.
Method of preparation
Dry the nuts in a dry frying pan, cool and grind in a blender into small crumbs. In a bowl, combine the sifted flour, nuts and baking powder. Wash the pears, remove the seeds and cut into slices. Beat eggs with white sugar until foamy, add cognac and butter. Mix egg and flour mixture until smooth.
Put the dough in a greased form, decorate with slices of pears on top and sprinkle with brown sugar. Send the cake to the oven, heated to +180 ºС, and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool the finished cake, remove from the mold and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Beverages
Danish coffee
Ingredients
- Rum – 100 ml
- Brown sugar – 20 g
- Cinnamon – 2 sticks
- Carnation – a couple of stars
- Fresh black coffee – 500 ml
- Zefir
Method of preparation
Pour the brewed coffee into a small saucepan and add spices, sugar and rum to it. Mix and let stand. Then put on fire, bring to a boil, immediately remove and leave for an hour. After that, the drink is heated and poured into cups. It is customary to drink such coffee with marshmallows.
Eggnog drink
Ingredients
- Egg – 1 pieces.
- Sugars – 2 tsp..
- Cream or milk – 100 ml
- Vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg – to taste
Method of preparation
Separate the yolk from the protein. Mix the yolk with sugar, milk and spices in a blender. Beat the protein until a strong foam. Gently pour the foam over the egg yolk, milk and sugar mixture. Children can be served in this version, adults – add strong alcohol to taste.
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It doesn’t matter what’s on your table, hygge is all about savoring it. Enjoy every bite. Inhale the aroma of food. Stretch pleasure.
Do not be distracted by the feed in social networks and by solving everyday issues, do not talk about politics. The essence of hygge is not to rush anywhere and serenely enjoy the moment. And there, you see, not far from spring.