Stjerneskud and a proper fishmonger…

We’re in Lomma, Sweden, for this post and we’re looking for a proper fish monger and to buy some fresh caught rödspätta.  Mother nature has not been cooperating

regarding availability of rödspätta, but today our favorite proper fish monger FISKBODEN is rumored to have some.So, what makes a proper fishmonger and what the heck is rödspätta or a Stjerneskud?  Come on in and have a read and we’ll tell what we think is a “proper fishmonger”, discuss the rödspätta as well as guide you through the process of making Stjerneskud, a classic Danish Smørrebrød.

What makes a “proper fishmonger”, what is a fishmonger?  A fishmonger or fishwife (meaning woman) is a purveyor of fresh fish and seafood. The history of the fishmonger dates back many centuries, a noble trade that still stands proud still today.

Image is Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.  Joachim Beuckelaer’s – Vismarkt.

Trained and armed with their fish scaler, fillet & oyster knife, pin-bone pliers and sometimes protective gloves he/she practices the trade   They also use a special knife for gutting fish as well as removing the valuable roe.  For more on the history of the fishmonger visit Wikipedia here.

The Fishmonger’s Market

So, what is a proper fishmonger’s (of fishwife’s) establishment?  We believe their fish market should smell clean when your nose first meets the aroma in the shop or stall.  The fish should look fresh and when the fishmonger is asked, he/she should know when and where the fish was harvested.

The eyes of the whole fish should be bright and clear.  The fish should be displayed in an attractive manner on loads of crushed ice.  And most importantly, the fishmonger should be happy to clean, descale and skin your fish if requested.

It’s always a happy addition when their shop has a seafood deli counter full of ready to eat goodies.  Yum, there’s layered Salmon and Pea Mousse, Nova-Salmon and salmon mousse pinwheels, Salmon patties.  Then comes the really good stuff, the fresh smoked Salmon of all types along with smoke mackerel, oysters, eel and such.  And, least not forget all the pickled herring.  A bottle of wine, a picnic basket and your got lunch on the beach.  Also, this is where we pick up a couple of the goodies, like hand peeled shrimp and fish roe for our Danish Stjerneskud Smørrebrød recipe coming at the end of this post.

We’re a civilized lot here, no jumping the queue or shoving to the front, you take a number when you enter look up for the “Nu Betjänas” (now being served) sign and figure your wait.  If you are number 30 and number 26 is being served, you have time to look around the market and impulse buy.

You can pick up all kinds of goodies to make your picnic or takeaway marvelous.  Perhaps some Bornholm crackers, made in Denmark since 1924.  These Bornholm rye crackers with a faint taste of caraway have 27 layers and are like no other rye cracker I’ve ever tasted.  They are shipped throughout the world.  Maybe a bottle of hand-crafted strawberry, cherry or elderberry saft, a concentrated juice love by kids young and old.  Lest not forget dessert, black currant and raspberry fish candy.  Or, perchance a bag of black salty licorice shape like a little cod, all hand made in Malmö.  You see now why Fiskboden on Lomma is our favorite fish market.  Oh, and did I mention, they have a fantastic fresh seafood restaurant setting just at the fish harbor.

But more on that and on the lovely seaside village of Lomma located in the South of Sweden in our next post.

Stjerneskud Smørrebrød

I know, you’re thinking “not another open sandwich”.  But wait, like Skagen på smörstekt surdeg, the Swedish grand open sandwich posted in back in April, Stjerneskud or Shooting Star is the grand-whopper of all Danish smørrebrøds. 

The history of the Stjerneskud or Shooting Star is somewhat controversial as there are two lines of thought regarding the origin of the Stjerneskud Smørrebrød.  After researching, I chose to follow in the belief that the Stjerneskud was conceived in 1962 at then Restaurant Oskar Davidsen in Copenhagen, which is now Ida Davidsen.   You see the Davidsen family invented the popular Danish smørrebrøds beginning back in the late 1800’s, that are still extremely popular today in Scandinavia. 

Let’s make a Stjerneskud or a Shooting Star…

Look at all those ingredients.  It’s not really difficult, though it does have a number of steps.  However, it’s quite fun to make and a real taste delight.

First and foremost, you’ll need some rödspätta (more on that below), egg, milk, flour, breadcrumbs, butter, beer, shallot, dill and white and/or green asparagus.   For the sauce you’ll need cream fraiche, mayonnaise, tomato puree, chili sauce, lemon juice, seasoning and a splash of white wine.   To assembly, you’ll need to have on hand toasted bread, lettuce, tomato, bay shrimp, lumpfish roe, lemon & cucumber slices and fresh dill.

