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

[ LAUGHTER ] ♪ CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.

♪ ♪ ♪ [ THEME MUSIC PLAYING ] >> HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" FROM KRISTIANSAND IN SOUTHERN NORWAY.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

IN NORWAY, SUMMER IS A PRECIOUS TIME, ONE TO MAKE THE MOST OF.

FOR A FEW HECTIC WEEKS, NORWEGIANS FLOCK TO THE COASTAL RESORT TOWNS OF SOUTHERN NORWAY TO ENGAGE IN SUCH ACTIVITIES AS SWIMMING, SUNBATHING, AND NOT LEAST, FISHING.

TO MANY PEOPLE, SUCCESS OF SUMMER CAN BE MEASURED IN THE AMOUNT OF MACKEREL YOU'VE CAUGHT.

AND TODAY'S PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT THAT UBIQUITOUS AND MUCH APPRECIATED FISH.

I'LL START OFF BY ILLUSTRATING THE MANTRA, THAT THE BEST WAY TO COOK A FISH IS NOT TO.

THEN I'LL MAKE CURED MACKEREL, MUCH THE SAME WAY AS YOU WOULD MAKE GRAVLAKS.

THERE'S AN OLD SAYING THAT "WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S FIRE."

WELL, IN MY EXPERIENCE, WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S VERY OFTEN MACKEREL.

I'LL SHOW YOU A SIMPLE WAY TO SMOKE YOUR OWN MACKEREL, JUST USING A NORMAL GRILL.

THE MACKEREL IS A TYPICAL SUMMER FISH.

FOR A VERY LONG TIME THERE ARE NO MACKEREL, AND THEN, SUDDENLY, THE ENTIRE FJORD IS FULL OF THEM!

ANOTHER SUCH FISH IS SPRAT, OR BRISLING SARDINE, OR JUST PLAIN SARDINE AS WE SOMETIMES REFER TO IT.

I'M GOING TO MAKE A SALAD USING TWO TYPES OF BRISLING SARDINES, OR SPRATS.

FIRST, THESE FRESH ONES THAT WE CAN GET NOW AND FOR A COUPLE OF MORE WEEKS, AND THEN THEY'LL GO AWAY.

AND TINNED BRISLING SARDINES.

THESE HAVE BEEN SMOKED AND PLACED IN OLIVE OIL.

AND THEY'VE BEEN SLEEPING HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND THEY NEED SOMETHING TO WAKE THEM UP, SOME FRESH FLAVORS AS WELL, SO I'M GOING TO USE ANOTHER FINE PRODUCT... NAMELY A LEMON.

A FRESH LEMON, THAT IS.

AND THIS IS THEIR WAKE-UP CALL.

I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE FISH TO MARINATE WHILE I MAKE THE SALAD.

AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A GREEN SALAD, BUT WITH ZUCCHINI AND CUCUMBERS INSTEAD OF ANY LETTUCE.

I'M GOING TO JUST SLICE THE ZUCCHINI FINELY, USING A CHEESE SLICER.

I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A NORWEGIAN INVENTION, AND THAT IT WAS INVENTED AND USED BECAUSE NORWEGIANS WERE SO POOR.

THEY HAD TO SLICE THEIR CHEESE INTO VERY, VERY THIN SLICES.

BUT IT'S VERY HANDEN IT COMES TO SLICING VEGETABLES.

AND BABY CUCUMBERS -- THESE I HAVE GROWN IN MY OWN LITTLE GREENHOUSE.

THEY'RE NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE TO LOOK AT, BUT THEY'RE QUITE FLAVORFUL.

SOME FENNEL.

I'LL TRY THE FENNEL WITH MY CHEESE SLICER AS WELL.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO ADD SOME SCALLIONS, OR SPRING ONIONS.

[ SHIP'S HORN BLOWS ] AND ONCE YOU GET INTO THE WHITE PART, IT STARTS TO GET A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO CUT, AND THE FLAVOR OF THIS PART IS MUCH, MUCH MORE INTENSE.

SO, NORMALLY I WOULD EITHER DISCARD IT, OR YOU HAVE TO CHOP IT BY KNIFE.

BUT I'M NOT GOING TO USE IT TODAY, BECAUSE THERE ARE ACTUALLY WILD ONIONS GROWING HERE.

AND I THINK IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO USE WHATEVER IT IS AT HAND.

