Krustader (Norwegian Timbale Cases, makes 60)

About the dish

Krustader are crisp, cup-shaped shells of thin batter, formed on a special timbale iron that is dipped into batter and then into hot fat. They were indispensable as cases for hot savory fillings in party food before the First World War, and Erken gives very precise instructions on the temperature of the iron and the fat.

How to make it

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Sift the flour into a bowl and thin it out little by little, but without pausing, with the water, beer, and beaten eggs until the batter is smooth.

2. 2

   Let the batter rest

   The batter should rest for at least half an hour before the krustader are fried.

3. 3

   Heat fat and iron

   Put the lard in a small, deep iron pot and set the timbale iron in the fat at the same time so it heats along with it. When the lard gives off a faint wisp of steam (about 180 °C (355 °F)), it is ready.

4. 4

   Form the krustader

   Pour the batter into an ordinary cup. Dip the hot iron into the batter to ½ cm from the rim, then hold it in the hot fat until the krustade is pale golden and crisp.

5. 5

   Loosen and drain

   Loosen the krustade with a kitchen fork or larding needle and set it upside down on paper towel, a cloth, or flatbread so the fat drains off.

6. 6

   Adjust the heat

   If the batter does not cling to the iron, the iron is not hot enough. If the batter expands and slides off when the iron is set in the fat, the fat is too hot.

7. 7

   Storage and serving

   The krustader can be kept for a long time, but should then be placed on a tray in a warm oven and refreshed; they first turn soft, then crisp again. Never fill them until the very moment they are to be served. Strain the remaining lard through a thin cloth laid in a sieve — it can be used several times.