Creamed Cabbage Norwegian Style Recipes

NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS CABBAGE

Steps:

• Lay two slices of bacon across the bottom of a large pot. Cover with a layer of cabbage. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour and a pinch of caraway seed. Season with a little salt and pepper. Repeat layering as many times as possible until you run out of room.
• Fill the pot with enough water to come about 3/4 up the side. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly, then stir in the vinegar and sugar. Use your own judgment. Add sugar carefully to taste. The idea is to strike a balance between the sweet and the sour, and therein lies the trick.

CREAMED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices to cool.
• Whisk the butter, flour, and salt into the drippings in the same pan. Stir in the cabbage, and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Crumble the bacon; stir the bacon pieces and sour cream into the cabbage mixture.

CREAMY CREAMED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, blend milk, flour, butter, salt and pepper. Stir constantly until a thick white sauce has formed.
• In a separate medium saucepan over boiling water, steam cabbage until tender but firm.
• In a small baking dish, alternate layers of sauce, cabbage and Romano cheese.
• Bake approximately 30 minutes, until sauce and cheese are bubbly.

NORWEGIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking pan.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer onion to a large mixing bowl and add beef, cooked rice, cream, egg, parsley, potato starch, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, caraway seeds, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix to combine in an even consistency and refrigerate filling until needed.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Place 1 head of cabbage in the boiling water and parboil until bright green and leaves are softened, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove cabbage with tongs or a large fork. Repeat with remaining head of cabbage. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Remove outer leaves from the cooled cabbage. Lay 1 leaf flat on a work surface and cut out the stem. Spoon a generous 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of the leaf. Fold the corners at the stem end diagonally over the filling, fold the sides over, and roll up like a tiny burrito. Place in the prepared baking pan. Repeat to make remaining cabbage rolls until filling is used up.
• Add water to the baking pan until it is halfway up the sides of the cabbage rolls.
• Bake in the preheated oven until beef is cooked through and no longer pink, about 40 minutes.

NORWEGIAN MEATBALLS (VIKING SOUL FOOD STYLE)

Steps:

• For the Norwegian meatballs: Small dice the yellow onions, or grate on a cheese grater on the largest holes. Warning: The cheese grater method is effective, but you'll likely have a tearful experience!
• Combine butter, 1 teaspoon salt and the grated onions in a small pot. Cook on medium-low until onions are browned and smelling sweet, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Chop up rye bread by hand or in a food processor until crumbly, but don't obliterate it. Add heavy cream, whole milk, and rye breadcrumbs to a pot. Heat gently on low until breadcrumbs have absorbed dairy and are softened and aromatic, then remove from the heat.
• Grind allspice berries and black peppercorns together in a spice grinder until fine.
• Combine rye breadcrumbs, eggs, flour, caramelized onions, remaining teaspoon salt and the spices in a large mixing bowl. Mix together until a smooth paste forms, then incorporate the beef and pork, squeezing with your fingers to make sure the starchy ingredients break up into the meat. At the same time, make sure not to overwork the mixture, as that would yield tough meatballs.
• Let stand at least 2 to 3 hours in the fridge, then roll into balls. We roll our meatballs to 1 1/2-ounces each, but all you need to do is make sure your meatballs are consistently-sized, so they cook at the same rate when they hit the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F, preferably on convection. Roast meatballs until well-browned on the outside, about 10 minutes in a convection oven or 12 minutes in a conventional oven.
• For the surkal: Thinly slice cabbage (1/4-inch thick) with a knife or mandoline. Avoid cutting into the core; you just want the purple leaves.
• Toss cabbage and salt together in a large bowl and allow to sit.
• Combine white sugar, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, ground caraway seed, bay leaf and 3 cups water in a large pot, then bring to a boil. Pour over cabbage and cover, then refrigerate for about 1 day. This will help lessen the harshness of the vinegars and soften the cabbage.
• After 24 to 36 hours, remove bay leaf and stir cabbage mixture to make sure caraway is well-distributed.
• Refrigerate until ready to eat.
• For the Gjetost cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a pot on medium heat and brown slightly. Add the flour and whisk well. Allow the roux to brown on medium-low heat until it reaches a rich golden brown color; it should smell nutty. This takes 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add the milk gradually in increments, whisking vigorously as you go. If you happen to have an immersion blender, run it through and get rid of any lumps. Reduce heat to low and watch carefully, whisking often and making sure the bottom doesn't burn. You want to see bubbles popping up to the surface every few seconds.
• Add the Madeira, white wine, salt and nutmeg. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 40 minutes, then grate the Gjetost cheese into the pot.
• Allow the sauce to cook gently and continue to thicken for about 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to whisk the bottom occasionally to get up any browned bits. If you have one, get your immersion blender in there and run it through until smooth and velvety. When finished, sauce should be the consistency of thick gravy and taste of toasty bread and goat cheese.
• Allow to cool for a half hour or so, then place in the fridge if you aren't going to use it right away.
• For the meatball lefse wrap: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Halve 2 of the meatballs and roast until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Toast a piece of lefse in a nonstick pan or better yet, on a lefse griddle, on both sides. Remove toasted lefse to a cutting board. Begin layering: 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage, 1/2 cup surkal/pickled cabbage, the heated meatballs and finally about 1/3 cup warm Gjetost cheese sauce. Roll it tightly like a burrito. Cut in half if you're sharing, but you probably won't want to.

NORWEGIAN CREAM OF CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Scrub the potatoes well but do not peel.
• Cook in water to cover until well done, about 30 minutes after the water boils.
• In a soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter.
• Add the onion and saute until golden brown and sweet, about 10 minutes.
• Add the caraway seeds and saute for 1 minute.
• Coarsely chop two-thirds of the cabbage (including the cores).
• Add to the soup pot.
• To speed the cooking you might want to add the cabbage a little at a time and let it cook down, or add it all at once and cover the pot.
• Cook until the cabbage is sweet and limp.
• Blend the onion-cabbage mixture with the potatoes, potato water, and milk.
• Set aside.
• Finely chop the remaining cabbage.
• In the soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter.
• Add the remaining cabbage and saute until the cabbage is limp.
• Add the blended mixture to the soup pot, along with the salt, pepper, and vinegar.
• Heat gently until simmering, then simmer for 5-10 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Taste and adjust the seasonings.

BAKED CREAMED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Shred cabbage and cook for 9 minutes in boiling water.
• Remove cabbage and drain well.
• Place in 1 1/2 quart buttered casserole.
• Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and salt and cook until smooth.
• Add milk gradually, stirring until thick.
• Pour sauce over cabbage and sprinkle bread crumbs over top.
• Bake at 325° for 15 minutes or until crumbs are brown.