Eggs in tomato sauce – uovo in purgatorio

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Hanna

I find it interesting how much our food preferences change with age. As a child I didn’t particularly like eggs, but if I had to eat it I preferred the whites, fried hard or a scrambled version of a fried egg with Swedish hash.

Nowadays, I love eggs. Especially the yolk. I want it very runny, and if I make oeufs en cocotte I don’t mind if the white is runny too.

So it is easy to understand why I fell for this simple Italian dish of eggs kind of half poached, half fried in tomato sauce. I had this for supper with some nice bread to mop up the sauce and it was, in its simple way, utterly delicious.

You can make a bolognese version of this, but with the creamy egg I need nothing more than some vegetables in my tomato sauce.

Eggs in tomato sauce - uovo in purgatorio, serves 4

150 g chestnut mushrooms, cut in half

1/2 -1 red onion, coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 batch tomato sauce

2 tbsp red wine (if at hand)

4 eggs

Fry the mushrooms in oil on medium heat in frying pan. Season and remove from pan. Add more oil and fry the onions until soft. Add the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato sauce and wine and bring to the boil. Let the mixture thicken if needed. Adjust seasoning and add the mushrooms. Make sure you keep the heat on medium and crack the eggs into the pan. Cook until the whites are set then remove from heat. Serve straight away with some nice bread.

Mushrooms with crispy herb topping

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Hanna

It suits me fine that the BBC are currently repeating Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers at the moment, as I missed the series (boo) the first time around.

In one episode about not to waste food, Nigel came up with this simple yet delicious recipe to use up mushrooms. I so admire his ability to make up a delicious meal out of almost nothing.

I haven’t found a complete recipe for this dish, but follow the simple instructions below and you are good to go.

Mushrooms with crispy herb topping - a sketch

Fry some mushrooms whole in a mixture of butter and oil until brown on both sides.

Meanwhile, fry chopped spring onions and rosemary in another pan in some oil or butter on low heat. Add a chopped clove of garlic and a few handfuls of fresh (or made from stale bread) breadcrumbs. Add more butter if it looks dry. When the mixture is golden brown, season and add some lemon zest and chopped parsley.

Season the mushrooms, plate and top with the crispy mixture.

Dinner at Harwood Arms, again

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Hanna

That daddy would love Harwood Arms I was certain but the fact is mummy was just as excited about it.

The portions here are in my opinion very large, which I find sad in a way as I can’t try that many dishes in one sitting, but on the other hand it is very generous.

With this in mind we skipped starters and went straight for the maincourse. Via the amazing bread basket that is. Daddy loved the Irish soda bread baked on the premises while I couldn’t get enough of the potato bread from a vendor at Borough Market.

Today’s special was a venison roast for two with potato purée, field mushrooms and jus, which mum and dad shared. Or tried to finish more like, it was a huge piece of meat but it was utterly delicious so they did their best. The meat was slowcooked and super tender and tasted of thyme (which we love in my family) treacle and crispy smokes bacon. The potato purée was seriously buttery and amazing and the jus made form the meat juices also had a strong flavour or thyme. Fabulous!

I was, as usual, seduced by the word bone marrow on the menu and ordered the short ribs (also slow cooked) with baked celeriac (which I actually wasn’t a fan of, surprisingly), broccoli and a lovely purée. And smoked bone marrow. Delish!

We were so incredibly full after this but after plenty of water we braved a look at the pudding menu and decided to share one between the three of us. Daddy chose caramelised pear with baked pear icecream, pear purée and caramelised walnuts. A lot of pear, but it worked thanks to the different textures.

It feels rather superfluous to wrote that we thoroughly enjoyed our evening and the amazing food here, but I will do it anyway. This is what I call a gastropub!

Harwood Arms, Walham Grove London SW6 1QP

Vanilla pannacotta with rhubarb

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Hanna

As much as I love this time of year when you suddenly have an abundance of fresh spring produce, I get a bit stressed by it too because they all come at the same time. For me, choosing between rhubarb and strawberries or asparagus and broad beans, would be a bit like choosing between your children. I love them all and want to cook as much with them all without forsaking the others. Sadly, that’s impossible.

