Anne Mette accepted the challenge to make a “New Nordic Cuisine”-inspired meal at home while keeping it real. What did she choose? Porridge.
Porridge has achieved a place of distinction in Nordic food culture. Yes, the old peasant food – porridge. Porridge becomes elevated if you top it with or incorporate local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. Extra points are given if any part of it has been pickled or fermented. It can sound fancier, though too Italian, if you call it risotto. But it seems hearty, holistic, and modern if you call it a grain bowl.
Despite the many efforts to make Nordic Cuisine a flavorful player on the world stage, the fact remains that the available ingredients and the palates may be a bit more mild and starchy than other gastronomic traditions around the globe. And contrary to the highfalutin execution of starred fine dining, at least one legacy of the New Nordic Cuisine movement is cheap, filling, and easy to embrace.
Long live pearl barley!