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 MORE OG ROMSDAL IN WESTERN NORWAY.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

THAT NORWAY IS AN OLD FISHING NATION IS WELL ILLUSTRATED BY FISHING VILLAGES LIKE THESE, THAT CAN BE FOUND ALL ALONG THE COASTLINE OF NORWAY.

THIS ONE, THE HAMLET OF ONA, WAS FOUNDED ON THE RICH BUT FLUCTUATING HERRING FISHERIES.

AND HERRING WILL BE THE FOCUS OF TODAY'S PROGRAM.

HERRING IS A MODEST FISH, BUT WITH A RICH AND IMPRESSIVE HISTORY.

IT IS WHAT SUSTAINED US THROUGH MEAGER TIMES.

IT'S ALSO A HEALTHY FISH FULL OF GOOD OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A CORNERSTONE IN SCANDINAVIAN COOKING.

AND IT'S REACH GOES FAR BEYOND JUST SCANDINAVIA.

DIVERSE FOOD CULTURES -- SUCH AS THE RUSSIAN, FRENCH, DUTCH AND PORTUGUESE -- ALL LOVE AND CHERISH THE HERRING.

AND WE'LL SEEK SOME INSPIRATION THERE, AS WELL.

I'LL START OFF BY GRILLING HERRING.

IT'S THE PORTUGUESE, BUT IT'S ALSO THE UNIVERSAL WAY.

'S PROBABLY THE WAY THE FIRST MAN EVER COOKED IT, OVER AN OPEN FIRE.

THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE LIGHTLY SALTED, STILL RAW MATJESSILL, SERVED WITH TRADITIONAL GARNISHES -- ONION, CAPERS, BEETS, AND A MUSTARDY POTATO SALAD.

THEN I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE PICKLED HERRING THE WAY YOU'LL GET IT SERVED AT ANY GOOD SCANDINAVIAN BREAKFAST.

THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE TWO VERSIONS OF HERRING SALAD -- ONE SWEDISH INSPIRED AND ONE RUSSIAN INSPIRED.

AND FINALLY I'M GOING TO MAKE FRIED HERRING WITH BACON, CELERIAC, APPLES, CARROTS AND PARSLEY.

IT IS OFTEN SAID ABOUT NORWAY THAT BEFORE WE HAD OIL, WE HAD FISH.

AND THAT'S RIGHT, BUT IT ISN'T QUITE CORRECT, BECAUSE LONG BEFORE WE FOUND PETROLEUM, WE HAD ANOTHER TYPE OF OIL, NAMELY FISH OIL.

IT USED IN COOKING, IT WAS USED IN LAMPS, AND MOST PROBABLY ALL OF THESE HOUSES WERE PAINTED USING A COMBINATION OF FISH OIL AND PIGMENT.

THE HERRING FISHERIES HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IN NORWAY, BUT ALSO QUITE UNPREDICTABLE.

YOU'VE HAD THESE BOOM PERIODS, THESE GOLDEN YEARS, AND YOU COULD SEE IT -- THEN THERE WOULD POP UP NEW HOUSES AND THEY WOULD BE GRANDER AND NICER THAN ALL THE PREVIOUS HOUSES.

AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE MANY LONG, MEAGER YEARS.

AND NO ONE HAS REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHY THE STOCKS HAVE FLUCTUATED SO MUCH.

BUT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THE FISHERIES HAVE STABILIZED AT ABOUT 100,000 TONS.

THAT IS HOW MUCH HERRING IS BEING CAUGHT OFF THE COAST OF NORWAY EVERY YEAR.

FOR THIS NEXT DISH, I'M GOING TO GO ABROAD TO SEEK INSPIRATION.

I'M GOING TO MAKE GRILLED HERRING THE WAY THEY WOULD PREPARE IT IN PORTUGAL.

YOU COULD SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A UNIQUELY PORTUGUESE WAY OF PREPARING THE FISH.

I WOULD SAY THAT THE FIRST FISHERMEN OFF THE COAST OF NORWAY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE DONE MORE OR LESS THE SAME -- HE WOULD HAVE HEATED THE FISH OVER AN OPEN FIRE.

I'M STARTING WITH CUTTING SOME SLITS INTO THE FISH.

FILLING THE SLITS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF SALT AND FLAKY CHILI.

AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF LEMON.

I'LL FILL THE CAVITY WITH THIN SLICES OF LEMON.

