THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... ♪ ♪ ♪ NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.

>> ♪ >> HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" FROM SKJERVOY IN NORTHERN NORWAY.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

IT IS FROM THIS AND OTHER REMOTE COASTAL COMMUNITIES THAT MUCH OF THE WORLD GETS ITS SEAFOOD.

IN FACT, IT'S SALMON FROM NORWAY AND A FEW OTHER COUNTRIES THAT FEEDS THE GLOBAL SUSHI TREND.

AND IN TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE'LL FOLLOW THE SALMON FROM THE COLD FJORDS OF NORTHERN NORWAY TO THE STEAMING FISH MARKET IN TOKYO.

I'M GOING TO START OFF BY COOKING LOCAL SALMON, MUCH THE SAME WAY AS MY ANCESTORS WOULD HAVE, OVER OPEN FIRE, AND I'LL MAKE USE OF A PRETTY UNIQUE GRILLING TECHNIQUE.

THEN, WE'LL TRAVEL TO JAPAN TO INVESTIGATE WHAT IS PERHAPS THE GREATEST PARADOX OF MODERN COOKING -- THAT WHEN MAN HAS A HOST OF DIFFERENT COOKING METHODS AT HIS DISPOSAL, FROM FIRE TO ELECTRICAL STOVES AND MICROWAVE-OVENS, HE CHOOSES NOT TO COOK HIS FISH AT ALL.

AND AS THE JAPANESE KNOW, THERE IS AN ART TO NOT COOKING YOUR FISH.

WHEN THE FIRST MAN SETTLED HERE, HIS TOOLS WERE PRETTY SIMPLE -- A BOW AND AN ARROW, A MAKESHIFT FISHHOOK, AND A COUPLE OF STICKS HE COULD RUB TOGETHER TO CREATE FIRE.

AND IN HONOR OF HIM, I'M GOING TO COOK THIS SALMON MUCH THE SAME WAY AS HE MUST HAVE DONE, OVER OPEN FIRE.

AND I JUST THREAD THE FISH ONTO A STICK LIKE THIS.

IT LOOKS PRETTY ROUGH, BUT PRETTY COOL AS WELL, I THINK.

I'M JUST GOING TO BASTE THE FISH WITH A LITTLE BIT OF OIL.

NOT STRICTLY NECESSARY WHEN IT COMES TO A FATTY FISH LIKE SALMON, BUT IT DOES HELP CREATE A NICE CRUST.

SO I'LL JUST SPRINKLE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF SALT, AND THEN BRUSH IT WITH SOME OIL.

QUITE OFTEN, WHEN WE GRILL, WE THINK IT'S ABOUT MAXIMIZING HEAT.

YOU KNOW, WHEN DAD GRILLS, HE STARTS OFF BY BURNING HIS EYEBROWS OFF, AND THEN HE SPENDS THE REST OF THE TIME PUNISHING THE FOOD FOR THIS ACCIDENT.

WELL, THAT'S NOT REALLY THE BEST WAY TO GRILL.

HERE, I'M USING MUCH MORE MODERATE HEAT, SO I CAN HOLD MY HAND IN FRONT OF THE FISH.

THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT SLOWER, BUT A LOT MORE GENTLE.

IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 25 MINUTES TO HALF AN HOUR BEFORE THIS FISH IS COOKED.

I'M GOING TO COOK IT FOR A FEW MINUTES FIRST, FLESH-SIDE DOWN, THEN I'M GOING TO TURN IT AROUND AND COOK IT SKIN-SIDE DOWN.

I'M GOING TO SERVE THE FISH QUITE SIMPLY AS IT IS, WITH A COARSE HERB OIL.

THINK OF IT AS A KIND OF A NORDIC PESTO.

IT CONSISTS FIRST AND FOREMOST OF PARSLEY... THAT I JUST CUT ROUGHLY.

THEN I ADD OIL.

THIS IS A QUITE NEUTRAL OIL, A NORWEGIAN RAPESEED OIL.

