Beacon Hill Bistro: Midsommarmiddag Recipe

As I mentioned recently, the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro will celebrate Midsummer's Eve with a traditional ‘Midsommarmiddag” or “Midsummer Dinner,”

If you can’t make it to their dinner, then maybe you would like to try to make a traditional Midsommarmiddag dish at home. If so, then find here the Bistro's recipe for Västerbottenpaj med Löjrom, Rödlök och Crème Fraîche (Vasterbotten Cheese Pie with Bleak Roe, Red Onion and Crème Fraîche.)

Recipe:

Crust:
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon cold butter in pieces
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon ice cold water
pinch of salt

Filling:
6 oz grated Vasterbotten cheese (available at IKEA)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt

To serve (per wedge):
1 tablespoon red onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon Crème Fraîche
1 large teaspoon roe -- if you cannot find bleak roe, whitefish roe is a good alternative (available at Whole Foods)
1 lemon wedge
1 sprig dill

Directions:
In a food processor, combine flour, salt and butter. Pulse until crumbles form (do not overwork dough). Add water and pulse until dough resembled course meal. Work the dough with your hands until it forms a ball. Wrap and chill for at least an hour. Remove crust from fridge and roll out. Fill a 12 inch pie from. Cook crust blind for 10 min. (440 degrees F.)

Mix all ingredients for filling, add to crust and cook for about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Slice the tart into wedges. Place a wedge on an appetizer plate, spoon the Crème Fraîche on the side of the pie, add onion and roe. Garnish with lemon and dill. Serve as an appetizer or for a light lunch,

*Västerbotten cheese (Västerbottensost) is a cheese from the Västerbotten region of Sweden. It is a hard cow's milk cheese with tiny eyes or holes and a firm and granular texture. As in Cheddar cheese, the curd is heated, cut, and stirred before the cheese is molded and aged. Strong in flavor, its taste is described as somewhat like Parmesan cheese, salty, but with more bitter notes. It is light yellow in color and has a fat content of 31%. Some Swedish people consider it the king of cheese and demand for it has often outstripped the limited supply. This cheese must be aged for at least 12 months, but 14 months is more common.