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Prep time
25 minutes
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Cook time
55 minutes
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Serves
4 to 6 as an appetizer
Author Notes
Swedish skagen salad, or “skagenröra,” combines shrimp, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, dill, red onion, and lemon, to create a refreshing cold dish. Typically served atop toast (Toast Skagen), over salad, or as a side with salmon and boiled potatoes in the spring and summertime, it’s a special-occasion favorite for lunch or as an appetizer. If you’ve had it before (and if you like shrimp), you probably understand why it holds a special place as one of my favorite things.
To make skagen salad more of a meal, I used baked potatoes as its main vessel. Baked twice until the skin is nice and crispy, the potatoes are filled with the skagen salad and topped with additional dill and lemon wedges, plus a dollop of salty salmon roe, an optional step that adds a lot of flavor.
One thing to note is that classic skagen salad typically uses pre-cooked, cold-water shrimp that are small and are much saltier than the shrimp you’ll find in American grocery stores. This means that by using standard shrimp in the U.S., it won’t taste exactly the same but comes pretty close. To mimic the flavor and texture of the cold-water shrimp, I poach the shrimp instead of pan-searing or roasting.
Tips & Tricks
-To save you the step of poaching the shrimp, buy pre-cooked North Atlantic shrimp, which are closer to the shrimp used in Sweden. In a pinch, you can also just use your favorite pre-cooked shrimp.
-To serve these as an appetizer rather than a meal, swap out the 6 large potatoes for several small ones. Bake the potatoes, cut them in half, then fluff and assemble.
-If you buy shell-on shrimp, leave the shell on while poaching as it adds flavor to the shrimp. I like to toss half a lemon into the poaching water as well.
—Nea Arentzen
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Skagen (Swedish Shrimp Salad) Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
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6
large russet potatoes
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1 tablespoon
salted butter, melted
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1 pinch
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
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1 pinch
ground black pepper
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2 pounds
shrimp, thawed (leave tails on)
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1/3 cup
mayonnaise
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2 tablespoons
crème fraîche
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2 tablespoons
fresh dill plus more for garnish
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1 tablespoon
red onion, finely chopped
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2 teaspoons
lemon juice plus lemon slices for garnish
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Salmon roe, optional
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 450ºF/232ºC and place a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. (A cooling rack isn’t necessary, but helps to bake all sides of the potato evenly.)
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Prick the potatoes all over with a fork (this keeps the potato skin from breaking open in the oven), then place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven, brush with melted butter or oil, and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake them until they’re slightly browned, the skin is crisped and you can easily insert a knife, another 20 to 30 minutes depending on size.
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Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil over high heat, then remove it from the heat and let it stop boiling. Add the thawed shrimp, cover with a lid, and poach the shrimp until they’re pink and opaque, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with cold water and ice. Drain the shrimp and transfer them to the ice bath, then let them sit until fully cooled. Drain and pat them dry, then remove the tails (and peel, if applicable) and cut them into ½-inch pieces. (Devaining optional.)
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In another medium bowl, combine the mayo, creme fraiche, dill, red onion, and lemon juice salt. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and more lemon juice if needed. Add the poached shrimp and stir until all the shrimp is coated. If the potatoes are still in the oven, transfer the skagen salad to the fridge to chill.
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Once the potatoes are done, make a deep cut in each both lengthwise and crosswise. Open the potatoes up like a book, then lightly fluff with a fork and sprinkle with salt. Top the baked potatoes with a generous amount of skagen salad, then garnish with salmon roe (if using), additional fresh dill, small lemon wedges, and a sprinkle of pepper. Squeeze any leftover lemon juice over top, if desired.
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