YOU CAN ALSO USE CANOLA.

AND A SPRINKLE OF SALT... AND SOMETHING STRONG.

THIS IS HORSERADISH, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY GROW WILD IN PARTS OF NORWAY.

MUCH SMALLER VERSION OF THIS ONE THOUGH.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT A COARSE MIXTURE LIKE THIS, YOU CAN ADD WHATEVER OTHER FLAVORS YOU HAVE AT HAND.

I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF BASIL HERE, WHICH IS NOT VERY NORDIC, BUT IT WILL TASTE NICE.

AND THEN, THIS IS BIRCH, WHICH IS ACTUALLY QUITE NICE TO EAT.

SO I TAKE A FEW SHOOTS, NOT TOO MANY, BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY STRONG STUFF.

AND, NOW, THE FISH IS DONE.

IT SMELLS FANTASTIC AND IT IS FALL-APART TENDER AND JUICY.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S RIGHT TO SERVE THIS ON A PLATE.

CAN I EAT IT JUST LIKE THIS, WITH MY HANDS?

I THINK I CAN.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEBSITE, NEWSCANCOOK.COM.

SKJERVOY IS WAY UP NORTH, 69° NORTH, AND WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IS MORE OR LESS UNINHABITED, MOST OF THE COAST OF NORWAY IS DOTTED WITH SMALL COASTAL COMMUNITIES.

LIFE HERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN BASED ON FISHING.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, TRADITIONAL FISHING, NOW ALSO MODERN AQUACULTURE.

THIS DOESN'T JUST BRING AN INCOME -- IT ALSO LINKS THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

RIGHT NOW, SOMEWHERE ON THE FAR OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, PEOPLE ARE SITTING DOWN FOR A MEAL MADE WITH NORWEGIAN FISH FROM THIS COLD, CLEAR, PRISTINE FJORD.

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF TRADITIONAL FISHING HERE IN SKJERVOY, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AT LEAST FROM AN ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW, IS MODERN AQUACULTURE.

EVERY YEAR, 3,000 TONS OF SALMON IS SHIPPED JUST FROM THIS SITE.

WE OFTEN THINK OF SALMON AS JUST ONE GENERIC INGREDIENT, BUT THERE IS A BIT OF DIFFERENCE DEPENDING ON WHERE THE FISH HAS LIVED.

WE'RE FAR UP NORTH, IT'S COLD -- THAT MEANS THAT THE FISH GROWS MORE SLOWLY.

IT'S ALSO GOT A DIFFERENT FEEDING REGIME, IT'S GOT MORE INTRAMUSCULAR FAT, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT THE JAPANESE REALLY LIKE.

FIRST THERE WAS FIRE THAT DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE WAY US HUMANS LIVED AND COOKED.

THEN WE INVENTED DIFFERENT PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES -- SMOKING AND CURING.

AND ELECTRICITY REALLY REVOLUTIONIZED THE WAY WE COOKED, ALLOWED US TO COOK OUR FOOD AT PRECISE TEMPERATURES.

BUT HOW COME THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED SOCIETY ON EARTH GAVE UP COOKING THE FOOD ALTOGETHER?

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> OF COURSE, I'M TALKING ABOUT SUSHI -- THE ART OF NOT COOKING FISH.

OF COURSE, THERE'S MORE TO SUSHI AND SASHIMI THAN NOT EXPOSING FISH TO HEAT.

WHEN HOSHI, HERE, PREPARES HIS SASHIMI YOU SEE THAT HE PAYS EXTREME ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

IT'S ABOUT THE WASABI.

IT SHOULD BE A FIVE-YEAR-OLD ROOT.

IT SHOULD BE GRATED ON SHARKSKIN.

AND THEN THERE'S THE KNIFE AND THE ANGLE HE USES TO CUT THE FISH.

BUT AT THE CORE OF THIS IS STILL THE UNIQUE TASTE AND TEXTURE YOU GET FROM EATING RAW FISH.

