>> THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... [ PIANO MUSIC PLAYING ] [ ETHEREAL MUSIC PLAYING ] [ FUNKY MUSIC PLAYING ] [ THEME MUSIC PLAYING ] >> HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" FROM TRONDHEIM.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

DURING THE MIDDLE AGES, TRONDHEIM WAS THE CAPITAL OF NORWAY.

IT WAS ALSO THE SEAT OF THE ARCHBISHOP.

THIS HERE, THE NIDAROS CATHEDRAL, WAS HIS SEAT AND THIS HERE WAS HIS RESIDENCY.

IN TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE'LL GO BACK IN TIME AND INVESTIGATE ANCIENT FOOD TRADITIONS, ALL OF THEM INVOLVING SPICES.

AND I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH A MEDIEVAL, CLASSIC RECIPE THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT HOW INTERNATIONAL COOKING WAS AT THAT TIME: CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON AND CINNAMON.

AND SPICES IS GOING TO BE THE RECURRENT THEME IN TODAY'S PROGRAM AS WE TRAVEL SOUTH ON THE COASTAL EXPRESS.

I'M GOING TO MAKE HOMEMADE MARZIPAN, FLAVORED AND COLORED WITH DIFFERENT SPICES.

AND I'LL MAKE A LUXURIOUS DISH WITH SUCKLING PIG, SPICES AND MADEIRA.

LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ENVY.

IT WAS COLD AND DAMP AND DIRTY.

AND FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE FOOD WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE.

IT WAS CABBAGE AND PORRIDGE AND STALE BREAD AND PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT OF OLD MEAT.

WHATEVER PEOPLE COULD FIND JUST TO SURVIVE.

BUT FOR THE UPPER CLASSES, AND PARTICULARLY THE CLERGY, IT WAS A QUITE DIFFERENT SITUATION.

THERE HAVE BEEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS HERE OUTSIDE THE ARCHBISHOP'S RESIDENCE, AND THEY FOUND HUGE HEAPS OF OYSTER SHELLS AND PEACOCK BONES AND LOTS OF BONES FROM CATTLE AND BONES FROM FRESH WATER FISH, WHICH WAS SEEN AS SOME OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE THINGS THAT YOU COULD EAT AT THAT TIME.

THERE WAS EVEN A CARP DAM HERE.

PEOPLE HERE WERE SO RICH THAT THEY DIDN'T BOTHER EATING ANY OF THE FISH FROM THE OCEAN.

AND THEY ALSO ATE CHICKEN, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE MEAT YOU COULD FIND.

A FEW YEARS AGO, I WROTE A BOOK ON NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING, AND AS A POINT OF REFERENCE, I TRIED TO FIND THE OLDEST NORWEGIAN RECIPE.

AND THE OLDEST RECIPE I FOUND WAS FROM 1380.

IT WAS A RECIPE FOR CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON AND CINNAMON.

AND OF COURSE, THAT DOESN'T REALLY SOUND LIKE A SCANDINAVIAN RECIPE, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT MEDIEVAL COOKING WAS QUITE INTERNATIONAL.

THE CLERGY WOULD EAT MORE OR LESS THE SAME HERE IN TRONDHEIM AS THEY WOULD IN A BIG CITY IN GERMANY OR IN PARIS OR IN ROME.

AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT SHOWING OFF.

SO THEY WOULD USE THE MOST EXPENSIVE THINGS THEY COULD FIND.

CHICKEN WAS ONE OF THEM.

PLUS SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPICES.

AND SAFFRON IS STILL THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPICE, SO YOU'VE GOT TO USE IT IN MODERATION.

HERE I'VE GOT HALF A GRAM, AND I LIKE TO USE THE FULL THREADS OF SAFFRON.

THAT WAY YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEM.

I THINK IT'S QUITE BEAUTIFUL.

AND THEN CINNAMON, ABOUT A TEASPOON.

SALT.

A LITTLE BIT OF JUST WHITE FLOUR, ABOUT ONE TABLESPOON.

THEN I MAKE SURE THAT MOST OF THE CHICKEN IS COVERED IN THIS MIXTURE.

AND THEN, SOME OIL IN A POT.