THAT'S REALLY NICE WITH FATTY FISH.

AND I'M GOING TO SERVE THE FISH.

I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GRILL THE FISH TOGETHER WITH SOME LEEKS THAT I'VE BLANCHED FOR FIVE OR SIX MINUTES.

AND JUST A DRIZZLE OF OIL.

EXACTLY HOW LONG THE FISH SHOULD BE ON THE GRILL DEPENDS, OF COURSE, ON THE HEAT, AND NOT LEAST THE WIND CONDITIONS.

A GOOD SIGN IS THAT IT'S SLIGHTLY CHARRED OUTSIDE AND, LIKE HERE, WHEN THE HEAD ALMOST THREATENS TO FALL OFF, THAT'S ALSO A GOOD INDICATION THAT IT IS FINISHED.

AND THEN YOU CAN JUST REMOVE THE MOST CHARRED PART OF THE LEEK, BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP SOME OF IT BECAUSE IT'S NICE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT GRILL FLAVOR.

AND I'VE ALSO ROASTED SOME PEPPERS, WHICH GIVES IT EVEN MORE OF A PORTUGUESE FLARE AND FLAVOR.

AND ROASTED PEPPERS GO VERY WELL WITH ALL KINDS OF FATTY FISH.

THIS IS IT.

IT'S AMAZING HOW HERRING CAN STAND UP TO THESE ROUGH FLAVORS LIKE THE CHILI, AND NOT LEAST THAT CHARREDNESS.

IT JUST ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

ALL ALONG THE RUGGED COASTLINE OF NORWAY, WHICH IS WHERE MOST PEOPLE LIVE, THE FARMS WERE GENERALLY SMALL, SO PEOPLE HAD TO COMBINE AGRICULTURE AND FISHING.

BUT THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

HERE IN MORE, THE FISHERIES WERE SO RICH THAT YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE TO PICK UP A SPADE OR A HOE.

AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE DONE MUCH GOOD ANYWAY, BECAUSE THERE'S PRACTICALLY NO SOIL HERE.

THE LITTLE SOIL YOU DO FIND HAS PROBABLY BEEN BROUGHT OUT HERE FROM THE MAINLAND.

JUST ENOUGH SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE MAYBE A COUPLE OF SHEEP, OR IF YOU TOOK A GREAT MANY ROWING TRIPS, MAYBE ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE COW.

HERRING HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT FISH, ALWAYS BEEN A POPULAR FISH, BUT ITS SOCIAL PRESTIGE HAS GONE UP AND DOWN DEPENDING ON HOW EXCLUSIVE IT WAS SEEN AS.

BUT ONE TYPE OF HERRING HAS MANAGED TO KEEP HIGH PRESTIGE AT ALL TIMES.

AND THAT HAS BEEN THE MATJESSILL, OR THE VIRGIN RRING.

THIS IS THE THREE-YEAR-OLD HERRING JUST BEFORE IT'S READY TO SPAWN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND THIS IS WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE GREATEST DELICACY OF ALL, ESPECIALLY IN THE NETHERLANDS.

THAT'S WHY WE REFER TO IT IN THE DUTCH TERM, MATJESSILL.

AND IT ALMOST ALWAYS COMES LIKE THIS.

STILL CONNECTED AT THE TAIL.

AND THE FISH IS LIGHTLY SALTED FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN IT'S FROZEN.

WHEN YOU SERVE MATJESSILL, YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE HERRING ITSELF -- IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT COMPANY YOU GIVE IT.

SO I'M GOING TO SERVE IT MORE OR LESS HOW YOU WOULD GET IT IN DENMARK OR THE NETHERLANDS OR IN PARIS -- WITH FINELY CHOPPED ONIONS... RED BEETS... CAPERS...

SOUR CREAM.

I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THEY SERVE HERRING IN FRANCE, WITH A SIMPLE VERY, VERY LIGHTLY DRESSED POTATO SALAD.

HERE I'VE GOT FRESHLY BOILED NEW POTATOES THAT I'LL JUST CUT IN HALF.

AND THEN ADD A LITTLE BIT OF MUSTARD, A DROP OF MALT VINEGAR, AND SOME DILL.

AND THIS IS IT.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- newscancook.com.

A LITTLE FURTHER INLAND FROM THE COAST LIES THE FJORD PARADISE OF SUNDMORE.

