Glaze revben julmust
Swedes don't go in for turkey and Christmas pudding at Christmas, instead they have a julbord Christmas buffet. It is a big elaborate affair and is much loved by Swedes. A Swedish julbord is a lovely event, well worth trying if you are interested in Swedish culture. Swedes eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve. Traditionally it is a big family affair with 3 or 4 generations sharing the meal.
Indeed it is such a big meal that it is best made for a large family group in order to have a large selection of dishes, but also so that the work involved can be shared out! You need a big house for a good julbord in order to find the space for all the tables to accommodate the huge array of dishes, whilst still having somewhere to sit and eat all the food!
Most Swedes also go out to a julbord at a restaurant in December, so that can enjoy a larger selection of dishes than they can manage at home on Christmas Eve. Candles are ever-present and in seriously large numbers. Most households light about 50 candles on Christmas Eve! There will also be lots of attractive julprydnader Swedish Christmas decorations around, often family heirlooms, such as a halmbock a straw goat , which every family has in their collection.
The Christmas tree has to be real and as big as can be accommodated. Swedes traditionally collect their Christmas tree on the day before Christmas Eve. Selecting the tree is a serious matter: it has to be perfectly proportioned and checked from every possible angle. Once home the tree is decorated according to family traditions, but coloured lights seem to be taboo as nearly all Swedes seem to have tasteful soft white lights.
Godaste julrevbenen till jul!
A julbord normally has lots of courses, each with a fresh plate! Of course as the food is served buffet style you can usually mix up the courses a bit if you want. Often there is a nice welcome drink of glögg Swedish mulled wine or a cocktail. With the meal there should be lashings of snaps and julöl a dark sweetish beer brewed for Christmas and julmust for children and drivers. Julmust is a non-alcoholic drink made from water, sugar, hops, malt and spices.
Glaze till revbensspjäll
Once only considered food for the poor, pickled herring is now a prominent and respected part of a julbord. There should be a choice of at least three types of herring, two is just not considered enough. Unfortunately where I live, herring stocks have dwindled to very low levels. The names of villages, such as Langport Herring and Chaldon Herring in Dorset, are reminders that once upon a time we too had what appeared to be inexhaustible herring stocks.
Revbensspjäll med julmustglaze
Alas no longer. As a result I can't buy very good herring, so I normally buy ready salted herring from Sweden, which I then pickle. Herring needs to be salted for weeks before it is ready for pickling. For a selection of pickled herring recipes and for advice on salting herring click here. If you buy pickled herring make sure you find a really good supplier as the quality varies hugely.
The cheap stuff is absolutely ghastly, using vinegar which is so harsh that it masks the rich oily character of good herring. The best is top-notch and a real treat. At a julbord Swedes normally serve senapsill herring in a creamy mustard sauce , glasmästarsill glazier's herring, the name is due to the clear brine which enables all of the ingredients to be seen through the glass jar and at least one other.
The fish course is dominated by salmon: hot- and cold-smoked salmon, boiled salmon, salmon paté and gravlax. A selection of other cold fish is usually included such as crayfish and prawns but not lobster which is a New Year's Eve treat. Gravadlax has become so popular worldwide that it is now stocked by virtually all supermarkets in the UK. Although you can easily buy some it really is worth making your own as it is easy, tastes better and is a lot cheaper!