AND THE FLAVOR OF THESE WILD ONIONS IS LIKE A COMBINATION OF GARLIC AND NORMAL YELLOW ONIONS.

AND I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU THE RESULT IS BETTER THAN SOMETHING STORE-BOUGHT, BUT IT IS ALWAYS MORE SPECIAL IF YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING FROM YOUR ENVIRONMENT.

IF YOU'VE GOT SOME HERBS GROWING IN YOUR GARDEN, OR IF YOU BROUGHT SOME DRIED HERBS WITH YOU HOME FROM VACATION, IT MAKES YOU KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE IN A CONTEXT, AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF COOKING.

AND THEN DRESSING IT WITH LEMON AND OLIVE OIL.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE SPRATS.

THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FRESH SPRATS IS BY DEEP FRYING THEM, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T REALLY HANDLE TOO MUCH HANDLING, SO YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GRILL THEM, BECAUSE THEY'D JUST FALL APART.

AND I'M ADDING SOME LEMON ZEST TO ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, AND THEN DREDGING THE FISH IN THE FLOUR.

YOU HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL, THEY'RE SO FRAGILE.

AND THEY ONLY NEED TO FRY FOR ABOUT A MINUTE, OR EVEN LESS THAN A MINUTE.

AND YOU EAT THEM WHOLE, WITH BONES AND EVERYTHING.

THE BONES ARE JUST SO TINY THAT YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE THEM.

IF ANYTHING, IT'S JUST A BIT OF CALCIUM, WHICH IS GOOD FOR YOU.

AND TO ACCENTUATE THESE LEMONY FLAVORS THAT WE'VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH, I'M ADDING A BIT OF LEMON BALM, JUST TOWARDS THE END.

YOU DON'T WANT THE HERBS TO BE ALL LIMPY AND STUFF.

AND THAT IS THE DISH -- WITH THE GREEN SALAD AND THE FRIED SPRATS AND THE TINNED SPRATS OR "BRISLING SARDINES."

AND OF COURSE, IF YOU CAN'T FIND FRESH SPRATS, YOU CAN USE ONLY TINNED ONES.

AND THIS IS THE DISH.

JULIA CHILD USED TO SAY, "NO FAT, NO SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL, NO FUN."

WELL, I TEND TO AGREE WITH HER, BUT THIS IS ONE DISH THAT CONTRADICTS HER.

SUPER HEALTHY, AND I THINK, QUITE LUXURIOUS.

MOST OF NORWAY HAS A RUGGED BEAUTY, WHERE YOU APPRECIATE THE DRAMA OF THE LANDSCAPE, THE INTENSITY OF THE CLIMATE, AND THE SHEER FORCE OF IT ALL.

THE COASTLINE OF SOUTHERN NORWAY IS DIFFERENT.

THERE IS A GENTLENESS TO THE LAND.

THE SUMMERS ARE SUN-FILLED, THE WINTERS ARE NOT TOO HARD.

OFTEN, THEY ARE SNOW-FREE, WHICH IS A RARITY IN THIS COUNTRY.

THE COAST ALONG THE TWO SOUTHERNMOST COUNTIES OF NORWAY ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE "SOFT SOUTH," AND IT SEEMS EVERYTHING HERE IS SOFTER -- THE LANDSCAPE, THE CLIMATE, AND THE ROLLING R's SPOKEN BY THOSE WHO LIVE HERE.

[ SPEAKING NORWEGIAN ] AS YOU CAN SEE, I BROUGHT WITH ME A BUCKET OF ICE, AND THAT'S A SMART THING TO DO WHEN YOU GO FISHING, PARTICULARLY DURING SUMMER, BECAUSE FISH WILL START TO SPOIL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AT NORMAL SUMMER TEMPERATURES.

THE MACKEREL IS INCREDIBLY PRETTY, OR AT LEAST IT'S QUITE COLORFUL.

IN MANY LANGUAGES "MACKEREL" IS A SLANG TERM FOR PIMP.

AND YOU CAN IMAGINE A PIMP WEARING A SUIT WITH JUST ABOUT THE SAME SILVERY, SHINY, KIND OF GREEN PATTERN, AND LOOKING VERY SMUG.

MY ONLY BEEF WITH FIS THAT THEY WON'T ALWAYS BITE WHEN YOU WANT THEM TO BITE.

