Eggs Benedict with a Nordic Twist

For the last few years I have been interested in the ancient Nordic primstav or perpetual calendar. The primstav is a very old and traditional way of marking and remembering the days of the year. They are usually in a stick form with the six summer months on one side and six winter months on the other side. Each significant day is marked with a symbol and all th symbols are simple and self-explanatory from crosses to lilies and brooms.

The day to remember and celebrate St Benedict is one that is marked on about a third of Nordic primstavs and it's celebrated on 21 March each year. The most common symbol for benediktsmesse is a tree or a cross.

St Benedict was not the most important saint in Norway, but the most significant cultural traces of Benedict in Norway were the monasteries that followed his rule. The Benedictine Order was the first order to establish itself in Norway. The oldest monasteries were Holms Monastery (Munkholmen) near Trondheim, Munkeliv Monastery at Nordnes near Bergen and Selje Monastery on the island of Selja. They were founded around 1100 so they have been in use for some time!

In 2007, the new monastery church in Tautra Mariakloster was consecrated. The altar contained relics of several saints, including Benedict.

Many of the important holy days marked on the primstavs have strange and inexplicable superstitions related to them. In Seljord the well known priest Wille said that one should throw soil on the field on this day so that the snow would melt and the plowing could begin. After a few days of new snow in my part of Norway (when we were so expecting spring!), that is a superstition I am willing to give a go! The historian P. A. Munch says that the day was called "Bent prøvesvin". If a pig had been fed so well that it made it through the summer, it would withstand a heavy blow from a pole without falling over.

But I think the most welcome part of Benediktsmesse is us looking forward to spring approaching.

The Benedictine Order (the monks who follow the rules of St Benedict) is one that has always appealed to me and especially the most famous Benedictine monk of all - Dom Pierre Perignon. Do you recognise the name? Yes, Dom Pérignon champage was named after him and his pioneering contributions to champagne production. Strangely many of Europes best beers and spirits were created by monks. Odd, but true.

Being a Benedictine monk even in the frozen wastes of Norway far from the scrutiny of Rome was still tough. Benedictine m9nks have rules to follow. The 5 most important rules are prayer, work, study hospitality and renewal. But rules also apply to when and what to eat. There are two meals a day with two cooked dishes at each. Each monk is allowed a pound of bread and they are not completely vegetarian but nearly. So many monasteries grew their own food and kept their own livestock and chickens would have been a popular choice because they are so prolific in their egg production.

I was so inspired by all this that I wanted to share a recipe I have created to celebrate Benediktsmesse using beautiful Nordic and Nordic inspired ingredients for something that is tasty and unexpected.

A note about the ingredients:

Polarbrød is a soft, round and flat bread very similar to Sami bread which is usually eaten for breakfast or lunch and adds a special Nordic twist to this dish. If you can get something similar you can save some time, but if you want to go truly authentic, I have a great recipe for polarbrød that everyone will love. Spekeskinke is a raw, cured ham that is popular in Norway. It's usually eaten with scrambled egg or on bread for a light lunch. And of course dill is such a Nordic herb that we find in so many Nordic and Scandinavian dishes.

Eggs Benedict with a Nordic Twist. Serves 4

Ingredients

8 polarbrød

8 eggs, free range is best

8 slices of spekeskinke or similar

For the hollandaise sauce

2 eggs yolks

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon water

100g / 3.5 oz melted butter

2 tablespoon finely chopped dill

Method:

For the hollandaise sauce:

Melt the butter. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat together. Add the vinegar and a teaspoon of water. Put the bowl over a pan of hot water and whisk the egg yolks until they become thick and creamy.

Remove the bowl from the pan of hot water and dribble in the melted butter, whisking all the time. Season with salt and pepper and add the dill. Put the hollandaise sauce to one side while you cook the eggs.

Lightly toast the polarbrød.

To poach the eggs, Bring a large flat pan (like a frying pan) of water to the boil. Add a dash of vinegar and gently break each 4 eggs into the water. Simmer gently for 4 minutes. Remove with a sppon into a bowl of hot water. This will keep them warm whilst you poach the remaining eggs.

Ro assemble the eggs Benedict, put 2 polarbrød on each plate, top with a slice of spekeskinke and an egg and cover with a spoonful of the hollandaise sauce. Serve straight away.

Chef's tips: If the hollandaide sauce splits, put an ice cube in a new bowl and gradually pour the split sauce onto it whisking all the time. To make poaching the eggs easier, have a small pan of boiling water next to the poaching pan. Place each whole egg (in it's shell) into the small pan and count to 15 before cracking the eggs into the poaching water. This keeps the egg white together and you get a prettier looking poached eggs without all those frilly bits.