Nordic Cuisine for the Home Cook – Cauliflower salad

This salad might be one of the first Nordic inspired dishes you make at home, but its simple, quick and easy to get right the first time you try.
By Mia Irene Kristensen

A week ago I did a cooking class in London entitled “New Nordic Cuisine for the Home Cook” at The Culinary Anthropologist. This beautiful salad was on the menu and people cooked and ate it with love for its simplicity, crunch and match in flavors.
To me this salad is a perfect example of what the “New Nordic Cuisine” could look like on the weekday dining table.

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So why go to London to talk and teach people about the New Nordic Cuisine, you might ask?
To me it makes perfect sense, the climate is alike (with small variations), the forage herbs are alike (with small variations) and the life- and cooking style is similar (with small variations). The Nordic Cuisine is popular for its pure flavors, seasonality, and simplicity – but most people associates Nordic Cuisine with Noma and cooking skills way beyond a normal home cooks. I think we need to turn that idea around for the Nordic Cuisine to become “public property”.

So what I tried was to first of all give the guests a nice experience, but thereafter to give the them the possibility to use their local produce in combinations with techniques and flavors related with the Nordic Cuisine. It is a nice way to get to understand and apply Nordic Cuisine in home meals on an ordinary Wednesday night, getting a flavorful, healthy and lovely serving for family and friends. I will do my best to try to give you the same kind of experience through my articles and recipes here,  the best way to become familar with a new cuisine is always “hand’s on”. So try it out and let me know about your experience with the Nordic flavors.

This salad might be one of the first Nordic inspired dish you make at home, but its simple, quick and easy to get right the first time you try . The texture crunchy from the raw cauliflower (not to crunchy beacause the cauliflower is cut VERY thinly) and the roasted hazelnuts and the flavors are sweet with a little bitterness from the dried cranberries, distinct and fresh sourness from the apple vinegar and slightly peppery (or mustard) from the rather large amount of cress! – A delicious served with a piece of pan roasted fish or maybe even a pot roast ? Try it once, I promise you it won’t be the last.

– Make variations according to your mood and season – try different dried berries or maybe exchange the cauliflower with brocoli. In the spring its ideel to use fresh ramsons instead of cress.

Caution – Be careful when using a mandolin. Put on a rubber glove before starting, to avoid cutting your fingers/nails.