AND THUS FAR, WE'VE ONLY CAUGHT ONE FISH.

LUCKILY, THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH TO GIVE A GOOD BITE FOR TWO PEOPLE.

I'M GOING TO COOK IT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.

IN FACT, I'M NOT GOING TO COOK IT AT ALL.

BECAUSE MACKEREL IS A FISH THAT IS EXCELLENT IN ITS RAW STATE, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A SUSHI, SASHIMI INSPIRED DISH.

IF YOU CAN'T FIND REALLY, REALLY FRESH MACKEREL, YOU COULD USE TUNA OR SALMON FOR THIS DISH, AS WELL.

AND THEN, GIVE THE REST BACK TO THE OCEAN.

IT'S GOING TO BE FISH FOOD.

PERHAPS IT WILL BE MACKEREL FOOD, EVEN.

I JUST CUT AWAY THESE PIN BONES, AND THE LITTLE BIT OF SKIN.

AND THERE ARE SOME BONES HERE, AS WELL.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMOVE THEM, BUT IT IS QUITE SIMPLE.

JUST PULL THEM OUT LIKE THIS.

AND YOU CAN EAT THE FISH JUST LIKE THIS -- COMPLETELY NATURAL, NOTHING ADDED.

MMM.

IT IS SURPRISINGLY FIRM IN ITS TEXTURE, AND IT HAS REALLY FULL FLAVOR.

IF YOU LIKE RAW TUNA, THEN YOU WILL LIKE RAW MACKEREL.

BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS DRESS IT UP A LITTLE, MAKING A DRESSING WITH SOY SAUCE.

I'D SAY A TABLESPOON AND A HALF, AND THE JUICE OF ABOUT HALF A LIME.

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BROWN SUGAR.

JUST LIKE A QUARTER TEASPOON OR SO.

JUST DISSOLVE THAT.

AND THEN I REMOVE THE SKIN.

YOU JUST CUT DOWN LIKE THIS.

YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET ALL THE SKIN, BUT THAT'S NOT SO IMPORTANT.

OH, YEAH -- THIS WAS PERFECT.

AND THEN I JUST POUR OFF THE DRESSING, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN FLAVORED BY THE DRESSING, AND YOU DON'T REALLY WANT IT TO SWIM IN DRESSING WHEN YOU SERVE IT.

AND THE FINAL INGREDIENT, SESAME SEEDS THAT I'VE TOASTED LIGHTLY IN THE PAN.

AND THIS IS IT.

KRISTIANSAND IS THE BIGGEST TOWN IN SOUTHERN NORWAY, THE MOST GROWN-UP OF THE SUMMER TOWNS.

IT'S GOT ALL-YEAR ACTIVITY HERE, SUCH AS A UNIVERSITY, AND A DIVERSE CULTURAL SCENE.

IT'S ALSO IN MANY WAYS THE MOST CHILDISH PLACE.

THIS IS WHERE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN COME TO VISIT THE COUNTRY'S MOST FAMOUS ZOO.

EVERY YEAR, NEWSPAPERS ARE FULL OF STORIES OF A NEWBORN TIGER CUB, OR THERE'S A FAMILY DRAMA IN A CHIMPANZEE FAMILY.

WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH LUCK TODAY WHEN WE WERE FISHING.

LUCKILY, THERE ARE SOME GUYS WHO HAVE MORE LUCK THAN US, AND THEY'RE CALLED FISHERMEN.

I'VE BOUGHT A FEW POUNDS OF FRESH MACKEREL FILLETS, AND I'M GOING TO CURE MACKEREL.

MUCH THE SAME TECHNIQUE IS USED AS WHEN WE'RE MAKING GRAVLAKS.

AND IT'S A SALT AND SUGAR CURE.

BUT SUGAR IS THE PREDOMINANT INGREDIENT, SO I'VE GOT ABOUT HALF A CUP -- I'D SAY A GENEROUS DECILITER OF SUGAR, NORMAL CASTER SUGAR.

AND TO THAT I'M ADDING SALT, BUT MUCH LESS THAN SUGAR.

SO ABOUT THREE TABLESPOONS OF SALT.

AND FOR FLAVOR, I'M USING CARAWAY.

SO ABOUT A TABLESPOON, OR A TABLESPOON AND A HALF OF CARAWAY.

AND THEN FRESH DILL.

