Pineapple pudding - Ananasfrómas

A decorated pineapple fromage

Light and frothy cold puddings made with egg and thickened with gelatine are known as "frómas" in Icelandic and as "fromage" in Danish. Those who know their French will realise that this is the French word for "cheese". How it underwent the change in meaning from French to Danish is not known.

This recipe is in all likelihood originally Danish. This is a popular dessert in my family that my mother makes  for special occasions. With a bit of adjustment, it can be adapted to other kinds of flavours. For example, I adore the lemon version.

Ingredients:

250 g sugar
5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
12 sheets of gelatine
2 cups double cream or whipping cream
2 small cans (8. oz.) pineapple rings in juice, cut into small chunks (retain 2-3 rings for decoration)
Pineapple juice from the can
juice from 1 lemon

Method:
In separate bowls, whip together the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks, and whip the egg whites until stiff.

Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes, remove and squeeze out the water. Put about 200 ml (4/5 cup) of pineapple juice in a saucepan and add the gelatine. Over low heat (or in a water-bath) melt the gelatine in the pineapple juice, stirring well to eliminate lumps. Cool to room temperature (plunge the bottom of the saucepan into cold water to speed up the cooling process). Pour through a sieve into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring constantly and carefully to mix. Add the lemon juice and stir in carefully. Fold in the cream and then the pineapple pieces. Finally fold in the whipped egg whites.

Pour into bowls and allow to set. These can be either a couple of big serving bowls, or individual serving bowls or dessert glasses. Decorate with remaining pineapple rings and whipped cream. Red cocktail cherries can be added for a bit of colour.

Serve cold, with or without whipped cream.

This pudding makes an excellent filling for sponge cake. To use, allow to set enough to be spreadable without running, and smooth on top of one cake layer, allow to set and top with another cake layer.

Cold bread casserole

Have I mentioned the Icelandic taste for bread dishes? Here is one more:

This casserole, decorated with cucumber and red bell pepper.

Sweet mustard
White (French) bread

4 hard-boiled eggs
1 small can crushed pineapple, minus the juice
15-18 slices of ham, julienned or cut into small squares
1 small Camembert cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 leek, pale part only, finely chopped (you can also use chives or spring onions)
1 tsp Season-All (or to taste)

Garnish, to be prepared shortly before serving:
Red bell pepper, finely chopped
Green bell pepper, finely chopped
Arctic shrimp, cooked

Smear a thin layer of mustard inside the casserole dish. Remove the crusts from the bread, tear the bread into small pieces and line the casserole dish with it. Mix together the remaining ingredients, except the bell peppers and shrimp. Refrigerate overnight.

Garnish just before serving, or if you garnish right away, make sure the shrimp and bell peppers don’t touch because the shrimp will absorb colour from the peppers. The toppings can be used to make patterns on top of the dish, if desired.

Chunky fish spread:

This is a recipe developed my myself and my mother. Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main dish.


1/2 fillet of cold cooked fish, e.g. cod or haddock (but salmon and trout work as well), cut into small pieces

3-4 cold cooked potatoes, cut into small pieces

1/2 onion or red onion, finely chopped

Mayonnaise to taste

Pepper
Garlic powder


Mix together the mayonnaise and spices and add the rest, blending well. Serve on sweet, dark rye bread.


Note: I also like to add 1/2 a finely chopped red bell pepper to this spread.

My mother’s herring on rye

My mother invented this dish. It can be served as a cold main dish or as an entrée using small portions.

Herring on rye:
Slices of sweet, dark rye or pumpernickel bread
Marinated herring (about one fillet for each slice of bread)
Thin slices of sweet apple (about one medium Red Delicious for each 6 slices of bread)
Sliced banana (about one medium banana for 2 slices of bread)
Sliced hard-boiled egg (about one egg for each 2 slices of bread)

Sauce:
I am not going to give exact measurements for the sauce, as I never make it the same way twice:
Mayonnaise (about 1 1/2 tbs for each slice of bread, more if you're a sauce fancier)
Honey
Mild or medium hot curry powder mix*
Cream (optional, see instructions)

Mix together mayonnaise and honey until well blended. The result should have a mild taste of honey. Add curry powder to taste. (If you need a recipe to follow, use one for gravlax sauce, leave out the mustard and replace the dill with curry powder). If sauce is thick, add some cream or whole milk until it becomes slightly runny.

Arrange the herring, apple, banana and egg slices on the slices of rye bread and top with the sauce.
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*I generally abhor the use of ready-made curry powder, preferring to mix the spices separately into the stew at the right moment in the cooking process. This is an exception.