Danish

John Bach-Sorensen

Picnic Bakery + Cafe

“My hometown is really the Christmas town,” says John Bach-Sorensen, who hails from Dragør, Denmark, founded in the 12th Century. “It’s a little island off Copenhagen known for fishing and farming.” And Christmas there, as it is in the whole of the country, is a big deal, with festivities kicking off in sync with the Christian observation of the Advent season four Sundays before Christmas Eve. Homes are decorated and illuminated with colorful lights, and the chef says people typically enjoy long lunches, called Julefrokost, with family and friends.

“Lunches with pickled herring, pickled pork, red cabbage, and things that take a lot more time to make, and that’s how you start celebrating — and buying your Christmas presents,” he says. It’s all part of Denmark’s holiday hygge — seeking out simple, warm and cozy pleasures.

Danish bakeries are reliably stocked with traditional Christmas sweet treats like klejner; simple, deep-fried dough twists, and pebernødder, a ginger cookie, but Bach-Sorensen lights up when talking about Risalamande. On Dec. 23, “Little Christmas Eve,” or Lillejuleaften, the Christmas tree is brought home and decorated, presents are placed underneath, and a hearty rice pudding, risengrød, is made.

“They put sugar and cinnamon on top with a dollop of butter,” he says, for a meal that fills the belly, heart and soul. “Then they take a plate and bring it up to the attic,” to feed the nisse, a folkloric house elf, explains Bach-Sorensen. This is similar to American children leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus.

The next day, the rice pudding becomes Risalamande by loosening the consistency with whipped cream, adding more vanilla, confectioners’ sugar, and sliced almonds before drizzling it with a cherry sauce.

“But the thing is, you take a full almond, take the skin off, and slip it in, hiding it in one bowl,” says Bach-Sorenson, smiling ear to ear. Whoever has the almond in their Risalamande serving wins a small Christmas present.

“You really have to concentrate, and keep a straight face, like you’re playing poker at the table,” he adds, “and every kid has to finish [their Risalamande]. It had a purpose to feed the kids too, because there was not much food around in the old days.”

DANISH RISALAMANDE

INGREDIENTS:

Rice Pudding:
1 cup short-grain white rice
1¼ cup water
4 cups milk
Large pinch of salt
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 T white sugar
4 ounces chopped blanched
almonds

Risalamande:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (can
substitute vanilla extract)
½ tsp almond extract

Cherry Sauce:
1½ cup cherries
From the can, add 1/2 cup of the
light syrup
For fresh or frozen cherries, add
½ cup water
3 T granulated white sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 T butter
1 T cornstarch dissolved in ¼
cup warm water
½ tsp almond extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rice Pudding:

1. Place the rice, salt, lemon zest, sugar, and water into a medium-sized stockpot and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for 3 minutes, then add the milk and bring it to a boil again.
2. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes. Stir occasionally, with increased frequency during the final 10 minutes to prevent scorching. Add the chopped blanched almonds and stir them in.
3. Allow the rice to cool, and then refrigerate it for at least several hours or overnight.
4. Whip the cream until it thickens. Add the sugar, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Be cautious not to overbeat.
5. Gently fold the cream mixture into the chilled rice pudding. Note that the rice may be quite stiff initially, so stir it to loosen it up, and then continue stirring after adding the cream to break up any clumps.

Cherry Sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and their syrup or water, along with the sugar, butter, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil.
2. If you are using fresh or frozen cherries, reduce the heat and let it simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, continuously stirring until the sauce thickens, which should take about 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the almond extract.
4. Cover the sauce and store it in the refrigerator, where it can be kept for up to a week.

FINAL PRODUCT:
Serve the Risalamande at room temperature (or slightly cool) alongside the room temperature (or slightly warmed) cherry sauce. Garnish with fresh mint.

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