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

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

♪ >> ♪ >> HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" FROM BLINDLEIA IN SOUTHERN NORWAY.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

IF THIS WAS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, YOU'D SAY THAT BLINDLEIA IS THE PLAYGROUND FOR THE RICH AND THE FAMOUS.

IT IS NORWAY'S FAVORITE SUMMER HOLIDAY DESTINATION, AND THE REAL ESTATE PRICES HERE ARE SKY-HIGH.

BUT MOST OF THE HOUSES ARE STILL FAIRLY BASIC, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.

AND THE FOOD IS ALSO SIMPLE.

THE REAL LUXURY IS IN THE INGREDIENTS.

IF YOU ASK PEOPLE WHAT FOOD THEY ASSOCIATE WITH THIS REGION, MOST WILL REPLY "SHELLFISH."

AND TODAY'S PROGRAM IS ABOUT THE PLEASURE, SIMPLICITY, AND SCIENCE OF ENJOYING SHELLFISH.

[ GULLS CALLING ] SHRIMP HAVE BEEN A DELICACY FOR CENTURIES, IF NOT MILLENNIA.

IT'S SAID THAT THE ROMAN CULINARY WRITER APICIUS LEFT HIS HOME IN ITALY AND MOVED TO LIBYA SIMPLY BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD THAT THE SHRIMP THERE WERE SO MUCH BETTER.

AND WHEN THAT TURNED OUT TO BE UNTRUE, HE MOVED BACK HOME AGAIN.

IN NORWAY, SHRIMP WEREN'T REALLY DISCOVERED UNTIL THE LATE 19th CENTURY.

IN 1898, THE NORWEGIAN MARINE BIOLOGIST JOHAN HJORT DECIDED TO MAP THE RESOURCES OF THE SEA USING A RN INVENTION -- A TRAWL.

AND WHAT HE FOUND WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF PINK SHRIMP, OPENING A WHOLE NEW AVENUE OF COMMERCIAL FISHING AND A LOT OF NEW GASTRONOMIC POSSIBILITIES.

NOW, WE'VE BEEN TRAWLING THE FJORD FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO, WHICH IS NOT REALLY ENOUGH TIME FOR A BIG CATCH, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SHRIMP, A LITTLE BIT OF FISH, AND NOT TOO MUCH JELLYFISH.

WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE SHRIMP, ONE RUBBER BOAT, AND MANY FISH.

MMM.

I THINK THAT IF APICIUS HAD LIVED TODAY, HE MIGHT HAVE CONSIDERED A MOVE TO NORWAY -- THESE ARE FANTASTIC!

A LAZY SUMMER DAY, A BOWL OF FRESH SHRIMP.

IT'S NOT REALLY COOKING, IT'S MORE LIKE A MEDITATIVE EXERCISE.

IN THE BEGINNING, IT SEEMS LIKE A HUGE TASK -- YOU'VE GOT A BIG BOWL OF SHRIMP, AND YOU'VE GOT TO PEEL THEM ONE AT THE TIME.

BUT THEN, ONCE YOU GET THE HANG OF IT, YOU LOSE TRACK OF TIME AND THEN SUDDENLY THE BOWL IS EMPTY, AND THIS IS FULL OF SHRIMP TAILS.

IT'S CUSTOMARY TO SERVE THE SHRIMP WITH MAYONNAISE.

AND IN THIS CASE, I'M GOING TO MAKE HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE -- WHICH IS NOT REALLY COOKING, EITHER -- IT'S MORE LIKE CULINARY ALCHEMY.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU LEARN WHEN YOU START COOKING IS THAT WATER AND FAT, OR OIL, DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER MUCH.

IF YOU COMBINE THE TWO, THEY WILL SEPARATE.

IF YOU MIX THEM TOGETHER, THEY WILL SEPARATE.

WELL, HEREIN LIES THE MAGIC OR ALCHEMY OF MAYONNAISE.

IT IS A MIRACLE OF MOLECULES, AND IT ALL STARTS WITH AN EGG.

YOU JUST NEED THE EGG YOLK, AND I'M USING A RAW EGG YOLK.

IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT SALMONELLA WHERE YOU LIVE, THEN YOU CAN USE PASTEURIZED EGGS.

AND THEN THE JUICE OF HALF A LEMON.

LEMON JUICE IS BASICALLY WATER, BUT IT'S ALSO ACIDIC, WHICH GIVES THE MAYONNAISE A FRESH TASTE.

AND A SMALL SPRINKLE OF SALT.

AND THEN THE LABORIOUS WHISKING PROCESS STARTS.