THIS IS THE LANDSCAPE THAT NORWAY IS FAMOUS FOR.

EVERY YEAR, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FLOCK HERE JUST TO TAKE IN THE SCENERY.

BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO FAR BACK IN TIME TO FIND A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ATTITUDE.

UP UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY, THIS WAS THE PLACE FOR EXHAUSTING JOURNEYS BY ROWBOAT AND A CONSTANT FRUSTRATION, THAT NATURE MADE EVERY HILL SO STEEP AND EVERY FIELD SO TINY.

AND I WONDER WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE THOUGHT, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON THE FARM OVER THERE, IF THEY KNEW THAT THEIR FARM, WHERE THEY JUST BARELY MANAGED TO SURVIVE, WAS BEING PHOTOGRAPHED BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY.

IN THE 12th CENTURY, THE FRENCH KING AWARDED SPECIAL GUILD PRIVILEGES TO THE SELLERS OF SALT WATER FISH.

AND TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW DOMINANT HERRING WAS, THIS GUILD WAS NOT SIMPLY CALLED THE SALTWATER FISHMONGERS GUILD, IT WAS CALLED SPECIFICALLY THE HERRINGMONGERS GUILD.

ALL THE OTHER SALTWATER FISH WAS JUST AN INCIDENTAL.

HERRING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT FISH.

AND THE MOST COMMON WAY TO TRADE HERRING WAS THIS -- IN A GIANT BARREL.

THIS HERE IS HOW IT HAS BEEN IN STORES EVER SINCE AT LEAST THE 12th CENTURY.

AND IT KEEPS INCREDIBLY WELL.

YOU WON'T FIND A SINGLE OFF SMELL HERE.

THIS IS A PURE DELICACY.

IF YOU TRAVEL IN SCANDINAVIA, YOU'RE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER LOTS OF DIFFERENT HERRING DISHES.

IN NORWAY IT'S TYPICALLY AROUND BREAKFAST THAT YOU WILL SEE THE MOST VARIETY OF HERRING -- PARTICULARLY IN BREAKFAST BUFFETS IN TRADITIONAL HOTELS LIKE THIS, THE OYE UNION HOTEL.

THE STARTING POINT IS ALWAYS THIS, SALTED HERRING.

BUT ALTHOUGH SALTED HERRING IS THE COMMODITY, THAT'S NOT HOW WE SERVE IT.

WE NORMALLY PICKLE IT AND MAKE LOTS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES.

I'M GOING TO MAKE MY FAVORITE VERSIONS -- ONE IS THE TRADITIONAL GLASSMESTERSILD, WHICH MEANS THE GLASS MASTER'S HERRING.

AND THE OTHER ONE IS A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR ME, IT'S MY GRANDMOTHER'S OLD RECIPE -- HERRING WITH ONIONS AND APPLES.

SO HERE I'VE GOT SALTED HERRING AND ONIONS, TO WHICH I'M GOING TO ADD SOME APPLES.

THEN I PLACE IT IN THE JAR WITH THE HERRING.

AND THEN I ADD A LITTLE MORE HERRING TO THE JAR... AND ONION.

AND A LITTLE MORE APPLE.

OF COURSE, THIS IS JUST SALT HERRING AND VEGETABLES IN A JAR.

IN ORDER TO PICKLE THE HERRING, YOU NEED A BRINE OF SOME KIND, SOMETHING SLIGHTLY ACIDIC.

SO, IN THIS VERSION I'M GOING TO ENHANCE THAT FLAVOR OF APPLES BY ADDING APPLE VINEGAR.

BUT FIRST, INSTEAD OF SUGAR, I'M USING GOOD NORWEGIAN HEATHER HONEY.

AND I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF BOILING WATER, JUST TO BE ABLE TO DISSOLVE THE HONEY... TO WHICH I ADD QUITE A LOT OF VINEGAR -- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR.

AND I JUST ADD THIS TO THE HERRING.

THEN I STOP FOR A WHILE AND ADD A LITTLE BIT OF SPICES.

JUST THIS ONE SPICE, THAT GOES VERY WELL WITH APPLES -- CORIANDER SEEDS.

WHOLE CORIANDER SEEDS.

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HORSERADISH, WHICH IS NOT A SPICE, BUT IT KIND OF WORKS LIKE A SPICE HERE.

AND THEN REST OF THE VINEGAR.