But when I have time to cook I try and make the most of it, and last Saturday I invited my friend Maria over for a supper consisting of wild garlic soup (I’m obsessed with wild garlic, I admit it), squid and chorizo with beans and spinach followed by this pannacotta with rhubarb.

In Sweden we call the rhubarb prepared this way for melted rhubarb, which indeed it is. The rhubarb releases juice because of the heat which mixes with the sugar and creates the most wonderful rhubarb syrup full of soft rhubarb bits. It is wonderful served warm on vanilla icecream or with just some cold pouring cream, but I must say it was wonderful in this pannacotta too.

Make sure you don’t use an aluminium pan as the oxalic acid in the rhubarb will free the aluminium and you will end up with rhubarb with aluminium which is poisonous.

Vanilla pannacotta, serves 4

500 ml single cream

1 vanilla pod

50 ml caster sugar

2 gelatin leaves

Cover the gelatin leaves with cold water in a bowl. Make a cut lengthways in the vanilla pod (too free the seeds) and add to a saucepan. Add sugar and cream. Bring to the boil and let it simmer for a few minutes while stirring. Remove from heat. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatin and add to the pan. Stir to dissolve. Divide between four small bowls or glasses. Leave to cool then let them set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Melted rhubarb (or rhubarb compote)

300 g rhubarb, washed and trimmed

80-120 g caster sugar

1/4 lemon, the juice

Slice the rhubarb coarsely and place in an ovenproof dish (not aluminium, see above). Scatter the sugar on top (start with the smaller amount if you like) and place in 180C oven. Stir after 10 minutes and taste. Add more sugar if needed. Leave in the over for 30-40 minutes more until the syrup has thickened. Add the lemon juice and stir. Leave to cool.

Top the pannacottas with a few spoonfuls of the melted rhubarb and serve.

Brunch at Rosen Bar and Dining, Malmö, Sweden

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Hanna

When I was home visiting I had quite a lot of friends I wanted to meet up with. I went for dinner with some of them and the rest I gathered for a late Sunday brunch in Malmö at Rosen Bar and Dining, the restaurant in Malmö’s only five star hotel.

It is nice here, but not too swanky and at 2pm we almost had the dining room to ourselves, which we quite appreciated as we were twelve adults and two children.

As this, especially with Swedish standards, was quite late in the day for brunch, we were really happy with the substantial spread of non-breakfast items.

At the hot plate you could choose between broccoli quiche, tender ribs, potatoes, chicken drumsticks, the obligatory scrambled eggs and bacon as well as order your own dish straight from the kitchen. The menu, consisting of several omelettes and Eggs Benedict (or Florentine actually as it was ham free), was scribbled on a black board just next to the kitchen and it was nice with a little interaction from the kitchen.

I had the Eggs Benedict (Florentine) which was really good. The English muffin was homemade and very tasty, the hollandaise rich and velvety but the egg slightly overcooked. Still really good on the whole.

At another station you found gazpacho, several cured hams (including a local spickeskinka), wild boar sausage and a few cheeses.

At another (chilled) station you found small pots with seafood in a mayonnaise dressing, small portions of Caesar salad, hot smoked salmon and cold smoked, even herring if I remember correctly.

There were also plenty of pastries, both French croissants and Swedish cinnamon buns, several bread rolls and breads. All the sweets were gathered at one table offering yoghurt and granola, lots of fresh fruit, mini cupcakes, brownies and rhubarb pie with custard.

Something we all really liked was the thought behind all the small portions, which made it so much easier to taste a wider spread and not to plate more than you could eat and therefore it much lead to less waste.

Also tea, coffee, sparkling and still water and four types of juice were included which I think is great. We will definitely be back, probably next time I am home to visit.