THEN I ADD THE CHICKEN AND TRY AND SEAR IT ON ALL SIDES SO IT BROWNS NICELY BEFORE I ADD ANY LIQUID.

NOW I'M GOING TO ADD SOME WINE.

THIS IS WHITE WINE, ABOUT HALF A CUP, A LITTLE MORE THAN A DECILITER.

AND THEY DID HAVE WHITE WINE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, BUT IT WASN'T WHITE.

IT WAS MORE ORANGE AND IT WAS QUITE SOUR.

SO TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT, I'M ADDING SOME VINEGAR.

ABOUT A TABLESPOON OF RED WINE VINEGAR.

AND THEN A CINNAMON STICK.

AND CHICKEN LIVER THAT I'M JUST COARSELY CHOPPING, WHICH WILL MAKE A REALLY DELICIOUS SAUCE.

ONE GARLIC.

I JUST CUT IT IN TWO AND ADD TO THE POT.

AND THEN I PUT THE LID ON AND LET IT SIMMER FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR AND 15 MINUTES, NEARLY ONE AND A HALF HOURS, AND I TURN IT A COUPLE OF TIMES WHILE IT COOKS.

AND IT ACTUALLY TASTES OF CHICKEN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU COOK CHICKEN FOR A LONG TIME LIKE HERE, YOU BRING OUT THE FLAVORS.

AND HERE IT IS, AND I'LL SERVE IT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BREAD AND A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW.

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

[ FOGHORN BLOWS ] NORWAY HAS ALWAYS DEPENDED ON TRADE.

WE HAD A SURPLUS OF FISH, AND FIRST THEY WERE SOUGHT AFTER IN THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND WE BROUGHT BACK THE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE.

FINE WINES AND SPICES AMONG OTHER THINGS.

THE TWO MAIN TRADING POSTS WERE TRONDHEIM AND BERGEN.

I'M NOW ON THE COASTAL EXPRESS GOING SOUTH FROM TRONDHEIM TO ITS END DESTINATION IN BERGEN.

THE COASTAL EXPRESS WAS ORIGINALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAD IN NORWAY.

IT TRANSPORTED MAIL, GOODS AND PEOPLE ALL ALONG THE COASTLINE TO SMALL COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ISOLATED.

WHEN WE LOOK AT OLD NORWEGIAN COOKBOOKS, A RECURRENT THEME IS ALMONDS.

ALMONDS WERE OF COURSE IMPORTED, AND THEY WERE CONSIDERED SOME OF THE FINEST THINGS THAT YOU COULD EAT.

MANY OF THE RECIPES REMIND ME OF MARZIPAN, BUT THEY ALSO INSPIRE ME TO DO SOMETHING MORE WITH MARZIPAN.

BECAUSE MARZIPAN CAN BE THE MOST BORING SWEET THERE IS, REALLY FLAT IN ITS FLAVOR AND JUST SWEET, BASICALLY.

BUT IT CAN ALSO BE QUITE INTERESTING, HAVE INTERESTING FLAVORS AND INTERESTING TEXTURE.

HERE I'VE GOT 450 GRAMS, OR ONE POUND, OF BLANCHED AND SKINNED ALMONDS.

AND I'VE GOT THE SAME AMOUNT OF CONFECTIONERY SUGAR.

AND I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF WATER AS WELL.

AND THEN I STIR TO MAKE SYRUP.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE HOMEMADE MARZIPAN.

YOU COULD USE AN ALMOND GRINDER LIKE THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S MUCH, MUCH SIMPLER JUST TO USE A BLENDER.

THE IMPORTANT THING TO BEAR IN MIND IS DON'T ADD ALL OF THE ALMONDS AT THE SAME TIME.

START WITH ABOUT HALF OF THEM.

AND THEN ADD A LITTLE MORE.

AND A LITTLE MORE.

AND BEWARE OF HAIL WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS, IT HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME.

TO MAKE SOME OF THE INTERESTING TEXTURE, I'LL JUST CRUSH SOME OF THE REMAINING ALMONDS USING A PESTLE AND MORTAR.

OR MAYBE IT'S NOT HAIL, MAYBE IT'S A PASTRY CHEF TRYING TO TELL ME THAT I'M NOT USING ENOUGH SUGAR.

WELL, DEAL WITH IT.