THEN JUST ADD THE LID.

AND THIS CANNOT BE EATEN IMMEDIATELY.

IT SHOULD BE LEFT FOR A FEW DAYS -- THREE TO FOUR DAYS.

AND YOU SHOULD JUST TURN IT ON ITS HEAD ABOUT ONCE A DAY, BECAUSE THEN YOU'LL LET THE FLAVORS BLEND.

FOR THE GLASSMESTERSILD, OR THE GLASS MASTER'S HERRING, I'VE STARTED WITH SALTED HERRING, RED ONIONS -- MAINLY FOR THE COLOR -- AND CARROTS, TO WHICH I'M ADDING QUITE A LOT OF SPICES.

THIS IS AN AREA I REALLY LIKE.

CLOVES -- EIGHT CLOVES.

ONE STAR ANISE.

WHITE PEPPERCORNS... AND MUSTARD SEEDS.

I'M QUITE FOND OF MUSTARD, SO I ADD QUITE A LOT OF THEM.

THREE BAY LEAVES.

AND SOME BLACK PEPPERCORNS -- SEVEN OR EIGHT PEPPERCORNS.

AND TO THIS I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF SUGAR.

NOT SO LITTLE, ACTUALLY.

A COUPLE OF TABLESPOONS, NOT MORE.

AND I'M ADDING BOILING WATER TO DISSOLVE THE SUGAR.

TO THIS I'M ADDING MORE VINEGAR.

THIS TIME, THE MOST BORING VINEGAR YOU CAN IMAGINE -- NORMAL, PLAIN WHITE VINEGAR.

AS WITH THE PREVIOUS BATCH, THIS SHOULDN'T BE EATEN NOW, BUT IT'S READY TO EAT WITHIN FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.

AND IT KEEPS FANTASTICALLY WELL.

IT WILL KEEP IN YOUR FRIDGE FOR MONTHS.

I'VE GOT A JAR IN MY FRIDGE THAT I MADE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND IT STILL TASTES AMAZING.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- newscancook.com LIKE MOST TOWNS IN WESTERN NORWAY, ALESUND WAS FOUNDED ON A COMBINATION OF FISHERIES AND TRADE.

AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAIRLY INTERNATIONAL TOWN.

FOR MUCH OF THE 19th CENTURY, HORDES OF FOREIGN MERCHANTS CAME HERE.

IN THE MID-19th CENTURY, THERE WAS A BIG HERRING BOOM AND LOTS OF SWEDISH MERCHANTS CAME HERE TO TRADE.

AND FOR A WHILE IT WAS CONSIDERED ALMOST AS MUCH A SWEDISH TOWN AS A NORWEGIAN TOWN.

AND A COUPLE OF DECADES LATER THE SPANISH CAME.

AND FOR A WHILE, SPANISH WAS SPOKEN ALMOST EVERYWHERE.

OF COURSE, THE TOWN TODAY LOOKS NOTHING LIKE IT DID IN THE 19th CENTURY, BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20th CENTURY, THE ENTIRE TOWN BURNT DOWN.

AND IT WAS REBUILT IN BEAUTIFUL ART NOUVEAU, THE STYLE OF THE PERIOD.

FROM 1814 TILL 1905, NORWAY WAS THE JUNIOR MEMBER OF A UNION WITH SWEDEN, AND DURING THAT PERIOD THERE WAS A PECULIAR LOOKING FLAG ON THE LOOSE -- A COMBINATION OF THE SWEDISH FLAG AND THE NORWEGIAN FLAG.

AND THIS WAS REFERRED TO AS THE "HERRING SALAD."

WELL, I'M GOING TO MAKE A SWEDISH INSPIRED HERRING SALAD NOW.

AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TRACK EASTWARDS -- THERE'S A, KIND OF LIKE, A HERRING SALAD BELT GOING FROM SWEDEN, ALL THE WAY THROUGH EASTERN EUROPE AND FAR INTO RUSSIA.

SO AFTERWARDS, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MORE RUSSIAN INSPIRED TYPE OF THE HERRING SALAD.

THE SWEDISH VERSION IS LIGHT, AT LEAST IN TASTE AND COLOR, IF NOT IN CONTENT.

IT CONSISTS MAINLY OF SOUR CREAM.

THE OTHER PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT IS DILL -- LOTS AND LOTS OF DILL.