IT'S VERY GOOD.

THE NORWEGIAN SALMON ENDS UP ON PLATES ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS, A FISH FROM NORTHERN NORWAY CAN END UP ON THE FISH MARKET IN TOKYO OR OSAKA.

HERE ON THE FISH MARKET IN TOKYO, THERE'S FISH FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

WELL-KNOWN FISH LIKE TUNA, MACKEREL, SALMON AND COD, AND MORE EXOTIC ONES.

THIS IS REALLY THE WAY TO GET AROUND THE FISH MARKET.

ON WEDNESDAY?

>> WEDNESDAY, YES.

>> AND IT'S STRANGE TO THINK THAT THIS FISH SWAM AROUND IN SKJERVOY LESS THAN TWO DAYS AGO.

AND IT REALLY GOES TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT MODERN TRANSPORTATION AND REFRIGERATION IS FOR SUSHI AS WE KNOW IT.

IT'S OUR ABILITY TO KEEP THE FISH FRESH, AND TO TRANSPORT IT VERY LONG DISTANCES IN VERY SHORT TIME, THAT IS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE SUSHI THAT WE EAT.

HERE THEY'RE GETTING READY FOR THE FAMOUS AND CONTROVERSIAL TUNA AUCTION.

TUNA IS HIGHLY PRIZED HERE IN JAPAN, AND MUCH OF THE WORLD'S TUNA ENDS UP HERE.

AND YOU CAN NOW SEE THE INSPECTORS WALKING AROUND WITH TORCHLIGHTS, LOOKING AT THESE OPEN INCISIONS TO DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF THE FLESH AND, NOT LEAST, HOW FATTY IT IS, AND THIS WILL HELP ESTABLISH A PRICE LEVEL.

YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE FISH ARE NUMBERED, AND THEY WILL BE AUCTIONED OFF IN A FEW MINUTES.

[ RINGING ] [ AUCTIONEER SPEAKING JAPANESE ] >> SUSHI.

>> SUSHI, YES.

[ LAUGHS ] IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO FIND FRESH FISH, ISN'T IT?

I'M HUNGRY.

DO YOU KNOW ENGLISH?

>> NICE.

JAPANESE STYLE, HAND.

>> OKAY.

HAND IS BETTER.

>> YES.

[ WOMAN SPEAKING JAPANESE ON INTERCOM ] >> Viestad: SUSHI HAS BEEN A PART OF JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

THE FIRST WRITTEN RECORDS ARE FROM 703 A.D., AND IT PROBABLY ORIGINATED HERE, BY LAKE BIWA, JAPAN'S BIGGEST LAKE.

WE HAVE TAKEN THE JOURNEY TO TOWN OF TAKASHIMA-SHI, AND THE RESTAURANT UOJI, WHERE THE CHEF, KENSUKE SAZAKI MAKES SUSHI THE TRADITIONAL WAY -- FUNASUSHI.

THIS SUSHI IS NOT LIKE ANYTHING YOU'VE EVER TASTED.

THE WORD "SUSHI" MEANS IT IS SOUR, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE FIRST SUSHI WAS.

IT WAS NOT FRESH FISH, BUT FERMENTED FISH.

THE FISH WAS CAUGHT IN THE LAKE, THEN SALTED, AND THEN STORED IN BINS LIKE THIS, WITH THE RICE, FOR UP 'TIL FOUR YEARS.

AND CHEF KENSUKE HERE COMES FROM A FAMILY OF FUNASUSHI MAKERS.

THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MORE THAN 220 YEARS.

AND HERE IS THE STOREROOM.

THERE'S BROWN SPOTS IN THE ROOF.

THAT'S A LACTIC ACID BACTERIA, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE FERMENTATION PROCESS.

THE RICE COVERS THE FISH.

AND THEN THE FISH IS HERE, LAYER UPON LAYER WITH RICE IN BETWEEN.

