RECIPE:
Halibut from Røisheim Hotell

When Norwegian seafood meets French culinary techniques in historical surroundings, you know you're in for a treat.

At Røisheim Hotell, outside of Lom, they have welcomed visitors since 1858.

This charming boutique hotel is a popular base for mountaineers, and has long been a refuge for travellers between east and west - not surprising, due to its stunning location next to Jotunheimen National Park.

An overnight stay is highly recommended, but it's also worth a visit for the dining experience alone.

When the chef rings the bell in the old bell tower, it means it's time for a four-course meal. The menu changes throughout the season but they always serve fish from the fjord, as well as local meat and herbs.

Get a sneak peek of their menu with chef Tage Koch Jensen's halibut recipe (served as a starter).

Although it looks incredible, it's not too hard to make it yourself! You can substitute the fish with your favourite, but when in season, halibut is never a bad choice!

Ingredients:

(Makes approximately 4 portions, as a starter)

Fish

500 g fresh halibut

Top of 2 leeks

Sauce

100 ml white wine

100 ml mussel stock

100 ml butter

100 ml cream

Green oil (optional)

100 g spinach

200 ml oil

Source: Røisheim Hotell

Method:

Fish

1. Make a brine with 100 g salt and 1 litre cold water. Blend a little with a hand blender to dissolve the salt.

2. Bathe the fish in the brine for 20 minutes.

3. While the fish is brining, place the rinsed leeks on a rack at the top of the oven at 200°C until completely charred. Blitz into a powder.

4. Remove the fish and place it on a tea towel. After a few minutes, slice the fish into long pieces, about 2.5 x 2.5 cm thick.

5. Roll the pieces in the leek powder and place them on top of each other on cling film so they can be rolled into a sausage shape. Roll the film tightly so you get a nice round shape. (The more long pieces of fish you have, the more pieces will be visible in the mosaic, but it will also become more fragile.)

6. Freeze the fish for a minimum of 24 hours, as it will be served raw.

7. Remove the fish well in advance of serving so that it can thaw a little before slicing.

8. Slice the fish into round pieces of about 1 cm. This is most easily done with a bread knife while the fish is semi-frozen. Remember to remove all the plastic before serving.

Sauce

1. Melt 200 g of butter in a pan over medium-low heat. It's important to stir the butter occasionally so it doesn't burn. When the butter starts to sizzle and smell like hazelnuts, it's ready. It should be slightly brown.

2. Reduce the white wine to about half, and then add the rest of the ingredients to the sauce.

3. Let it reduce slightly, and then thicken the sauce with either cornstarch or wheat flour. Boil the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring while it's thickening, to boil away the taste of the cornstarch/flour.

4. If you want to make your own mussel stock, buy fresh mussels and put them in a hot pot with a little water or wine, and cover them for 5 minutes. If you do this, you can add mussels to the sauce for serving. Remember to rinse and sort the mussels before putting them into the pot. Throw away any that are broken.

Green oil

1. Heat the oil to 40-50°C.

2. Put the spinach and oil into a blender and blitz for about 5 minutes until it turns a lovely green colour.

Sift the oil through a wet tea towel or similar.

Serve the fish with sauce and green oil, and enjoy!

Not far from Røisheim, another historic place awaits – and this one is a real treat for art lovers!

At Elveseter Hotell in Bøverdalen, you can enjoy a comfy stay while admiring the Eleveseter family's incredible art collection!

It includes works by Adolph Tidemand, Oscar Arnold Wergeland, and Gerhard Munthe – to mention just a few.

More to experience in Lom