Kogt Torsk med Sennepssauce og det Fulde Tilbehør

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide, deep pan or fish kettle, large enough for cod to lie flat in a single layer
• •Slotted spoon or fish slice
• •Medium saucepan for the sauce
• •Fine grater for the horseradish
• •Large warm serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the eggs

   Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil. The moment the water boils, set a timer for nine minutes. You want a fully set yolk that is still a shade of deep gold in the centre, not chalky and grey. When the time is up, plunge them straight into ice water. This stops the cooking and keeps that fine green ring from forming around the yolk. Peel them when cool and set aside.

2. 2

   Prepare the beetroots

   If your beetroots aren't already cooked, wrap them individually in foil and roast at 200°C for about an hour, until a knife slides through without resistance. Let them cool just enough to handle, then slip the skins off. Cut them into thick wedges and set aside. The beets will bleed their colour across the plate later, and that is part of the beauty of this dish. Don't fight it.

   You can cook the beetroots the day before. They keep well in the fridge and are easier to handle when fully cold.
3. 3

   Boil the potatoes

   Put the scrubbed potatoes into a pot of well-salted cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about twenty minutes depending on size. A small knife should slip in and out with no grip at all. Drain and keep warm under a clean cloth. Waxy potatoes hold their shape and won't crumble on the plate beside the fish. That matters here, where everything shares the same space.

4. 4

   Crisp the bacon

   Scatter the bacon lardons into a cold frying pan and set it over medium heat. Starting in a cold pan lets the fat render slowly, so the bacon crisps evenly instead of seizing and burning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are golden and just beginning to darken at the edges, about eight minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Save a tablespoon of the rendered fat if you like. Some cooks stir it into the sauce for depth. I do, when nobody is watching.

5. 5

   Make the poaching liquid

   Combine the two litres of cold water with the coarse salt, white wine vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a wide, deep pan or a fish kettle if you have one. Stir until the salt dissolves. Bring this to a gentle simmer. The vinegar does two things: it firms the surface proteins of the cod so the flesh holds together instead of flaking apart in the water, and it keeps the fish white. Without vinegar, poached cod turns an unappealing grey. The salt seasons the fish from the outside in, the way a brine does, so every flake tastes of something.

   The pan needs to be wide enough that the pieces of cod can lie flat in a single layer. If they're stacked, they cook unevenly and the ones on top break when you try to lift them.
6. 6

   Poach the cod

   Lower the heat until the surface of the poaching liquid barely trembles. Slide the cod portions in gently, skin-side down. The water should not boil. Not ever. Boiling water shatters cod. You want a temperature where the surface shivers but never breaks into bubbles. Poach for eight to twelve minutes, depending on thickness. The fish is done when it turns from translucent to pure opaque white and the flesh just begins to pull apart along its natural flakes when you press it gently with a spoon. Lift each piece out with a slotted spoon or fish slice, letting the liquid drain, and set on a warm serving platter. Reserve 200ml of the poaching liquid for the sauce.

   The Danes call this kogt torsk, but the word 'kogt' means 'boiled' and that is exactly what you must not do. Simmer. Tremble. Never boil. The name lies. Your instincts are better.
7. 7

   Make the sennepssauce

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, add the flour and stir constantly for two minutes. The flour needs to cook out its raw taste, but it must not take on any colour. This is a white sauce and it should stay that way. Slowly pour in the milk, a splash at a time at first, stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Once about a third of the milk is in and the mixture is smooth, you can add the rest more freely. Then stir in the reserved poaching liquid. Let the sauce simmer gently for five minutes, stirring often, until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, white pepper, and the sugar.

   White pepper, not black. Black pepper leaves dark specks in the sauce that look like dirt. White pepper disappears and lets the sauce stay clean.
8. 8

   Add the mustard

   Take the sauce off the heat. Now add the strong Danish mustard and the Dijon. This is the step that matters most: the mustard goes in after the sauce leaves the flame. Mustard cooked at high heat turns bitter and loses its sharpness. Off the heat, it keeps its bite and its warmth. Stir it through thoroughly. Taste the sauce. It should be creamy, gently sharp, and warm with mustard. Adjust the salt if needed. The poaching liquid already carried salt, so go carefully. Keep the sauce warm with a lid on while you assemble the platter.

   If the sauce thickens too much while it waits, stir in a splash of warm milk. It should pour, not sit in a lump.
9. 9

   Grate the horseradish

   Peel the horseradish root and grate it finely just before serving. Fresh horseradish is sharp enough to make your eyes water, and that ferocity fades within minutes of grating. This is why you do it last. Jarred horseradish is not the same thing. The fresh root has a clean, volatile heat that cuts through the richness of the sauce and the fat of the bacon. If you can't find fresh horseradish, use the best jarred version you can buy, but know that you're getting a softer, more vinegary heat.

10. 10

    Assemble the platter

    This is a dish that comes to the table as a generous spread, not plated individually. Arrange the poached cod portions on a large warm serving platter. Surround them with the boiled potatoes and the beetroot wedges. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into halves and tuck them alongside. Scatter the crisp bacon lardons and the capers over and around the fish. Place small mounds of freshly grated horseradish where people can reach them. Lay fronds of fresh dill across the fish and wherever the plate needs brightness. Pour the warm sennepssauce into a jug or bowl and set it beside the platter. Let everyone serve themselves. This is how we greet each other on New Year's Eve. Tak for mad.

Chef Tips

• •Buy your cod from a fishmonger you trust. The fish should smell of the sea and nothing else. Thick loin portions work best because they hold together during poaching. Thin tail pieces cook too fast and fall apart.
• •Use sparkling water in the sauce if you want it slightly lighter, replacing a third of the milk. This is not traditional, but it's a trick I learned from a cook in Jutland who swore by it.
• •The mustard goes in off the heat. I say it twice because it matters twice. Mustard cooked in a hot sauce turns bitter and flat. Off the heat, it stays alive.
• •Fresh horseradish makes this dish. If you've never grated the fresh root before, do it near an open window. It's more potent than you expect, and that potency is exactly the point.
• •Serve with cold Danish beer and a small glass of aquavit. The aquavit cuts through the richness of the sauce, and the beer brings you back. That is the rhythm of a Danish New Year's table.

Advance Preparation

• •The beetroots can be roasted up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge. Bring to room temperature or warm gently before serving.
• •The eggs can be hard-boiled earlier in the day, peeled, and kept in cold water in the fridge. Halve them just before plating.
• •The bacon can be crisped an hour ahead and rewarmed briefly in a dry pan. It loses its snap if it sits too long.
• •The poaching liquid can be prepared and brought to temperature while you arrange the tilbehor. The cod itself must be poached just before serving. It does not wait. Cold poached cod is a different dish entirely, and not the one you want tonight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 520g)