ARIGATO.

I MUST ADMIT I AM A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS.

ONE THING IS TO EAT SOMETHING THAT IS A THOUSAND-YEAR-LONG TRADITION.

QUITE ANOTHER THING IS TO EAT A FISH THAT HAS BEEN FERMENTING FOR TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS.

MMM.

[ LAUGHS ] IT IS ONE OF THE MOST INTENSELY FLAVORED PIECES OF FISH I'VE EVER EATEN.

IT IS VERY SOUR, BUT IT ALSO HAS A SORT OF ROUNDNESS TO IT THAT COMES FROM THE FISH ROE AND, OF COURSE, THE FISH FAT AS WELL.

AND THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH HOW SUSHI WAS SERVED FOR ABOUT 1,000 YEARS.

NOT UNTIL THE LATE 19th CENTURY THERE WERE ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A MODERN TYPE OF SUSHI.

THAT WAS IN THE EDO OR TOKYO AREA, WHERE THEY STARTED MAKING SUSHI THAT WAS GOOD TO EAT ON THE GO, WITH FRESHLY BOILED RICE AND A PIECE OF MARINATED FISH OR FRESH FISH OR BOILED FISH.

BUT THIS REMAINED A KIND OF LOCAL PHENOMENON, UNTIL THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN TOKYO OF 1923.

AT THAT TIME, LOTS OF UNEMPLOYED SUSHI CHEFS TRAVELED TO ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AND ALSO EMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES.

SO, IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT PEOPLE IN SAN FRANCISCO TASTED THE FIRST MODERN SUSHI AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE PEOPLE IN, SAY, KYOTO.

HELLO.

MR. SAKAI.

>> NICE TO MEET YOU.

>> VERY NICE TO BE HERE.

THIS HERE IS MR. SAKAI.

HE RUNS ONE OF THE BEST SUSHI RESTAURANTS AND BEST FISHMONGERS IN OSAKA.

AND HERE IN HIS SHOP, YOU CAN FIND FISH OF ALL DIFFERENT SHAPES AND COLORS, FROM ALL OVER JAPAN, AND EVEN SALMON FROM NORWAY.

>> THAT'S FOR SASHIMI, YES.

>> YES.

>> GOOD.

TASTY.

>> [ MAN SPEAKING JAPANESE ] >> HELLO.

>> [ SPEAKING JAPANESE ] >> Viestad: SUSHI IS A RICH JAPANESE TRADITION.

BUT I'M THINKING, IF SUSHI IS A PART OF GLOBAL FOOD CULTURE, THEN OTHER PEOPLE MUST BE ALLOWED TO EXPERIMENT, TO ADD THEIR OWN FLAVORS.

I'M GOING TO MAKE SUSHI.

I'M GOING TO MAKE NIGIRI, USING SCANDINAVIAN FLAVORS.

AND, OF COURSE, THE MOST SCANDINAVIAN OF ALL IS THE FISH.

AND JUST CUT OFF THE SKIN.

AND THEN CUT THE FISH INTO THIN SLICES... AT AN ANGLE.

THIS IS NORMAL RICE, NOT SUSHI RICE.

QUITE STICKY.

BUT MORE INTERESTINGLY, THIS IS BARLEY, WHICH HAS MUCH MORE FLAVOR AND IS A VERY, VERY TYPICAL SCANDINAVIAN INGREDIENT.

AND THEN I RINSE MY HAND IN WATER, BECAUSE THEN IT'S MUCH, MUCH EASIER TO MOLD THE RICE AND BARLEY INTO NICE BALLS LIKE THIS.

NOW, THIS IS THE BASIC SET-UP FOR NIGIRI.

IT'S THE RICE AND THE FISH.

WHAT MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE WITH SUSHI IS SOY SAUCE.

I'M GOING TO TRY TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SOY SAUCE, BUT IT HAS SOME OF THE SAME KIND OF DEPTH OF FLAVOR -- THESE BIG, BIG FLAVORS -- BUT WITH A SCANDINAVIAN TWIST AGAIN.

