Name: Scandinavian seafood feast
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Seafood; 2 cooked mud crabs (about 1.5 kg); 1.8 kg cooked prawns; 3 cooked lobsters, heads removed and tails halved (about 2.5 kg); To Serve: bread and butter; To Serve: iced vodka; Cucumber pickles; 425 gm Lebanese cucumbers, quartered lengthways (about 5); 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced; ¼ cup sea salt; 625 ml cider vinegar (2½ cups); 220 gm white sugar (1 cup); 2 cinnamon quills; 3 whole cloves; 2 tsp each yellow mustard seeds and black peppercorns; ½ tsp celery seeds (see note); 1 tsp turmeric; Beetroot salad; 500 gm trimmed golden baby beetroot; 500 gm trimmed baby beetroot; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup); 2 tbsp cider vinegar; 1½ tbsp finely chopped French tarragon; Potato salad; 1.2 kg desiree baby potatoes; 450 gm whole-egg mayonnaise (½ cups); 2 spring onions, thinly sliced; Mustard sauce; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup); 70 gm Dijon mustard (¼ cup)

Start this feast with iced vodka or aquavit.

Ingredients

Seafood

2 cooked mud crabs (about 1.5 kg)

1.8 kg cooked prawns

3 cooked lobsters, heads removed and tails halved (about 2.5 kg)

To Serve: bread and butter

To Serve: iced vodka

Cucumber pickles

425 gm Lebanese cucumbers, quartered lengthways (about 5)

1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup sea salt

625 ml cider vinegar (2½ cups)

220 gm white sugar (1 cup)

2 cinnamon quills

3 whole cloves

2 tsp each yellow mustard seeds and black peppercorns

½ tsp celery seeds (see note)

1 tsp turmeric

Beetroot salad

500 gm trimmed golden baby beetroot

500 gm trimmed baby beetroot

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1½ tbsp finely chopped French tarragon

Potato salad

1.2 kg desiree baby potatoes

450 gm whole-egg mayonnaise (½ cups)

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Mustard sauce

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)

70 gm Dijon mustard (¼ cup)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp white sugar

Anchovy butter

4 anchovy fillets, drained

175 gm unsalted butter

Dill mayonnaise

600 gm whole-egg mayonnaise (2 cups)

2 tbsp dill, finely chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Main

1.For pickles, layer cucumber and onion in separate bowls, scattering each layer with sea salt, stand for 1 hour, then drain well. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add cucumber and onion and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon quills. Cool and transfer to sterilised jars and refrigerate until needed. Pickles will keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

2.For beetroot salad, cook beetroot in separate saucepans of boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool, peel and halve. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk to combine. Add beetroot, toss to combine and transfer to a serving bowl.

3.For potato salad, place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water, cover, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and cut into quarters. Combine potatoes and mayonnaise in a bowl, season to taste and combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter with spring onion.

4.For mustard sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste, whisk to combine and transfer to a serving dish.

5.For anchovy butter, place anchovies in a mortar and, using a pestle, pound to a smooth paste. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add anchovies, stir to combine and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot or cold.

6.For dill mayonnaise, combine ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

7.To serve, arrange shellfish on separate platters, with salads and sauces to the side. Serve with bread, butter and iced vodka.

Note Celery seeds are available from Herbie’s Spices and specialty food stores. To make iced vodka, place a full vodka bottle inside an empty milk carton, place a lemon slice down each side of the carton, fill halfway with water and freeze overnight. To serve, cut away milk carton.
Notes