WELL, THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL, COMMERCIAL, BLAND MARZIPAN.

BUT THERE'S ONE LITTLE THING LACKING.

IF YOU LOOK AT ALL MARZIPAN RECIPES, THEY ALMOST ALWAYS CALL FOR THE USE OF AT LEAST SOME BITTER ALMONDS.

AND THE BITTER ALMONDS WOULD GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE RESISTANCE AND ACTUALLY UNDERLINE THE ALMOND FLAVOR.

BUT IF YOU CAN'T FIND BITTER ALMONDS, THAT'S REALLY NOT A PROBLEM.

JUST REMEMBER THAT ALMONDS ARE IN THE SAME FAMILY AS PEACHES, NECTARINES AND PLUMS.

IF YOU CUT INTO A PLUM, YOU ACTUALLY FIND A TINY KERNEL THAT THAT IS VERY MUCH LIKE AN ALMOND.

AND IT'S REALLY QUITE BITTER, SO YOU ONLY NEED ONE OF THEM FOR A BATCH LIKE THIS.

BUT IT DOES AN IMPORTANT THING TO THE FLAVOR.

BUT IF YOU'VE COME THIS FAR, I SUGGEST THAT YOU DON'T STOP.

BECAUSE THERE'S MORE TO INVESTIGATE BY MIXING THE MARZIPAN WITH VARIOUS DIFFERENT SPICES AND FLAVORINGS.

AND ONE OF THEM IS CINNAMON.

I THINK THAT WORKS REALLY WELL TOGETHER.

IT CHANGES THE APPEARANCE AND FLAVOR.

AND ANOTHER OFY FAVORITES IS TO USE ANISE.

EITHER STAR ANISE, OR JUST ANISE SEED LIKE THIS.

AND A STUNNING VERSION IS WITH SAFFRON.

ANOTHER INTERESTING FLAVORING IS LAVENDER, WHICH LOOKS GREAT AND ALSO HAS A SWEET, PERFUMED FLAVOR.

AND IT'S ALSO NICE WITH SOME FRESH-TASTING FLAVORS LIKE ORANGE AND LEMON.

THEN YOU ONLY NEED TO USE THE ZEST.

THIS IS A GREAT CHRISTMAS OR WINTER ACTIVITY, SOMETHING FUN TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS AS WELL.

AND THE MARZIPAN KEEPS VERY WELL.

IT KEEPS FOR AT LEAST TWO OR THREE WEEKS IN THE REFRIGERATOR IF YOU COVER WITH PLASTIC.

AND THE MARZIPAN MIXTURE CAN FREEZE AS WELL.

SO IF YOU FREEZE IT, IT KEEPS ALMOST INDEFINITELY.

WHEN WINTER APPROACHES, IT STARTS GETTING COLD.

FIRST THE KIND OF COLD THAT COOLS YOUR EARS, AND THEN THE COLD REALLY GETS INTO YOU AND CUTS THROUGH YOUR BONES.

THEN WE NEED SOMETHING WARM TO WARM US UP.

I'M GOING TO MAKE A SPICED APPLE AND BLACKCURRANT DRINK.

AND THE STARTING POINT IS JUST THIS NORMAL APPLE JUICE.

AND A FEW BLACKCURRANTS.

I'M GOING TO FLAVOR IT WITH SPICES.

AND THERE'S A LONG TRADITION FOR DOING THAT IN NORWAY.

BACK TO THE TIME WHEN ALL WINE WAS SO SOUR THAT EVERYONE WHO COULD AFFORD WINE WOULD ALSO BUY HONEY AND SPICES AND JUST FLAVOR THEIR WINE.

SO HERE I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF CINNAMON AND A FEW PODS OF CARDAMOM THAT I JUST LIGHTLY CRUSH USING A PESTLE AND MORTAR.

YOU CAN ALSO JUST CRUSH THEM WITH THE FLAT SIDE OF A KNIFE.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT YOU NEED IS THE SEEDS THAT ARE INSIDE.

AND I'LL SWEETEN IT WITH HONEY.

I'M GONNA ADD TWO MORE FLAVORS, BUT STRAIGHT INTO THE CUP.

ONE IS ORANGE ZEST.

THE OTHER ONE IS GINGER.

JUST ONE SLICE OF GINGER.