WHEN IT COMES TO DILL, I'M ABSOLUTELY INSATIABLE.

AND THIS IS THE CURE.

SO I'M ADDING THIS TO A BOWL, AND TO THIS I'M ADDING A LAYER OF FISH, THEN ONE MORE LAYER OF THE CURE.

ONE MORE LAYER OF FISH.

AND THEN ANOTHER HANDFUL AND ANOTHER LAYER.

AND YOU CAN CONTINUE LIKE THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE A MOUNTAIN.

WHEN IT COMES TO CURING, IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU WHEN YOU WANT TO START EATING THE FISH.

YOU CAN START EATING IT AFTER JUST A FEW MINUTES, AND YOU WILL NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN TEXTURE AND FLAVOR.

AND YOU CAN CONTINUE CURING IT FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS.

THEN THE TEXTURE WILL BE JUST KE GRAVLAKS.

AT THAT POINT, YOU SHOULD EITHER SCRAPE OFF THE SALT AND SUGAR SOLUTION, OR YOU CAN START FREEZING IT.

AND IT FREEZES REALLY WELL.

BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT FOR A FEW MINUTES.

I'M GOING TO SERVE IT OUT ON THE FJORD.

[ SPEAKING NORWEGIAN ] AND I SERVE THE MACKEREL WITH A GRAINY MUSTARD SAUCE, WHICH IS BASICALLY JUST GRAINY MUSTARD, A LITTLE BIT OF HONEY AND SOME OIL.

SUMMER IS THE TIME FOR ALL THE QUIET, UNPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS SUNBATHING AND SAILING AND SITTING IN THE BOAT AND DOING NOTHING.

BUT ONE WEEK EVERY SUMMER, THE OTHERWISE TRANQUIL TOWN OF KRISTIANSAND IS HOME TO THE LOUDEST, MOST TALKED ABOUT ROCK FESTIVAL IN THE COUNTRY -- THE QUART FESTIVAL.

[ ROCK MUSIC PLAYING ] BUT NOW, THE TOWN IS ITS NORMAL SELF, A PLACE OF QUIET ENJOYMENT AND THE GOOD LIFE.

KRISTIANSAND WAS FOUNDED IN THE 17th CENTURY BY KING CHRISTIAN.

AND BY THAT TIME, NORWAY AND DENMARK WAS THE SAME COUNTRY.

NORWAY WAS KIND OF LIKE A JUNIOR PARTNER.

AND THE REASON WHY KRISTIANSAND WAS PLACED HERE WAS THAT IT WAS SO CONVENIENT FOR THE DANES.

THISABOUT AS CLOSE TO DENMARK AS YOU CAN GET.

AND THEY SAY THAT ON A GOOD, CLEAR DAY, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY TO DENMARK.

WHICH I GUESS WOULD HAVE BEEN TRUE IF THE EARTH HAD BEEN FLAT, OR IF YOU'D BEEN 600 FEET TALL.

BUT IT IS PRETTY CLOSE, AND WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING AROUND IN YOUR CAR, YOU CAN SOMETIMES PICK UP THE SOFT CONSONANCE OF DANISH RADIO ON YOUR CAR STEREO.

TWO OF MY FAVORITE MACKEREL PREPARATIONS ARE GRILLED MACKEREL, WHICH TO ME IS THE TASTE OF SUMMER -- AND THEN, SMOKED MACKEREL.

SMOKED MACKEREL IS KIND OF LIKE THE POOR MAN'S SMOKED SALMON.

IT'S NOT AN INFERIOR PRODUCT, BUT IT'S QUITE CHEAP, SO YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH OF IT AND AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT.

I'M GOING TO MAKE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

I'M GOING TO GRILL AND HOT-SMOKE AT THE SAME TIME, JUST USING A NORMAL GRILL.

AND I'LL JUST SEASON THE FISH VERY, VERY LIGHTLY WITH SOME SALT ON THE OUTSIDE, AND A LITTLE BIT ON THE INSIDE, AS WELL.

I'M GOING TO PLACE A SMALL SLICE OF LEMON INSIDE THE CAVITY, WHICH WILL LEND A SMALL HINT OF FRESHNESS TO THE OTHERWISE FATTY AND QUITE HEAVY FLESH OF THE FISH.

AND I'M ADDING A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF PARSLEY.

