Since I have a bit of internet signal and some battery left - for your Saturday afternoon pleasure here are our dinner menus for the trip. The menus are clearly seasonal, and everyone gets a souvenir menu booklet with info about the local areas: Alesund to Molde: baked brie with cured ham, fig compote and salad; chircken breast with vegetable risotto, lentil ragout, baked beets and port wine sauce; apple crumble with Norwegian apples and cinnamon ice cream. Trondheim to Rorvik: cream of mussel soup with red curry and saffron; trout filled grilled in herbs and parmesan, with fennel, spinach, Sandefjord sauce and Roswald potatoes; compote of autumn berries with ice cream. Bodo to Svolvaer: fillet of home-smoked reindeer on salad with glazed walnuts and mustard vinaigrette; baked cod with red onion compote, tarragon butter sauce, vegetables of the day and new potatoes. Tromso to Skjervoy: Almond potato soup with spinach and herb cream; lamb shank with autumn root vegetable, creamed potatoes and red wine sauce; semolina pudding with plum compote. Nordkapp (North Cape) seafood banquet - buffet style. Kirkenes to Berlevag: (tonight) baked king crab in pumpkin puree and vegetable salad; rump steak of reindeer with autumn mushrooms and carrots glazed in rosemary; fresh almond potatoes and wild game sauce; white chocolate mousse with cloudberry coulis and oatmeal cookies. Hammerfest to Skjervoy: cream of autumn mushroom soup seasoned with truffle oil; arctic char with parsnip puree, asparagus, apple sauce and almond potaotes; cranberyy marbled cheesecake. Lofoten: onion soup with gratinated croutons; halibut steak roasted in thyme and garlic with braised veg and nut butter;vanilla pannacotta with cubed pears marinated in liquorice (I am guessing an anise-flavoured liqeuer) Helgeland:scallops with fricassee of chanterelles;veal entrecote with celery puree, autumn veg, mountain potatoes and sherry sauce;dark chocolate mousse with blackcurrant coulis and yoghurt ice cream. Trondheim-Molde: salmon tartare on toast with salad; roast neck of pork with sauerkraut, baked beets, port wine sauce and garlic baked baby potatoes; tiramisu with coffee syrup and crushed nougat. Last day will likely be a buffet; breakfast every day has been a typical Scandinavian featuring smoked and pickled fish, but also lots of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, oatmeal; lunch is always an immense buffet with stir-fry, rice, meat and fish dishes, vegetables and pasta, soup. There is always gluten-free food and the myriad desserts are barely sweet. So yes, it is a working ship - but I have honestly never eaten like this on a regular cruise ship. Since there are so few passengers compared to a larger ship, I suspect its easier to do; but the chefs onboard are really star quality.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:30:46 +0000