MM!

AND AFTER A FEW SIPS, YOU FEEL ALMOST HUMAN AGAIN.

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

MOST SPICES WERE INTRODUCED INTO THE RICH TRADING CENTERS OF TRONDHEIM AND BERGEN.

BUT THERE'S ONE EXCEPTION, AND THAT IS CHILI.

CHILI CAME INTO ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY, HERE TO KRISTIANSUND IN THE MIDDLE OF NORWAY, WHERE THEY TRADED WITH STOCK FISH, SALTED COD.

SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE FISHERMEN CAME HERE, AND THEY TAUGHT US HOW TO MAKE THEIR FISH STEW WITH THE SALTED COD AND ALMOST ALWAYS WITH PEPPERS AND VARIOUS TYPES OF CHILIES.

SO WHEREAS CHILI WAS INTRODUCED TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY MAYBE TWO OR THREE DECADES AGO, IT HAS BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 150 YEARS.

OH!

WHOO-WHOO!

WE'RE NEARING THE FINAL DESTINATION OF THE SOUTHBOUND COASTAL EXPRESS, THE CITY OF BERGEN.

ORIGINALLY TRONDHEIM WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT CITY IN NORWAY, BUT IT GRADUALLY LOST SOME OF ITS POWERS DURING THE LATE MIDDLE AGES.

AND BY THE TIME OF REFORMATION IN 1536, ALL THE MAJOR POWERS HAD MOVED TO BERGEN.

AND BERGEN WAS AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF EUROPE, BUT IT WAS NEVER ISOLATED.

IT WAS ALWAYS DRAWN INTO THE BIG POLITICS AND THE PETTY WARS BEING FOUGHT IN EUROPE.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IN 1665, AN ENGLISH FLOTILLA CHASED A DUTCH MERCHANT FLEET ALL THE WAY INTO THE HARBOR IN BERGEN.

AND THERE WAS A GREAT BIG FIGHT.

AND WHY?

BECAUSE THE DUTCH SHIPS WERE LOADED WITH SPICES.

AND YOU CAN ASK, IS IT REALLY WORTH IT, TO FIGHT JUST OVER A GOOD CURRY DINNER?

WELL, THE AMOUNT OF SPICES IS ALSO REALLY IMPRESSIVE.

2,000 TONS OF PEPPER, 200 TONS OF CINNAMON, 200 TONS OF NUTMEG, PLUS THINGS LIKE EBONY AND JEWELS.

THE TOTAL VALUE OF THIS EXCEEDED THE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE DUTCH CROWN.

THE LAST SPICY AND HISTORIC DISH I'M GOING TO MAKE IS SUCKLING PIG.

ROAST SUCKLING PIG, WITH A MADEIRA AND SPICE GLAZE, AND WITH SWEET FRUITS AND SPICY CARROTS AND A FILLED CABBAGE.

HERE I'VE GOT A SELECTION OF DIFFERENT SPICES, AND I'M GOING TO USE ALL OF THEM.

AND THIS MADEIRA WINE, WHICH WAS A VERY, VERY POPULAR COMMODITY.

IT'S A FORTIFIED WINE, SO IT KEEPS WELL AND WOULDN'T END UP SPOILED BY THE TIME IT ARRIVED.

I'M USING QUITE A LOT OF BLACK PEPPER CORNS, ALMOST A TABLESPOON.

I'M GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CAREFUL WITH CLOVES.

I'M USING ONLY FOUR CLOVES, AND EVEN THAT CAN BE QUITE POWERFUL.

AND ALLSPICE, ABOUT A TEASPOON.

AND A GREAT BIG CHUNK OF CINNAMON.

AND SOME CUMIN, ABOUT A TEASPOON.

AND THEN CARDAMOM, TWO, FOUR, SIX CARDAMOM PODS.

AND A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF CORIANDER SEED AS WELL.

SOME HOT PAPRIKA, OR PEPPERS.

JUST POWDER IN THIS CASE.

AND FINALLY SALT, A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF SALT AS WELL.

THE GLAZE ITSELF CAN BE QUITE SALTY, BECAUSE YOU'LL EAT IT IN A CONTEXT ON THE SKIN OF THE PIG.

