The Scandinavian supper club menu starts off with a crayfish or smoked aubergine cocktail boat, served with a welcome pickle back cocktail. This cocktail isn’t particularly Scandi, but there was so many pickles and so much dill in the menu that I thought it was a good start to the meal and an indication of what was going to come. I used the pickled gherkin juice from the jar, but make sure it is vinegar based rather than a brine.
Pickle back cocktail
Makes 6
195ml whiskey
180ml pickle juice, strained
100ml or so of soda water
2 large gherkins, quartered lengthways
ice
6 x tumbler glasses
Fill the tumbler glasses with the ice and add 35ml of the whiskey to each glass. Divide the pickle juice between the glasses, then top up the drinks with the soda water. Using a long teaspoon, stir the drinks, then insert a gherkin quarter. Serve immediately.
Crayfish or aubergine with dill yogurt cocktail boats
Serves 6
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6 little gem lettuce leaves, trimmed
1 tbsp chopped dill, plus extra to sprinkle
90g thick yogurt
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
90g each crayfish
1 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed
black pepper
6 x saucers or small plates
–
Place one little gem lettuce leaf on each plate. In a small bowl, mix together the dill, yogurt and lemon zest and juice. Stir in a pinch of black pepper. Divide the mixture between the inside of the lettuce leaves, then top with the cray fish or aubergine. Sprinkle with the pink peppercorns and extra dill. Serve.
Vegetarian option: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Chop an aubergine into small squares and place on an oven tray. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and drizzle with a 1 tbsp of olive oil. Bake for 15-20 mins, until cooked through, then allow to cool. Chill until needed. Use in the place of crayfish for the vegetarian version of the dish, swapping the crayfish for the same weight of aubergine.
