skipperlabskovs Recipe, Eating like a Viking

[expat]

If you go to Denmark, you will probably go to Copenhagen.

If you go to Copenhagen, you may well go to Tivoli Gardens (Walt Disney's inspiration for Disneyland)

If you go to Tivoli, might dine at Groften* (the ditch) the oldest restaurant in Copenhagen.

If you dine at Groften you could order their Skipperlabskovs (Afterall, they do serve upto 50 TONS of the stuff each season)

What is Skipperlabskovs?

Back in the old days, say you are a Viking having sailed the North Sea after a hard week of Rape and Pillaging, you come home to the Mead house and......
Well little open top sandwiches are not going to cut it.

You need a pile of Skipperlabskovs, or by the time the dish was brought over to the U.S.
it had morphed into Beef Hash.

But as in so many cases, I think the original is MUCH better


Skipperlabskovs or sailor’s beef stew
1 pound well-trimmed stewing beef, cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 ¼ cups beef stock or bouillon (or water)

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 bay leaves

15 white peppercorns

2 ¼ pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced

Salt to taste

Chives for garnish

Pickled beets
Blanch beef cubes in stock, bouillon or water, add onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and boil for an hour, adding more liquid as necessary to keep the ingredients covered.

Add potatoes and boil for an additional hour. Discard bay leaves. Mash the potatoes and meat lightly with a whisk, blend well and salt to taste. The consistency should be like porridge. If it is too firm, add a bit more liquid. Serve with a generous amount of chopped chives on top and a dish of chopped pickled beets on the side.

Serve with several beers and Akvivit Shnaps.

*If you go to Groften check out the washrooms, they are arguably the best in Europe!

 

[BRZED]

Labskaus is terrible!

 

[edwardh1]

it looked ok til you add the pickled beets to a pot roast

 

[Kira]

Thanks. OR you could order pitta-panna (check my spelling). It's another hash and is a tad more familiar to us here in the US.

This one sounds good too, however. Kira

 

[Bud]

I think I will just stick to good old pot roast done in my slow cooker with onions, potato, carrots and mushrooms thrown in.

 

[IndyIan]

Sounds like a good winter food. Next time I feel like a Viking after chopping a tree into little pieces with my ax, I'll have to make some.

 

[sleddriver]

I have a suggestion to increase the meaty-flavor. First, brown half the meat cubes on all sides first in either 1 Tblspn of oil or bacon fat. Do this using a high heat and stir regularly. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just nicely browned on the outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with the remaining half. You might have to increase the cut size to 1" or 1-1/2", then cut them in half later.

Second, brown the onions in the beef fat left behind along with 1/2 tsp salt + peppercorns + bay leaves. Use a wooden spoon to dig up all the "fond" left on the bottom of the pan, as it contains GREAT flavor. If you need a bit more moisture, add 1/4c of dark lager and stir. You want the onions dark brown, not blonde.

Browned meat + browned onions = Deep, rich, meaty flavor. Adding the spices to the oil in this step released their oil-based flavors and "blooms" them.

Third, add potatoes + stock and simmer until a knife easily goes in.

Sounds great with Doppelbock or Guiness!

Still too hot to eat like this down here yet, but it's sure great when it's 50°F outside.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
I have a suggestion to increase the meaty-flavor. First, brown half the meat cubes on all sides first in either 1 Tblspn of oil or bacon fat. Do this using a high heat and stir regularly. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just nicely browned on the outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with the remaining half. You might have to increase the cut size to 1" or 1-1/2", then cut them in half later.

Second, brown the onions in the beef fat left behind along with 1/2 tsp salt + peppercorns + bay leaves. Use a wooden spoon to dig up all the "fond" left on the bottom of the pan, as it contains GREAT flavor. If you need a bit more moisture, add 1/4c of dark lager and stir. You want the onions dark brown, not blonde.

Browned meat + browned onions = Deep, rich, meaty flavor. Adding the spices to the oil in this step released their oil-based flavors and "blooms" them.

Third, add potatoes + stock and simmer until a knife easily goes in.

Sounds great with Doppelbock or Guiness!

Still too hot to eat like this down here yet, but it's sure great when it's 50°F outside.


I do actually add bacon (and the fat) to it. I also like to use seveal varieties of potato.

Yes, this is definitely cold wet weather food, but we had our first Fall-like day a few days back, and I got a craving.

Too bad Akvivit is no longer available in Canada. We get the U.S. version, on trips to the U.S. but it's not the same as the real thing.

Faxe Strong is a great beer to go with this, but at 12% you are likely to end the evening as a Viking would.

 

[sleddriver]

I'm jealous! Send any extra cold, wet weather down South, with a big enough shove to get it all the way down to Tx. Summer just lasts too long 30°N of the equator.

 

[sleddriver]

Received nearly 2" of RAIN yesterday!! Thanks...I needed that. Total for Aug was only 0.1". Another front expected this evening that will bring dry, cooler air.