AND THEN, STARTING TO ADD THE OIL, LITTLE BY LITTLE, JUST ONE DROP AT FIRST.

ONE MORE DROP.

AND CONTINUE LIKE THIS, VERY, VERY CAREFULLY.

TECHNICALLY, A MAYONNAISE IS AN OIL-IN-WATER EMULSION.

THAT MEANS THAT THE WATER MOLECULES SURROUND THE FAT MOLECULES.

AND IN ORDER FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, YOU NEED TO WHISK IN THE OIL VERY GRADUALLY.

[ WHISKING CONTINUES ] TECHNICALLY, SCIENTIFICALLY, MOLECULE-WISE, IT'S AN INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED OPERATION.

BUT IF YOU DO IT RIGHT AND YOU START OFF AND YOU'RE QUITE PATIENT, IT'S THE SIMPLEST THING IN THE WORLD.

MMM.

AND THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN SHRIMP AND MAYONNAISE.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- BLINDLEIA MEANS "THE BLIND CHANNEL" -- IT'S A 20-KILOMETER, OR 12-MILE-LONG, WATERWAY PROTECTED AGAINST THE OPEN OCEAN.

ORIGINALLY THIS WAS JUST ONE OF MANY "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY" COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COAST.

IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, PEOPLE HAD TO COMBINE AGRICULTURE, FISHING, AND PAID JOBS AS SAILORS.

BUT THESE LAST 50 YEARS HAS SEEN A TOTAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE AREA.

IT IS TODAY THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER HOLIDAY REAL ESTATE IN NORWAY.

WHEN IT COMES TO ALL SEAFOOD, FRESHNESS IS ESSENTIAL.

BUT PARTICULARLY SO WHEN IT COMES TO SHELLFISH.

BECAUSE INSIDE THE HEAD THERE'S A LARGE ORGAN.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE LIVER.

AND WHEN THE CREATURE DIES, AN ENZYME FROM THE LIVER STARTS TO ATTACK -- TO ALMOST DIGEST THE FLESH.

SO WHAT YOU GET IS A NOT VERY PLEASANT SMELL AND NOT VERY PLEASANT TEXTURE.

SO THIS SHOULD BE PREVENTED AT ALL COST, AND THAT'S WHY MOST SHRIMP ARE EITHER BOILED OR FROZEN OUT AT SEA ON THE BOAT.

AND THAT'S WHY MANY SHELLFISH ARE SOLD BOILED OR STEAMED.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CRABS, WE DON'T HAVE TO RESTRICT OURSELVES THE SAME WAY.

BECAUSE CRABS WILL KEEP QUITE WELL EVEN AFTER WE'VE CAUGHT THEM.

AND THESE CRABS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT A FEW DAYS AGO, BUT THEY'RE AS ANGRY AS EVER.

WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS COOK THE CRABS ON A GRILL.

AND WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE KILLED THEM SIMPLY USING A KNIFE RUNNING IT THROUGH ITS HEAD.

THAT'S THE MOST HUMANE WAY, I THINK.

WHAT YOU CAN ALSO DO IS PLUNGE THEM INTO BOILING WATER FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS.

THAT WILL ALSO KILL THEM.

AND I'VE JUST SLIGHTLY CRACKED OPEN THE SHELLS.

AND WHEN YOU PLACE THEM ON A GRILL, THEY WILL PARTLY GRILL AND PARTLY BAKE.

AND THIS BRINGS OUT A LOT OF EXTRA FLAVOR, A LOT OF SWEETNESS AND THAT NICE SLIGHTLY CHARRED GRILL FLAVOR AS WELL.

MAYONNAISE, HOLLANDAISE, BEARNAISE, THE CLASSICAL EMULSION SAUCES, ALL BELONG TO MASTER CHEFS, LUXURY RESTAURANTS AND FINE FRENCH CUISINE.

WHAT I'M GOING TO MAKE NOW IS ALSO AN EMULSION, IT'S ALSO ORIGINALLY FROM FRANCE, BUT IT'S AN EVERYDAY EMULSION.

IN THE MID-19th CENTURY, THE FRENCH EMPEROR NAPOLEON WANTED TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE TO BUTTER, ESPECIALLY FOR HIS TROOPS, SINCE BUTTER WAS VERY EXPENSIVE.

AND WHAT THE SCIENTISTS CAME UP WITH WAS SOMETHING THEY CALLED MARGARINE.

ORIGINALLY, IT WAS MADE WITH BEEF TALLOW, BUT GRADUALLY PEOPLE STARTED MAKING IT WITH VEGETABLE FAT INSTEAD, BECAUSE THAT WAS A LOT CHEAPER AND A LOT MORE HEALTHY.

AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A VERSION HERE WITH VEGETABLE FAT.

I'VE GOT VEGETABLE OIL, WHICH IS RUNNY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.

AND THEN HARD VEGETABLE FAT -- IN THIS CASE, COCONUT FAT.

AND THEN I'M ADDING LIQUID.

80 GRAMS, OR ABOUT 1/3 OF A CUP, OF COCONUT MILK, WHICH WILL ADD A NICE SWEETNESS TO IT.

AND IN ORDER TO BRING THE WATER AND FAT TOGETHER, YOU NEED AN EMULSIFIER -- IN THE CASE OF THE MAYONNAISE, IT WAS EGG YOLK, WHICH CONTAINS LECITHIN.

I'M GOING TO USE MUSTARD, WHICH IS ALSO A VERY EFFICIENT EMULSIFIER.

YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN YOU MAKE A VINAIGRETTE, AND IF YOU ADD A BIT OF MUSTARD TO THE VINAIGRETTE, THE OIL AND VINEGAR COMES TOGETHER AND FORMS A THICK SAUCE.

I'M ADDING A FULL TEASPOON OF MUSTARD.

AND I'M ADDING SALT FOR FLAVOR.

AND ALSO TURMERIC, WHICH HAS AN ALMOST SHOCKING COLOR, AND NICE FLAVOR AS WELL.

A HINT OF SWEETNESS AND A LITTLE BIT OF BITTERNESS.

AND I HEAT THIS MIXTURE TO 50° CENTIGRADE -- THAT'S 120° FAHRENHEIT.

AND... YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT.

ONCE IT HAS REACHED THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE, THEN I TAKE IT OFF THE HEAT AND ADD A BIT OF LIME JUICE FOR FRESHNESS.

THIS DOESN'T LOOK VERY IMPRESSIVE -- IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AN EMULSION.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS COOL THE MIXTURE DOWN, SO I'VE GOT ONE BOWL PLACED IN ANOTHER BOWL WHICH HAS ICE CUBES AND WATER.

AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP WHISKING OR STIRRING, BECAUSE THERE WILL START TO FORM SOME LUMPS AROUND THE PERIMETER HERE WHERE IT'S AT ITS COLDEST.

AND I JUST SCRAPE THAT OFF AND WHISK IT INTO THE MIXTURE.

LOOK -- NOW THINGS ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN, AND THEY'RE HAPPENING QUITE QUICKLY.

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S FIRMING UP.

AND IT WILL FIRM UP A LITTLE BIT MORE ONCE I'VE PLACED IT IN THE FRIDGE.

AND IT WILL HAVE TIME TO STABILIZE A BIT.

AND AFTER 15 MINUTES OR SO ON THE GRILL, THE CRABS LOOK FANTASTIC.

AND THEY'RE SLIGHTLY CHARRED, SO THE SHELL IS BRITTLE IN ITSELF, SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY BREAK IT UP.

IT SMELLS FANTASTIC!

AND I'M ADDING EVEN MORE BIG, BOLD FLAVORS -- SPRINKLE OF FINELY CHOPPED CHILI, AND SOME CILANTRO, FRESH CORIANDER.

AND THEN YOU CAN JUST DIP THE CRAB IN THE MIXTURE.

AND IT'S DELICIOUS!

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- FINNER DERE NOE?

TAKK SKAL DU HA.

AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES ON THE BARE FACE ROCKS, I'VE GOT A GOOD PART OF A MEAL.

HALF A BUCKET, OR A QUARTER OF A BUCKET, OF THE FINEST AND DEFINITELY THE FRESHEST MUSSELS IMAGINABLE.

THE LAST DISH I'M GOING TO MAKE TODAY IS A NORWEGIAN-STYLE PAELLA.

WHERE THE SPANISH PAELLA IS BIG, BOLD, GENEROUS AND BASED ON RICE, THE NORWEGIAN PAELLA IS BIG, BOLD, GENEROUS AND BASED ON NORWEGIAN INGREDIENTS.

SO THERE'S POTATO AND ROOT VEGETABLES, AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF SHELLFISH AS WELL.

SO, I'M GOING TO START WITH THE MUSSELS.

IT'S QUITE COMMO STEAM MUSSELS IN A LARGE POT, AND THAT'S QUITE CONVENIENT, BUT IT DOESN'T YIELD THE BEST RESULT.