What is rödspätta?  It’s European Plaice, which is a flounder type flat fish that lives in the oceans and bays.  The meat is delicate and sweet and makes for a fine eating.  Should you live in an area where European plaice is unavailable, any flat fish should work. In Australia it appears the Western Australian flounder would be a good candidate and in North America the flounder or sole would be your choice. If you can’t find flounder, it’s my belief that any similar fish could work as well.

The Sauce

Since the sauce can be made ahead, I like to make it first or even the day before.  You can keep it refrigerated for up to three days.  The recipe below is for the traditional Danish sauce, but feel free to kick it up a notch by adding curry powder and hot sauce of choice.

This is a simple sauce to whip together, needing just a bit of cream fraiche, mayo, chili sauce, tomato puree, seasoning, a squeeze of lemon (not shown) and perhaps a splash of white wine.

In a small bowl place your cream fraiche, chili sauce, mayonnaise, tomato puree and chili sauce.  Then just give it a good whisking to mix thoroughly.  Season lightly with salt and white pepper, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Add in a squeeze of lemon. Taste and adjust to your preference.  If needed, dilute slightly with a splash white wine (or water) to make it to your desired consistency.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.

The Fish

You’ll be cooking the rödspätta fish in two different ways, so the fillet needs to be separated.  Divide the fillets along the spine line to get 8 smaller fillets and check for pin bones. Salt and peppers.

Cooks confession:  We had a poor summer for rödspätta fish and those above are only about 4 oz (114 g) each.  So, I will be using two of the large pieces per serving.

The next step is to dredge your fish, so it can set and let the batter set.  Set up your dredging line by placing three shallow containers next to each other. Place your flour in the first container followed by your whisked milk and egg mixture in the second container. The bread crumbs or panko are placed in the third. Lastly have a large plate at the end of the line to place the dredged/coated fish on.

Take each of the four large fillets and coat first with flour on both sides. Next dip the floured filet into the egg and milk mixture. Now, roll the fillet in the bread crumbs and coat well.

Repeat this process to double coat the fillet and then place on plate. Repeat this for all four fillets. Once they are all battered, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Now, back to those small pieces of fish fillet.  These will be steamed with a butter sauteed shallot and beer.  Using the four smaller fillets, place a good pinch of fresh dill on the fillet. Now, roll down the length of the fillet with the dill inside. Place the rolled small fillets with the seam side down into a steam basket.  Toothpicks can be inserted into the rolled fish if needed, but caution should be used to remember to remove the toothpick prior to serving.

Using a saucepan of a size that will allow for your steam basket, sauté the mince shallot in a little butter until they soften. Next, pour a beer into the pan and bring to a boil.

Steam fish over the boiling beer covered for 2 minutes, then place your asparagus in the steamer with the fish for an additional 3 minutes.  Once cooked, place the steamed fish and asparagus on a platter. Cover and reserve for plating.  Heat your fat of choice in a frying pan.  Now, pan fry the remaining 4 large breaded fillets until golden brown turn and brown the other side. Remove the fillets and allow them to drain on paper towels.

The Assembly

All plated and your Stjerneskud “Shooting Star” is ready to serve.

OPTIONAL COOKING METHOD: Don’t do fried food.  Then you can grill/broil the large fillet instead of pan frying.  However, remember that the fillet will be delicate once cooked and you must exercise caution when plating or the fish will fall apart.  As an alternate to placing the fish on the bread, one could lay the fish in a sauce made with avocado, green peas and cashews.  Does that sauce sound interesting?  If so, let me know and I’ll post the recipe.

Chloe says, “Don’t you love running through the sprinkler on a warm summer day?  My paws were wet again, so I only got some steamed fish.  But, if the rest of the dish was as good, it got my five paws rating!”  –  🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Summer post notice:  It’s summer break time in Sweden, so our posts will be a bit less frequent in July and August but come September we’ll be back to our regular schedule.

Thanks for taking time to read today and feel free to leave your thoughts just below the recipe in the “Leave a Reply” section.

Stjerneskud a “Shooting Star”

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: Fish, Stjerneskud

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Sauce: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Adapted from Danish TV show “Half past eight” By Anne Bramsen

Stjerneskud or “Shooting Star” in English is a classic Danish Smørrebrød or open sandwich.  It's loaded with goodies such as steam and fried plaice or flounder, a lovely sauce, asparagus and topped with bay shrimp and fish roe.  Much more than just a sandwich, it's a meal in itself.

Print

Ingredients

SAUCE

• 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) Cream fraiche.
• 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) Mayonnaise.
• 1 teaspoon (1 tsk) Tomato puree, See note 3.
• 1 teaspoon (1tsk) Chili sauce.
• White wine, as required.
• Salt and white pepper, to taste.
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste.

