Build-Your-Own Scandinavian Seafood Board with Quick-Pickled Onions

A Scandinavian-style seafood board makes a festive centerpiece that still feels light and easy. The poached shrimp, quick-pickled red onions, and herbed yogurt sauce can all be prepared in advance, so all that’s left to do is set out the fresh vegetables, a few store-bought pickles, and some hearty breads and crackers just before serving. One helpful tip: simmering the shrimp in their shells keeps them flavorful and makes them less likely to overcook.

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Quick Pickled Red Onion

• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Poached Shrimp

• 2 pounds extra-large shrimp (16/20), shell on
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1/2 small bunch fresh dill
• 1/2 small bunch parsley

Herbed Yogurt Sauce

• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Assembly

• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches rainbow baby carrots, trimmed and peeled
• 1 cup baby cucumbers, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup caperberries
• 1/2 cup sliced pickled beets
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• Swedish crispbread, sliced pumpernickel and sliced seeded or rye bread, for serving
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• Fresh dill and parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the pickled onions: In a small saucepan, stir together the vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook just until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Place the sliced red onion in a medium non-reactive bowl and pour the hot vinegar mixture over it. Let cool to room temperature. (The onions can be used once cooled, or made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
2. Prepare the shrimp for poaching: With a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors, cut a shallow line down the back of each shrimp and remove the vein, keeping the shell on. After all the veins are removed, rinse the shrimp.
3. Poach the shrimp: Pour 2 1/2 quarts cold water into a medium Dutch oven. Add the salt, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaves, sliced lemon, dill, and parsley. Bring to a full boil, then turn off the heat. Stir in the shrimp, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover and let stand until the shrimp are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water. Once cool, rinse off any excess spices and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Make the herbed yogurt sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, yogurt, chives, dill, parsley, olive oil, mustard, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Assemble the board: Place the shrimp, pickled onions, and sauce in serving bowls and set them on a large cutting board big enough to hold all the components. Arrange the radishes, carrots, and baby cucumbers in piles around the board. Put the caperberries, pickled beets, and egg quarters in separate small bowls and place them on the board. Tuck the crispbread and sliced breads into the spaces left on the board, and add some lemon wedges as well. Garnish with small bundles of dill and parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

To keep the shrimp cold on the board, you can set the bowl of shrimp over a bowl filled with ice.