June 2013 – Scandelights

Broad bean toast with ricotta and mint

Published on June 27, 2013June 27, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Preparing broad beans is quite time consuming but is, in my opinion, completely worth it. Sometimes I even enjoy such menial tasks and was stood quite happily by the kitchen window preparing these little treasures.

I prefer a simple approach to fresh new produce but at the same time want the finished dish to be exciting rather than boring and pairing these little goodies with ricotta, lemon and mint really worked.

I had the toast for supper but the toppings would work just as well on crostinis as a nibble before dinner.

Broad bean toast with ricotta and mint, serves 1

1 slice proper crusty bread

3 tbsp ricotta

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3 tsp rapeseed oil

100 ml (or so) podded broad beans

1 tbsp chopped mint

salt and pepper

Toast the bread in a toaster. Leave to cool. Cook the broadbeans in water for about 5 minutes (until they look almost white). Drain and remove the white outer shells.

Mix the ricotta with 1 tsp rapeseed oil and the lemon zest. Season well. Mix the beans with mint and the remaining oil, salt and pepper.

Spread the ricotta on to the bread, top with the broad beans and drizzle with some extra oil before serving.

A different Midsummer – Wyndstock

Published on June 26, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

While my friends and family back in Sweden ate pickled herring and drank several aquavit I celebrated midsummer in a more British way. Together with my friends Gaby and Laura I went to Houghton Hall in Norfolk to attend Wyndstock – The Country House Party.

When I arrived on Friday evening my friends were already there, so they showed be around and we had some wine in the bar tent and enjoyed the bonfire. Then off to bed only to be woken up by torrential rain and we found out the hard way that the tent we had hired from the organisers was not waterproof. Luckily the weather improved, tents were repaired and we actually got a new (waterproof) tent for the second night.

On Saturday after breakfast we went on a tour with the game keeper in the deer park which was quite the sight.

At midday we got to go into the house and look at the new exhibition Houghton Revisited. For the first time since Catherine the Great bought Robert Walpole’s (the first British prime minister) art collection it has been returned – on loan – to Houghton Hall where he used to live.

After lunch (a nice paella with chicken, chorizo, squid, prawns and mussels)…

… we had tea and cakes. People from the local parish sold baked goods they had baked themselves. It was quite the spread!

We had a lovely cheese scone to share and a cake slice each. Gaby had glutenfree carrot cake and Laura and I had a delicious chocolate cake with both cream and frosting.

In the evening dinner was served either at 7pm or 9pm, we had the earlier slot and although it was well organised we were pretty disappointed by the food. The starter was just about OK, the maincourse dreadful but the brownie for pudding was actually delicious. We still managed to dance until pretty late and watch the fire works. And it was so nice with a dry night’s sleep. On Sunday we left after breakfast to get back to London for afternoon. Despite the weather I had a great time and although Saturday supper was pretty bad the food was otherwise quite nice and everything was very well organised.

Taste of London 2013

Published on June 25, 2013June 25, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

I didn’t enjoy this year’s edition of Taste of London as much as I did last year’s as I rushed to Regents Park on Thursday after work. It was my only chance to attend because I was away at the weekend.

Because I was slightly rushed, and tired, I decided to only divide my attention between the restaurants and the Electrolux Taste Theatre and give the other vendors a miss. I really enjoyed some of the food and was rather unimpressed with others.

My first treat was a delicious Bar Boulud hot dog made from pork and Somerset cheddar with a cumberland glaze and Savoy cabbage.

Next up was steak from Argentinian Zoilo. I had the asado; skirt steak with celeriac and parsley salad and bone marrow sauce. The steak was delicious and perfectly cooked, but the salad was really disappointing. The bone marrow sauce was more like jus than a sauce and added umami but wasn’t as strong in flavour as I had hoped.

Gourmet marshmallows.

Serious BBQs at Gordon Ramsay.