FISH

• 4 8 oz (225g) whole plaice fillets, skin off and checked for pin bones. See note 1.
• 1 large Egg.
• 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) Milk.
• 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) Flour.
• 1 cup bread crumbs or panko.
• Butter or fat of choice. See note 2.
• 1 Beer, for steaming fish.
• 1 large Shallots, minced.
• 1 bunch Fresh dill, divided.
• 8 Green and/or white asparagus, washed and trimmed.

FOR PLATING

• Cooked fish and asparagus along with the prepared sauce.
• Toasted bread
• Salad lettuce of choice.
• 8 oz. (225 g) Salad or bay shrimp, cooked and peeled. See note 4.
• 4 tbsp. Black and/or lumpfish roe.
• 8 Tomato wedges.
• 4 Lemon slices, for garnish.
• 4 Thin sliced cucumbers, for garnish.
• 4 large sprigs Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions

SAUCE

1. In a small bowl whisk together the cream fraiche, chili sauce, mayonnaise, tomato puree and chili sauce.

2. Taste with salt, pepper and some lemon. Taste!
3. If desired, dilute slightly with a little white wine (or water) to make it your desired consistency.  Refrigerate the sauce and reserve for plating.  See note 5.

FISH

1. Divide the fillets along the spine to get 8 smaller fillets and check for pin bones. Salt and peppers.
2. Whisk you egg and milk well. 
   
3. Now set up your dredging line by placing three shallow containers next to each other. Place your flour in the first container followed by milk and egg mixture in the second and then bread crumbs or panko in the third. Lastly have a large plate at the end to place the dredged fish on.

4. Take each of the four large fillets and coat first with flour on both sides. Next dip the floured filet into the egg and milk mixture. Now, roll the fillet in the bread crumbs and coat well. Repeat this process to double coat the fillet and then place on plate. Repeat this for all four fillets.  Once they are all battered, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

5. Using the four smaller fillets, place a good pinch of fresh dill on fillet.  Now roll down the length of the fillet, rolling the dill inside. Toothpicks can be inserted into the rolled fish if needed, but caution should be used to remember to remove the toothpick prior to serving.

6. Using a saucepan of a size to allow for your steam basket, sauté mince shallot in a little butter until they soften. Next pour a beer into the pan and bring to a boil.

7. Steam fish covered for 2 minutes, then place your asparagus in the steamer with the fish for an additional 3 minutes. Place the steamed fish and asparagus in a platter cover and reserve for plating.  See note 6.

8. Pan fry the remaining 4 large fillets in butter (or fat of choice) until golden brown turn and brown the other side. Remove the filet and allow them to drain on paper towels.

PLATING

1. Toast and cool the 4 slices of your bead of choice. Try to have the slice slightly smaller than the fried fish.

2. Optional: Butter toast prior to assembly.

3. Place the toast on your serving plate.

4. Next, place the lettuce on one end of the toast, letting the lettuce hang over the toast a bit.

5. Now place your fried fillet on top of the bread and lettuce, with the small end of the fish covering the lettuce.

6. Then, place the steamed rolled fillet on the large end of the fried fillet leaving room in front of the fillet to place the caviar.
   

7. Place sauce, in a quantity of your liking, on top of the fillet just behind the rolled fillet. Optionally, you could serve sauce on the side.

8. Place two asparagus crossed against the fish.

9. Take 1/4 of the bay or salad shrimp and place on top of the sauce.
   

10. Garnish with tomato wedges (or cherry tomatoes), lemon slice and cucumber.

11. Now spoon on a teaspoon of each of the black and red fish roe in front of the steamed fish.  If using just one color, increase to two teaspoons.  Don't like fish roe, leave it off.
    

12. 10. Top with a good sprig or two of fresh dill.
13. 11. You’re ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

Please note that the servings can be changed by entering the amount you wish in the quantity indicator.  However, the metric will not change. 

1. Should you live in an area where European plaice is unavailable, any flat fish should work. In Australia it appears the Western Australian flounder would be a good candidate for this recipe. In Europe, the European Plaice is your best choice. North America, flounder or sole will work great.  Just think flat fish.
2.  Traditionally this would be fried using only butter, but fat is fat and if you prefer olive oil, corn or other oils please fill free.
3. Tomato paste can be substituted, but it should be used sparingly. For 1 tsp of puree sub about a quarter tsp of paste, then thin paste with wine (or water) to make a tsp.
4. Any small cooked bay or salad shrimp can be used here.
5. The sauce can be made ahead. It can be kept in your refrigerator for 3 days.
6. Conversely, steam fish for minutes 5-6 minutes, remove place on paper lined plate to drain and while the fish drains steam the asparagus 3 minutes.

Don't do fried food.  Then you can grill/broil the large fillet instead of pan frying.  However, remember that the fillet will be delicate once cooked and you must exercise caution when plating or the fish will fall apart.  As an alternate to placing the fish on the bread, one could lay the fish in a sauce made with avocado, green peas and cashews. 

Please follow and like us: