Makes 10
FOR THE ROLLS
25g fresh yeast
300ml lukewarm whole milk
50g salted butter
500g strong white flour, plus more to dust
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
FOR THE CUCUMBER SALAD
250ml apple cider vinegar
3.5 tbsp water
125g caster sugar
Pinch of sea salt
2 cucumbers
FOR THE HOTDOGS
10 good-quality butchers sausages
100g fried onions
4 tbsp raw onions, chopped
Tomato ketchup
Sweet Scandinavian mustard
Rémoulade
- For the rolls, crumble the yeast into the milk and stir to dissolve. Melt the butter and stir it into the milk. Now mix in the flour, sugar and salt, then knead well on a floured surface.
- Put the dough into a bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave it to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. After it has risen, form into 10 fat oval buns and place on 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment. Cover with tea towels and leave to rise for 20 minutes.
- Now for the cucumber salad. Whisk the vinegar, water, sugar and salt together in a non-reactive bowl. Thinly slice the cucumber, add to the vinegar mixture and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
- Brush the rolls with the egg and bake for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- For the hotdogs, fry the sausages in a dry frying pan for 5-10 minutes, depending on their size, until cooked through.
- Serve your hotdogs and cucumber salad with homemade rémoulade and top with fried onions.
FOR THE FRIED ONIONS
750g onions, finely sliced
50g plain flour
1 tbsp sea salt, plus more to finish
500ml – 1 litre flavourless vegetable oil, to deep-fry
- Place the sliced onions in a bowl with the flour and salt and mix very well until the onions are coated. Pour them into a sieve and shake, to get rid of any excess flour.
- Half-fill a deep-frying pan with the vegetable oil and set over a medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot by placing a slice of onion in it: if it sizzles, it is ready.
- Reduce the heat a little and add one-third of the sliced onions.
- Be careful, as the oil may spit. Don’t leave the pan; instead, stir occasionally with a slotted spoon. Fry until light brown and crispy.
- Using the slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a plate lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little more salt. Repeat the process with the remaining 2 batches of onions.
FOR THE REMOULADE
1 carrot, finely sliced
120g celeriac, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
Half a cucumber, deseeded and cut into tiny dice
50ml mayonnaise
0.5 tsp finely grated red onion
1 tsp medium curry powder
0.5 tsp English mustard powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed and chopped
1. Boil the carrot and celeriac in lightly salted water for 4-5 minutes.
2. Drain and leave to cool, then mix with the cucumber in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, onion, curry and mustard powders, lemon juice and capers, then mix this into the carrot and celeriac mixture.
Copenhagen Food: Stories, Traditions and Recipes by Trine Hahnemann, published by Quadrille