Just before I headed to the Taste Theatre I grabbed this Barbecoa burger. And I was so disappointed. It tasted like any homemade beef patty and the bun and condiments (cheddar, heritage tomato and charred red onion) weren’t amazing either.

Cooking on stage this evening was Magnus Nilsson (from Swedish restaurant Fäviken). He was very charismatic and cooked two dishes for us while chatting to a journalist. And in the end the journalist got to try homemade Swedish snus – which was quite fun to watch.

At Alyn Williams at the Westbury I had the fennel cured salmon with nettle vichyssoise and taleggio. Both the salmon and the soup were lovely, but it didn’t seem like a finished dish.

But Sushisamba delivered! This gorgeous sasa roll (shrimp tempura, shishito, coriander, spicy mayo and red onions) was delicious. Also the yellow wrap was edible and tasted surprisingly nice.

To finish I went back to where I started – at Bar Boulud – and had the macaron sandwich with strawberry yoghurt icecream. Sweet and refreshing at the same time!

Claude’s Kitchen, Parsons Green

Published on June 24, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Last weekend I met up with my fellow Scandi friend Malin in Parson’s Green. I was rather tired this Sunday and it wasn’t until we walked past the restaurant in question that I remembered I really wanted to try this newly opened eatery. Claude’s Kitchen is situated on top of the champagne bar Amuse Bouche and has the same relaxed ambiance as the floor below. The decor matched the atmosphere with its mismatched wooden tables, stripped wooden floors and thick red and white napkins.

Both Malin and I decided to have two starters each. It was a warm day and the main courses was a little bit on the heavy side.

But first came the delicious bread and soft whipped butter. I like restaurants that take the bread serious. First impressions and all that.

We had the same starter to start; the variation of asparagus. It consisted of both fried and raw shavings of green asparagus, saffron mayonnaise, goat’s curd and sorrel and was utterly delicious.

Malin’s second dish was fried mackerel with pickled vegetables and grapes. Pretty as a picture and very tasty too.

My rabbit and chorizo with beetroot and hazelnuts was lovely too. The chorizo was of the meaty variety, packed with flavour. The rabbit was well-cooked but unfortunately on the bone, which proved tricky to eat when it was coloured dark purple from the beetroot. Otherwise I really liked the beetroot soup in this dish.

We really enjoyed the food and the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The only thing I found a bit strange with our service was that all the dishes arrived almost at once. At first I thought it was because we came in late (after 3pm) and the kitchen was about to close, but when we got the pudding menu the kitchen seemed to have all the time in the world so that didn’t make sense. Probably just a communication error.

I will definitely come back and don’t be surprised if I become a regular; Claude’s Kitchen is after all only 10 minutes walking distance from the flat.

Amuse bouche | 51 Parsons Green Lane SW6 4JA | 02073 718 517

Happy midsummer!

Published on June 21, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Today is the day when the Swedes eat plenty of pickled herring, new potatoes with dill and chives and wash it down with plenty of aquavit (snaps). Dessert is usually a strawberry cream cake or just simply strawberries and cream.

It is also tradition to raise a maypole to dance around and since it is the longest day of the year people usually party until early morning.

Even though I haven’t properly celebrated Midsummer for five years, this year I am a bit sad on missing out. But I hope my Swedish friends will celebrate for me to.

Happy Midsummer! And skål!

Simple asparagus salad with Dijon vinaigrette and Parmesan

Published on June 19, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

This incredibly simple, yet very tasty, asparagus salad went down really well with the book club on Monday. I invaded Charlotte’s kitchen (sorry and thanks!) and made this at her house while chatting and making tea. We always have a potluck supper at our book club gatherings and the spread this time consisted of salad with feta and tomatoes, crusty bread and baked camembert, pizza and olives. And choccies for pudding.