AND, YES, I KNOW THE PARSLEY IS GOING TO BURN WHEN I GRILL IT, BUT THAT'S THE POINT.

IT WILL RELEASE FUMES, AND YOU WILL HAVE SOME OF THAT KIND OF SMOKEY PARSLEY FLAVOR ON THE SKIN, AND THAT'S DELICIOUS, AS WELL.

THAT'S IT.

IT DOESN'T NEED ANY FAT.

IT IS A RATHER FATTY FISH, SO IT WILL RELEASE SOME FAT AS I GRILL IT.

WHILE THE FISH IS ON THE GRILL, I'M GOING TO MAKE A LITTLE SOMETHING TO GO WITH IT.

AS I MENTIONED, MACKEREL IS A RATHER FATTY FISH, SO IT IS NICE TO HAVE SOME ACIDITY -- SOMETHING SLIGHTLY ACIDIC TO CONTRAST IT.

AND NOTHING IS MORE ACIDIC THAN THE FURIOUS RHUBARB.

NORMALLY, RHUBARB IS VERY OFTEN USED IN DESSERTS, WITH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SUGAR -- SOMETIMES MORE SUGAR THAN RHUBARB.

WELL, TODAY I'M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THE EDGE AWAY, BUT NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR DESSERT, EITHER.

A SMALL SPLASH OF WHITE WINE.

I'M GOING TO FLAVOR IT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF STAR ANISE.

JUST ONE.

IT GIVES OFF A REALLY NICE FLAVOR.

ALMOST KIND OF LICORICE-LIKE.

AND WITH ALL THESE KIND OF EPHEMERAL OVER- AND UNDERTONES OF FLAVOR.

AND I HAVE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF SUGAR.

BUT WHERE I WOULD ADD FOUR TABLESPOONS OF SUGAR, OR EVEN MORE, IN A DESSERT, HERE I MAKE DO WITH FOUR TEASPOONS.

AND A SMALL PINCH OF SALT, AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT TO SIMMER UNTIL THE RHUBARB IS TENDER.

BUT I'LL STOP, WAY BEFORE IT FALLS APART.

NOW, THE FISH IS NEARLY READY.

I'VE FLIPPED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I'VE GOT THE COALS ONLY TO ONE SIDE OF THE GRILL.

THAT'S WHERE THE HEAT IS MOST INTENSE.

AND NOW, FOR THE SMOKING, I'M MOVING THE FISH AWAY, SO IT'S NOT IN THE MOST INTENSE HEAT, AND IT'S READY TO BE SMOKED.

I JUST NEED A HANDFUL OF WOOD SHAVINGS -- OR A COUPLE OF HANDFULS.

AND THEN CLOSING IT WITH A LID.

YOU'LL SEE THAT SOME OF THE SMOKE GETS IN MY EYES AND GETS AWAY.

BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO GIVE THE FISH A VERY NICE, SMOKY FLAVOR.

AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES, THERE'S STILL QUITE A BIT OF SMOKE, BUT AT ONE POINT YOU'VE JUST GOT TO MAKE A CUT OFF, AND SAY THAT YOU DON'T WANT THE FISH MORE COOKED EITHER, SO... LOOK AT IT.

IT HAS THAT NICE, YELLOW TINT, WHICH IS SMOKE.

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

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO TASTE THE RHUBARB BEFORE SERVING.

MMM.

THIS ONE IS JUST RIGHT.

YOU'VE GOT... YOU'VE GOT ACIDITY AND TARTNESS, BUT VERY NICELY BALANCED WITH THE SWEETNESS.

BUT IF YOU GET A PARTICULARLY ANGRY RHUBARB, YOU CAN GET ONE OF THOSE SHOCK WAVES OF TARTNESS, AND YOU DON'T REALLY WANT THAT.

HERE IT IS, THE TASTE OF NORWEGIAN SUMMER.

THE SMOKE HAS ALL THESE WONDERFUL, DIFFERENT AROMAS, AND SINCE I STOPPED SMOKING CIGARETTES MANY YEARS AGO, THIS IS THE KIND OF SMOKE I GET A CRAVING FOR.

>> FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT SCANDINAVIAN DESTINATIONS AND FOOD, VISIT OUR WEB SITE -- NEWSCANCOOK.COM.

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

[ LAUGHTER ] ♪ CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.

♪ ♪ ♪