WHEN THE MADEIRA AND SPICES HAS COOKED FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES, IT'S STARTING TO GET THICK AND SYRUPY LIKE THIS.

THEN I JUST SIFT IT TO REMOVE THE SPICES.

ONE THING ABOUT SUCKLING PIG, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST TASTY PORK YOU CAN EAT.

BUT IT IS RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO FIND.

SO YOU CAN USE NORMAL CUTS FROM NORMAL PORK AS WELL.

EITHER THE HAM, OR THE CUT THAT I PREFER, THE SHOULDER, WHICH IS MORE TASTY AND MORE JUICY.

WHAT I'VE DONE WITH THE SUCKLING PIG IS JUST RUB IT IN SALT OUTSIDE AND INSIDE.

INSIDE FOR FLAVOR, OUTSIDE TO GET THE SKIN MORE CRISPY.

AND THEN I JUST BRUSH THE PIG WITH THE GLAZE.

AND I'M GOING TO ROAST IT, OR COOK IT, AT RELATIVELY MODERATE TEMPERATURES AT 125 CELSIUS, 250 FAHRENHEIT, FOR FOUR HOURS.

AND THEN I TAKE IT OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES EVERY HOUR JUST TO BRUSH IT WITH THE GLAZE AGAIN TO GET AS MUCH OF THE GLAZE ONTO THE SKIN AS POSSIBLE.

WITH WEATHER LIKE THIS, IT'S HARD NOT TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE SEAFARERS WHO FACED THESE ELEMENTS IN VESSELS MUCH SMALLER AND REALLY POORLY EQUIPPED, JUST TO BRING US FABULOUS SPICES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD.

NOW, THE SUCKLING PIG IS IN THE OVEN AND I'M GOING TO SERVE IT WITH FRUIT.

SO HERE I'VE GOT SOME DRIED APRICOTS, SOME DATES AND PRUNES, AND FIGS THAT I JUST CUT IN TWO.

AND SOME PLUMS.

AND FINALLY THE SWEETEST OF ALL VEGETABLES, BEETROOT.

AND THEN I PLACE THE OVENPROOF DISH UNDER THE SUCKLING PIG, SO THAT IT WILL ABSORB ALL THE COOKING JUICES FROM THE PIG.

EVER SINCE TIMES IMMORTAL, PORK HAS BEEN SERVED WITH SWEET FRUITS AND CABBAGE.

I'M GOING TO MAKE A QUITE OLD-FASHIONED CABBAGE DISH, USING A HEAD OF CABBAGE THAT HAS BEEN HOLLOWED OUT, AND I'M FILLING IT WITH BUCKWHEAT THAT'S BEEN LEFT TO SOAK OVERNIGHT.

YOU CAN ALSO USE SPELT OR BARLEY, BUT YOU NEED TO SOAK IT OVERNIGHT, OR YOU NEED TO BOIL IT FIRST.

AND THEN SOME CINNAMON THAT I'LL JUST BREAK INTO SMALLER PIECES AND PUT INTO THE BUCKWHEAT.

AND A HANDFUL OF PRUNES, COARSELY CHOPPED.

AND THEN SOME OF THAT HOT PAPRIKA POWDER.

AND THEN PLACE THE LID ON AND TIE IT UP WITH STRING.

AND THEN I'M ADDING SOME SWEET DESSERT WINE, IN THIS CASE A WINE FROM CLOSE-BY COGNAC, CALLED PINEAU DES CHARENTES.

YOU CAN ALSO USE OTHER DESSERT WINES, OR EVEN A SWEET APPLE CIDER.

AND THEN LET IT SIMMER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF.

FINALLY SOME CARROTS.

THESE ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL, MULTICOLORED CARROTS THAT I'VE PEELED.

AND I'LL FLAVOR WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CUMIN.

CUMIN AND CARAWAY ARE ACTUALLY RELATED TO THE CARROT.

AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF ALLSPICE AS WELL.

AND I'LL JUST BAKE THIS IN THE OVEN WITH THE PIG FOR THE LAST 45 MINUTES.

AND HERE IT IS, A REAL FEAST.

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

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

>> THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... [ PIANO MUSIC PLAYING ] [ ETHEREAL MUSIC PLAYING ] [ FUNKY MUSIC PLAYING ]