Scandinavian Red Berry Pudding (Rodgrod)
Rodgrod med flode, red groats with cream, is close to a national dessert in Denmark and southern Scandinavia, and its name is famous as a tongue-twister. At heart it is nothing but summer berries cooked down and thickened, which makes it easy to build from whole foods. Dates and orange juice replace the sugar, sweetening the fruit while adding their own depth, and potato starch gives the pudding its signature glossy, just-set texture, softer than jelly and meant to be eaten with a spoon. A splash of oat cream poured over the cold pudding is the traditional finish, the pale swirl against deep red that the dish is known for. Make it a few hours ahead so it has time to set.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Frozen mixed berries, about 1.5 lb
- 5 wholes Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 whole Oranges, zest and juice
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 whole cassia cinnamon, small stick
- 3 tbsp Potato starch
- 1/2 cup Oat cream, to serve
Method
- Blend the dates with 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water into a smooth paste. Dates are the whole sweetener here, and blending them first means their sweetness spreads evenly through the fruit instead of sitting in lumps.
- Put the berries, date paste, orange juice and zest, and the cinnamon stick in a saucepan with 1 cup (240 ml) water. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the berries collapse and the pot smells deeply of fruit. Fish out the cinnamon stick.
- Stir the potato starch into 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold water until smooth, then whisk it into the gently simmering fruit. Potato starch is the traditional thickener for rodgrod and sets it to a soft, glossy, spoonable pudding, clear rather than cloudy. Add the slurry to a low simmer, not a hard boil, or the starch can thin back out and lose its grip.
- Cook another minute, just until the pudding turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon, then stir in the lemon juice off the heat. The acid keeps the pudding from tasting flatly sweet and holds the bright red color.
- Pour into bowls or a serving dish and chill at least 2 hours, until set. Traditionally a little cold cream is poured over the top just before eating, so finish each bowl with a spoonful of oat cream swirled across the surface.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 120 calories, 2 g protein, 5 g fiber, 10 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
