I was introduced to lingonberry when I married into a Norwegian family. It is a tangy fruit, much like cranberries or currents. I made this Norwegian cod grain bowl with lingonberry and dill to explore some classic Norwegian flavor combinations.
I made this recipe with cod, because it is a traditional Norwegian fish. However, I recommend shopping for pacific cod, because Atlantic cod is not a sustainable choice, as their populations have been over fished.
I searched for frozen lingonberries at my local international grocer, and couldn’t find them. So instead, I used lingonberry jam in this recipe. To cut back on the sweetness of the jam, I mixed in some red wine vinegar. The flavor was perfect!
Finally, I added a Dijon sauce drizzled over the fish, wheat berries, and cucumber. It helps to unite all the different flavors of the bowl. I am usually a mixer, stirring everything together. This time, I recommend not mixing in the lingonberry. Instead, you can dip into it separately!
Variations to the Norwegian Cod Grain Bowl with Lingonberry recipe:
- Try salmon in place of cod if you cannot find pacific cod. It will taste just as good.
- Dried dill could be used over the fish, but I wouldn’t garnish the bowl with it. Dried herbs need to be cooked into a dish to impart flavor!
- Choose a different grain. I used wheat berries because I love their chewy texture. Bulgar would be faster cooking, or use brown or wild rice for a gluten free option.
- I stock both red and white wine vinegar. You can use white wine vinegar in both the Dijon sauce and the lingonberries if you don’t have red.
- ¾ cup wheat berries
- 2¼ cups water
- 2 tsp fresh dill, minced
- ½ tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp each: onion powder, salt, and black pepper
- 2 cod fillets (3-4 oz each)
- 2 TBS lingonberry jam
- ¼ tsp red wine vinegar
- 1½ TBS grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 TBS each: white wine vinegar and olive oil
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
- Additional dill, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a rice cooker, combine wheat berries and water. Cook until the liquid is absorbed. (Alternatively, you can do this on the stove top)
- Meanwhile, combine 2 tsp fresh dill with ½ tsp olive oil, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Spread over the cod fillets and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flaky.
- Mix together lingonberry jam with red wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Mix together Dijon with garlic, white wine vinegar and olive oil. Set aside.
- Fill bowls with wheat berries, cod and cucumber slices. Add a dollop of the lingonberry mixture to the center, and drizzle the outside with Dijon sauce. Garnish with additional fresh dill.
Recipe inspired by Cooking Light
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