Rosen Bar & Dining, Mäster Johansgatan 15, Malmö

Wild garlic stuffed mushrooms

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Hanna

I love a classic stuffed portobello mushroom for a starter in spring or autumn or as a light lunch or supper for myself any time of year.

It is so easy to make, yet very satisfying to eat. In the regular version I use garlic, of course, as mushrooms and garlic are a match made in heaven, but it works really well with the less pungent flavour of wild garlic too. The flavours are more subtle and it tastes more of spring.

Just make sure you season well so all the flavours come through.

Wild garlic stuffed mushrooms, serves 2 as a starter or light lunch

2 portobello mushrooms

6-8 wild garlic leaves

50 ml bread crumbs, ideally fresh

2-3 tbsp cream

50 ml grated sharp cheddar

salt, black pepper

butter for frying

oil for brushing

To serve:

rocket

balsamic glaze

extra virgin olive oil

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Yank the stems out of the mushrooms without breaking the hats. Chop the stems and wild garlic. Brush the mushroom hats with oil on both sides and place hollow side up on a baking tray. Add seasoning and bake in a 200C oven for 15 minutes while preparing the stuffing.

Fry the mushroom and wild garlic in some butter on medium heat until the mushroom pieces are golden brown. Lower the heat and add the breadcrumbs and cheddar. Add the cream and stir so the mixture just comes together. Season well. Divide the mixture on top of the mushrooms. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the stuffing is golden brown.

Serve on rocket with olive oil and balsamic glaze or a more substantial salad.

Dinner at Atmosfär in Malmö, Sweden

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Hanna

Although Malmö is Sweden’s third largest city (which perhaps doesn’t say that much when the country’s population is similar to London’s, but still) it hasn’t had a lot to offer in terms of great restaurants. There are a few great ones that I return too, but the restaurant business hasn’t been buzzing like in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Until now that is. Now there are plenty of new tables I want to try when I visit home.

But with that said, we did actually return to an old favourite when I was at home last. Partly because of the convenient location a mere five minute walk from my best friend and her husbands flat where we had a pre-dinner cocktail and after dinner musings and partly because it simply is very good.

Atmosfär serves small plates, and recommend 3-4 per person including pudding. I would say 2-3 per person including puds as the dishes are more filling than you expect. I love this more relaxed way of eating good food; it feels less formal somehow not following the conventional starter – main – dessert.

There were seven of us dining together and I managed to photograph most plates, of course I forgot to take a picture of one of my own dishes. Doh!

The wild garlic soup (above) was velvety and nice served with melt in the mouth sweetbreads and red wine mayo.

The salmon tataki with quail’s egg, truffle and chives was lovely and fresh.

And the lamb with sage and pata negra ham was really good too.

One of the most iconic Swedish starters; löjrom toast with creme fraiche and red onions, was delicious (as always).

Deconstructed steak tartare was a hit with the men. I passed on it as I new it came deconstructed and I prefer mine mixed to perfection in the kitchen. But that’s just me. The pickled beetroots added a Scandi touch.

Everyone who tasted this dish (I sadly didn’t) all agreed it was the best one they had that evening. And it looks magnificent, doesn’t it? Duck breast, beets, almond bread, rygeost ( a smoked cheese from Denmark flavoured with caraway seeds) and shiitake mushrooms.

Also the monkfish with Jerusalem artichoke, tomato and pepper was very tasty and the fish was perfectly cooked.

It was the amazingly tender pig’s cheeks with lovage and celeriac I forgot to photograph, but I can assure you it was very good indeed. Personally I would have liked a little less lovage in there, but that’s because I am not a huge fan of that herb other than a substitute for stock.

A few of us couldn’t resist the puddings and most opted for the deconstructed (I sense a theme?) snickers bar with salted caramel, chocolate fondant, vanilla icecream and peanuts, but also the creme brulee was delicious.

We had a lovely evening here, just as I expected. And definitely the perfect place to catch up with old friends over food.

Atmosfär, Fersens väg 4, Malmö, Sweden

Scandelights

about the love for food and my native Scandinavia