Dill is a herb most people are familiar with as an accompaniment for fish or when paired with boiled new potatoes. However, with its mild taste, dill is a very versatile herb. It is not only suitable for fish but also meat dishes when you want to add a bit of summer flavor. Why not give dill another chance and try it with other meats. Have a go at a modern version of dill sauce, and get a taste that’s fresher than the more traditional creamy sauce. To counteract a raging hunger, try some dill potato chips along with a summer dill dip.
Dill beef with a modern twist
For the meat:
500 g of tender beef, such as chuck steak or stewing steak
butter and oil for frying
2 teaspoons salt
2 onions
2 carrots
a piece of celery root
1 bay leaf
10 dried allspice berries
1 bay leaf
bunch of dill stalks
2 liters of water
Dill marinade for serving:
3.5 dl of meat broth left over from cooking
1 tablespoon lemon juice
plenty of dill finely chopped
salt and pepper
(1 tablespoon tapioca flour)
Cut the meat and vegetables into small portions. Fry the pieces of meat and vegetables in a pan in a little butter to give them color and a grilled flavor. Transfer everything to a saucepan and add the spices. Fill the pan with water so that the meat and vegetables are just covered. Allow the pot to simmer in the oven at 150 degrees for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
The following day, when the meat is cooked and tender, remove the pieces of meat from the broth and save the broth for the marinade. Prepare the marinade by sifting the vegetables and spices out of the broth. Thicken the clear broth in a saucepan by boiling until it has reduced to about half the original amount. Season the broth with lemon, salt, pepper and a fair amount of dill. If desired, you can make more sauce by adding tapioca flour. Fry the meat pieces in a pan in a fair amount of oil to get a crispy coating. Once the pieces of meat are crispy on the outside, pour over the dill marinade and serve immediately.
Dill mayonnaise and sour cream sauce
1 dl mayonnaise
2 dl unflavored sour cream
1 dl finely chopped dill
1 lemon peel and juice
a pinch of salt
Mix all the ingredients together and add the spices to your liking. Allow to refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Serve as a dip with homemade chips, with fish or as a salad dressing.
Homemade dill potato chips
6 floury potatoes
1 dl rapeseed or olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
plenty of dill, fresh or dried
Wash the potatoes thoroughly, but do not peel; the skin is well suited for crispy chips. Cut the potatoes into thin chips with a peeling knife, cheese slicer or a sharp, regular knife. Put the cut potato chips in cold water to avoid turning brown.
Remove the water and dry the potato slices by patting them with kitchen paper. Coat the chips with oil and fresh dill, so they become crispy in the oven. Spread the oily potato chips evenly on a sheet of baking paper, taking care to ensure they don’t overlap. Bake the chips in the oven at 225 degrees for about 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the chips, turning them once halfway through cooking. Once the potato chips have started to color and most importantly, they feel crispy, you can take them out of the oven. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and dill. Serve them with their perfect companion – dill sauce.
