Flavours of apple, dill and brown butter bring out the salty flavours of the sea

The sweetness and nuttiness of brown butter complements the pure, salty flavour of the mussels beautifully, while the apple-cider vinegar does a great job of replacing the traditional lemon juice.

This is an edited extract from Modern Nordic by Simon Bajada (Hardie Grant, $50). Photography by Simon Bajada. Photography by Simon Bajada

When I’m asked, “What is modern Nordic cuisine?” I don’t have an easy answer, but I have some thoughts on what it is not. It is not a fusion of cuisines, nor is it a simple reinterpretation of Nordic classics. It is not an entirely new set of flavours either. Rather, it centres on an idea. It is a celebration of traditional Nordic methods of sourcing local ingredients – from foraging to fishing and hunting – and preparing them in new ways grounded in tradition. I would describe the flavours as earthy, clean and subtle, often with soft contrasts of sweet and sour. Modern Nordic cuisine mirrors its landscape – raw, subtle, grounded. The beauty of the region will creep up on you until you truly appreciate its harmony and complexity, just like its cuisine.

Try too my flaked salmon burger and carrot and cardamom cake.

Mussels with brown butter from Modern Nordic.

Modern Nordic by Simon Bajada.

Mussels in brown butter, dill and apple

The sweetness and nuttiness of brown butter complements the pure, salty flavour of the mussels beautifully, while the apple-cider vinegar does a great job of replacing the traditional lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 2kg mussels
• 150g unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
• 4 shallots, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
• 3 tablespoons chopped dill
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and grated

Method

1. Scrub and pull out the hairy beards of the mussels and rinse well. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it is foaming, turning brown and you can smell a nutty aroma. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer it to a cold surface to stop the cooking. (The butter may still continue to cook a little in the pan, so if you feel like it is getting too dark, pour it into another vessel.) Set aside.
2. Heat the oil and shallots in a lidded pot over a low-medium heat until the shallots are translucent and slightly soft, about 4 minutes. Add the mussels, vinegar and sea salt, increase the heat to the high, cover with the lid and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Give the pot a good shake to try and bring those mussels that are at the bottom of the pot to the top and cook for a further 3 minutes.
4. Once almost all the mussels have opened, stir through the brown butter, dill and apple and cook for 30 seconds more. Discard any unopened mussels.
5. Serve immediately with a good lager and some dark rye bread.Serves 6