Simple, seasonal Scandinavian recipes
Just returned from a Scandinavian cruise?
Then relive your favourite flavours on board with these Nordic recipes
The Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten has
teamed up with the Michelin star chef Marc
Fosh to solve your dinner party dilemmas.
Marc says: “Salmon with pickled
cucumber and dill is a classic combination in all
Scandinavian cuisine thanks to its fresh, light and
vibrant flavours. It encapsulates the essence of
simple food in Scandinavia, where the emphasis is on quality ingredients.
“The dish goes well with mustard grain sauce, which adds a rich and pungent contrast to the
lively, acidic cucumber. Aquavit is the perfect
pairing to cut the richness of the salmon and
enjoy the flavours of Scandinavia.”
Fresh and fruity, the Aquavit Sour is made with
Norwegian Aquavit muddled with strawberries,
which grow wild across most of Norway. A basil
garnish gives it a herbal kick.
Alternatively, you can
pair the dish with a dry Arctic martini with a zingy
lemon flavour, made with juniper berries sourced
from the Arctic’s heather-clad mountains. “
It’s a pure Norwegian flavour,” adds Marc.
PAN-FRIED SALMON WITH DILL
Ingredients (serves two)
For the pickled cucumber dressing
1/2 cucumber
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For the grain mustard & dill sauce
2 shallots
2 tbsp grain mustard
200ml white wine
200ml fish stock
300ml cream
150g butter
1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh dill
For the fish
1 tbsp olive oil
2 salmon fillets (180-200g each)
20g butter
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
METHOD
For the pickled cucumber dressing
1. Peel and dice the cucumber and finely chop
the onion
2. Mix in a bowl with the sherry vinegar and
olive oil, then season to taste
For the grain mustard & dill sauce
1. Finely chop the shallots and place them in
a saucepan with the grain mustard, white
wine and fish stock
2. Boil for 2 minutes till the mix has reduced by half
3. Whisk in the cream and simmer. Leave it to
reduce by half then whisk in the butter bit by bit
4. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper
5. Chop the dill and add it to the sauce just
before you’re ready to serve
For the fish
1. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan
2. When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin
side down, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the
skin is crisp and golden
3. Turn the fillets over and cook for 1 more minute
4. Add the butter and lemon juice then baste
the salmon fillets with the foaming butter
5. Remove the fillets and place them in a hot oven
at 180°C for 1 to 2 minutes
6. Generously season the salmon with salt and
pepper
7. To serve, pour a spoonful of sauce into the middle
of each plate or bowl. Place the salmon fillets on top.
Spoon pickled cucumber dressing on top of the fish
and serve immediately
AQUAVIT SOUR
Ingredients (serves one)
Ice
40ml Hurtigruten Premium Arctic Aquavit
20ml strawberry purée
30ml lemon juice
30ml simple syrup
20ml egg white
3-4 basil leaves
METHOD
1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice
2. Add all the ingredients except the
ice to a shaker and shake vigorously
to create foam
3. Add the ice and shake again
4. Remove the ice and strain the
drink twice
5. Add ice cubes to your glass, pour
the drink and garnish with basil
Watch this recipe being made on World of Cruising TV on ITV, Freeview, Sky and Virgin. Find out more on worldofcruising.tv
Follow us on socials
The Coastal Express - South (Kirkenes - Bergen)
- 5 nights, departs on the 02 Dec 2025
- Hurtigruten, MS Nordlys
- Kirkenes, Vardø, Båtsfjord, + 30 more
The Coastal Express (Bergen - Kirkenes - Bergen)
- 11 nights, departs on the 03 Feb 2026
- Hurtigruten, MS Polarlys
- Bergen, Florø, Måløy, + 63 more
The Coastal Express - South (Kirkenes - Bergen)
- 5 nights, departs on the 07 Jan 2026
- Hurtigruten, MS Polarlys
- Kirkenes, Vardø, Båtsfjord, + 30 more
The Coastal Express - South (Kirkenes - Bergen)
- 5 nights, departs on the 26 Jul 2025
- Hurtigruten, MS Polarlys
- Kirkenes, Vardø, Båtsfjord, + 30 more