THE MUSSELS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POT WILL BE SERIOUSLY OVERCOOKED, MORE LIKE RAISINS THAN MUSSELS.

AND THE SHELLS AT THE TOP WILL PERHAPS NOT EVEN HAVE COOKED THROUGH.

SO I'M GOING TO USE A PAELLA PAN.

AND I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF WHITE WINE TO GET SOME MOISTURE IN THE PAN.

AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS METHOD IS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE AS THE SHELLS OPEN INDIVIDUALLY, AND THEN YOU JUST PICK THEM OUT OF THE POT.

AND AT THIS POINT, THEY'RE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT UNDERCOOKED, WHICH IS A GOOD THING SINCE I'M ADDING THEM TO THE PAELLA AND THEY'LL GET A LITTLE BIT OF COOKING TIME TOWARDS THE END.

NOW, THE STOCK THAT HAS ACCUMULATED IN THE PAN IS QUITE DELICIOUS.

IT'S MUSSEL AND WHITE WINE STOCK.

AND I'M ADDING THIS TO THE STOCK I'VE GOT HERE, WHICH IS MADE FROM SHRIMP.

SHRIMP STOCK IS ACTUALLY THE EASIEST THING TO MAKE.

YOU JUST TAKE WHATEVER IS LEFT AFTER YOU'VE PEELED THE SHRIMP, AND YOU BOIL THIS IN WATER OR WATER AND WHITE WINE, AND YOU'VE GOT AN EXCELLENT SHELLFISH STOCK.

FOR THE PAELLA, I'LL START WITH A BIT OF QUITE NEUTRAL VEGETABLE OIL.

AND THE SWEET VEGETABLES -- IN THIS CASE CARROT... AND RUTABAGA.

AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS COOK THESE VEGETABLES OVER REALLY HIGH HEAT, SO THAT THE SUGARS CARAMELIZE.

AND I'M GOING TO ADD ONE MORE SWEET VEGETABLE -- ONE THAT WE DON'T THINK OF AS SWEET, NAMELY ONION.

IT CONTAINS MORE SUGARS THAN MANY FRUITS.

SO, ONCE THE COLOR IS RIGHT, I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF ACIDITY.

IN THIS CASE, WHITE WINE.

AND THEN I'M ADDING THE VEGETABLES.

CELERIAC, FINELY CHOPPED.

AND TWO BOWLS OF POTATOES.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

THIS IS QUITE WAXY, THIS IS QUITE STARCHY.

SO THEY'LL BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEY'RE COOKED.

AND YOU'LL GET DIFFERENT TEXTURES -- ONE A LITTLE BIT FIRMER, AND THE OTHER ONE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT SOFTER.

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- AND THEN I'M ADDING SHELLFISH STOCK.

AND I DON'T ADD IT ALL AT THE SAME TIME -- I JUST ADD A LITTLE AT THE TIME...

SO THAT YOU SEE HOW MUCH IS INCORPORATED INTO THE VEGETABLES AND HOW MUCH EVAPORATES.

YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE A SOUP.

IT SHOULD BE KIND OF SEMI-DRY.

AND NOW ALL I'VE GOT TO DO IS COMMIT MYSELF TO THIS SLOW AND QUITE ATMOSPHERIC, NICE PROCESS OF STIRRING AROUND THE POT AND MAKING SURE THAT IT DOESN'T BOIL DRY.

THE POTATOES ARE STARTING TO SOFTEN, BUT THEY'RE STILL TOO FIRM.

SO I ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER SEVEN MINUTES OF COOKING TIME LEFT.

AT THIS POINT, I'M ADDING THE RAW CRAB CLAWS.

IF YOU HAVE COOKED CRAB CLAWS, THEY SHOULD BE ADDED ONLY AT THE LAST MINUTE, THE WAY I'LL DO WITH THE SHRIMP AND THE MUSSELS.

AND NOW THE DISH IS DONE.

AND AT THIS VERY LAST MINUTE, YOU CAN ADD THE COOKED INGREDIENTS, SHRIMP AND MUSSELS.

I'VE CLEANED SOME OF THEM, AND SOME OF THEM I USE WHOLE.

AND THIS IS IT -- A REALLY GENEROUS DISH THAT'S GOT SOME OF THE SAME AROMAS AND SMELLS, AND SOME OF THE SAME GENEROSITY AS A SPANISH PAELLA, BUT WITH VERY LOCAL INGREDIENTS.

>> FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT SCANDINAVIAN DESTINATIONS AND FOOD, VISIT OUR WEB SITE -- THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN-FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.

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

♪