SO, HERE I HAVE DRIED PORCINI THAT I'M SOAKING IN ABOUT TWO-THIRDS CUP, A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO DECILITERS OF BOILING WATER, AND BOIL AND REDUCE UNTIL A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF IS LEFT.

IT'S CUSTOMARY TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF VINEGAR TO THE RICE WHEN YOU MAKE NIGIRI.

WELL, I HAVEN'T ADDED ANY.

BUT I'M GOING TO ADD SOME TO THE PORCINI.

THIS IS BEER VINEGAR.

AND WHAT'S LACKING NOW IS SALT.

THEN I'M BRUSHING THE FISH WITH THIS MIXTURE.

A LITTLE BIT OF CELERY SALT.

FINALLY, SOME GOOD OLD-FASHIONED HORSERADISH, WHICH IS A SCANDINAVIAN RELATIVE OF THE WASABI.

WHEN I CUT AWAY THE SKIN, I WOULD NORMALLY JUST THROW IT AWAY, BUT THE JAPANESE KNOW BETTER.

THEY KNOW HOW TO TURN SALMON SKIN INTO A DELICACY.

CHEF, CAN YOU COOK THIS?

>> HAI.

OKAY.

>> HOW ARE YOU GOING TO COOK IT?

>> [ SPEAKING JAPANESE ] >> OKAY.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.

HE'S GOING TO PUT IT IN A LITTLE BIT OF STARCH, AND THEN DEEP-FRY IT.

AND NOW, THE SKIN IS QUITE... CRISPY.

LIKE CHIPS.

I'M GOING TO BRUSH IT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF TERIYAKI SAUCE, WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON.

AND THEN SOME NORWEGIAN HEATHER HONEY TO GET A BIT MORE SWEETNESS AND THAT BIG ROUND FLAVOR.

FINALLY, SOME BABY SPRING ONIONS.

TUNA BELLY, THE TORO, IS THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF FISH THAT YOU CAN FIND, AND THE SALMON IS IN A WAY SIMILAR TO THE TUNA.

IT IS A POWERFUL FISH THAT SWIMS AROUND THE OCEAN, BUT STILL HAS A TENDENCY TO HAVE A SMALL ACCUMULATION OF FAT AROUND THE BELLY, JUST LIKE... WELL, NEVER MIND.

THIS IS A CUT THAT HAS REALLY NICE INTRAMUSCULAR FAT.

>> TORO.

>> THANK YOU.

THIS IS THE SALMON TORO, AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THE INTRAMUSCULAR FAT.

IT IS SOFT AND VELVETY AND RICH.

AND I'M GOING TO MIX IT WITH FRESH-TASTING INGREDIENTS.

THE FIRST ONE IS CUCUMBER.

SPRING ONION AGAIN.

AND YUZU, WHICH IS A TYPICAL CITRUS FRUIT HERE IN JAPAN, AND I'M USING BOTH THE ZEST AND SOME OF ITS FLESH.

I'M ADDING SOY SAUCE -- QUITE A LOT OF SOY SAUCE, SO AT THIS POINT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S DROWNING IN SOY SAUCE.

BUT, IN FACT, IT ISN'T.

I'M SIEVING OFF MOST OF IT, AND THEN I'M ADDING THIS TO SMALL SERVING SPOONS WITH A DOLLOP OF SALMON ROE.

AND THIS IS IT.

>> MORE SAUCE?

YEAH.

MM-HMM.

NORWAY SOY SAUCE.

>> NORWAY SOY SAUCE.

>> DO YOU WANT TO TASTE THE TORO?

SALMON TORO.

>> TORO.

>> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHEF.

THANKS FOR BORROWING YOUR KITCHEN.

BYE.

>> BYE.

>> FOR MORE OF THE "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" EXPERIENCE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR FACEBOOK PAGE.