SO THAT'S RIGHT UP MY ALLEY BECAUSE, I THINK I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, WHEN IT COMES TO DILL, I'M ABSOLUTELY INSATIABLE.

THE OTHER PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT IS FENNEL.

I THINK THE BEST IS IF YOU CAN FIND THESE SMALL BABIES THAT HAVE SUCH A LIGHT AND SWEET FENNEL TASTE.

REMINISCENT OF DILL, ACTUALLY.

AND THEY ARE RELATED.

AND TO FRESHEN IT UP, I NEED A LEMON...

THE JUICE OF ABOUT HALF A LEMON.

I'M ALSO GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF THE LEMON ZEST, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU REALLY GET THE LEMON FLAVOR.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE HERRING, I'M GOING TO CUT IT INTO SIMILAR SIZED PIECES AS I DID WITH THE LED HERRING.

AND, UNLIKE WITH THE PICKLED HERRING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TO START EATING IT.

BUT IT WILL KEEP FOR ABOUT A WEEK IN THE FRIDGE.

BUT IT'S REALLY BEST AFTER A FEW HOURS.

THE RUSSIAN HERRING SALAD IS ALSO MADE WITH SOUR CREAM, BUT IN ADDITION TO SOUR CREAM THERE'S MAYONNAISE.

I'D SAY THERE'S ABOUT TWO-THIRDS SOUR CREAM AND ONE-THIRD MAYONNAISE.

THE RUSSIAN ADDITIVES IS ONION, LOTS OF FINELY CHOPPED ONION.

AND A VERY FAVORITE EASTERN EUROPEAN SPICE, CARAWAY.

AND INSTEAD OF USING A PESTLE AND MORTAR, I JUST CRUSH THEM USING MY FINGERS.

AND THE MOST SHOCKING INGREDIENT IS BEETS -- JUST PICKLED BEETS THAT I'VE CHOPPED.

AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE A DIFFERENCE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO TASTE THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO SWEET.

YOU SEE HOW THIS TRANSFORMS THE DISH COMPLETELY?

IT'S PRETTY IN PINK, ISN'T IT?

AND WHAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED WHEN I'VE TRAVELED IN RUSSIA IS THAT THEY PLACE THE HERRING FILETS, LIGHTLY SALTED, DIRECTLY INTO THE DRESSING -- SO THEY DON'T CUT THEM INTO SMALLER PIECES.

NOW THESE TWO HERRING SALADS, YOU COULD SERVE AS A PART OF A BUFFET OR AS A SNACK OR LUNCH OR A STARTER.

THE LAST DISH TODAY BRINGS US BACK WHERE WE STARTED, WITH THE FRESH FISH.

I'M GOING TO MAKE A DISH USING A FRESH FISH THAT HAS JUST BEEN BUTTERFLIED OPEN.

BUT TO COMPLEMENT IT, I'M GOING ADD SOME NICE OTHER FLAVORS.

THE MOST IMPORTANT IS BACON -- TO WHICH I'M ADDING A BIT OF DICED CELERIAC.

A COUPLE OF BABY TURNIPS THAT I'M ALSO DICING.

AND IT'S ENOUGH TO FRY THE VEGETABLES FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

AND THEM I'M GOING TO FISH THEM OUT.

I'M NOT POURING THEM OUT AS I WOULD NORMALLY BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO KEEP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF THE BACON FAT IN THE PAN TO FRY THE FISH.

AS FOR THE HERRING, I'M JUST SALTING IT LIGHTLY... AND THEN ADDING SOME MUSTARD.

TRY TO GET IT INTO EVERY NOOK AND CREVICE.

I'M GOING TO SEAR THE FISH ON ONE SIDE ONLY.

WHILE THE FISH IS FRYING, I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF APPLE TO THE CELERIAC AND BACON SALAD... AND CARROT.

THE LAST INGREDIENT IS A LITTLE BIT OF PARSLEY.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO CHOP IT, I'M JUST GOING TO TEAR THE LEAVES.

AND THIS IS IT.

IF YOU THINK THAT THE DISH NEEDS A LITTLE MORE ACIDITY, YOU COULD ADD APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND YOU COULD SERVE IT WITH POTATOES.

BUT I REALLY PREFER NOT TO -- SO THAT THERE'S NO DOUBT THE HERRING IS THE CENTRAL INGREDIENT.

ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- >> 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.

♪