Asparagus salad with dijon vinaigrette and parmesan, serves 4

3 bunches green asparagus

80 g rocket

1 lemon

1 tsp Dijon mustard

4 tbsp olive oil

salt, black pepper

oil for frying

Break off the wooden ends of the asparagus and wash them. Sauté in batches in oil on medium heat, it takes about 5-10 minutes. Season.

Mix the mustard with the juice from half the lemon and add the oil while whisking. Season.

Spread the rocket onto a serving plate, add the asparagus, drizzle with the vinaigrette and scatter with parmesan shavings. Cut the rest of the lemon into wedges and serve with the asparagus.

Pappa al pomodoro with burrata

Published on June 18, 2013June 18, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

Although I utterly adore this simple Italian bread and tomato soup, I haven’t made it myself until recently. I saw no point cooking this with flavourless winter tomatoes, but now when the tomatoes (at least the forced ones) are in season again I just couldn’t wait any longer to make it.

But I will admit it might work even better in the autumn when there are sunwarm tomatoes aplenty but the outside temperatures have dropped slightly. However, serving the pappa al pomodoro with a cold, creamy and mild burrata makes the dish a whole lot more summery. (I have the wonderful restaurant Zucca to thank for that idea.) And you don’t have to serve the soup piping hot either, it is nice when just warm too.

Pappa al pomodoro, serves 2-3

2 medium tomatoes

4 small garlic cloves

1 bunch basil

3-5 tbsp of good quality olive oil

salt and black pepper

400 g tinned tomatoes (whole or chopped)

200 ml water

200 g stale white bread, sourdough or farmhouse style bread

To serve: burrata

Cube the tomatoes and chop half the garlic and add to an ovenproof tray. Also add a third of the basil and drizzle with olive oil. Season. Roast in 200C oven for 20 minutes.

Chop the rest of the basil and garlic. Add to a saucepan and fry in olive oil for a minute or so. Add the tinned tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Break the bread into chunks and add to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes (oil, garlic and all) and mix well. Remove from heat, add olive oil and season to taste. Garnish with some more chopped basil and the burrata.

Dinner at Great Queen Street

Published on June 13, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

One great thing with having a blog is all the people you get in contact with. Sometimes you get freebies or invitations (yes, please!), sometimes a really nice comment, a recommendation for a restaurant or a very nice follower.

That’s the reason why I had dinner with one of my readers the other day. She is Swedish too, has lived in London for longer than I have and loves food. We have discussed restaurants in the comments’ section and on email for quite some time so it was about time to actually meet up!

The chosen venue was Great Queen Street, a restaurant both of us have been meaning to try for ages.

To be honest, I wasn’t bawled over when entering the restaurant, as the first thing I saw were the pine chairs and tables. Hello 80’s. But then you look around and notice the homely pictures and light fixtures on the walls, and as the restaurant fills up you decide you like it. Despite the pine.

The food here is simple and rustic, and although it is food I could easily cook at home, it still has that little extra you want in a restaurant experience. The seasoning is spot on, and although simply prepared the ingredients are of great quality and the pairings are great.

Sandra’s first dish of smoked mackerel with soft rhubarb and strong horseradish is a great example of their cooking. It looks simple, almost plain, but the flavours are there and they stay with you.

My first dish of snails, bacon and nettles was just right. Enough smokiness from the crispy bacon, soft melt-in-the-mouth snails and earthiness from the nettles. All the flavours came through and the crusty bread made a nice contrast.

Both of us decided baked eggs with tomatoes and peppers were a good idea in the grey quite cool evening, and it really hit the spot. Although I have made a similar thing myself, you could just tell that the best ingredients were used in this, and a lot of time allowed to further sweeten the vegetables.

It is a busy place though, so we only had our table for an hour and a half, but we could move to the bar and finish our wine and conversation there, so we were very happy. And a plus to the very attentive yet super-friendly staff.

32 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AA Tel: 020 7242 0622

Amazing chocolate chip cookies

Published on June 11, 2013June 11, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

These cookies will be the most annoying you’ll ever make. The dough is just so incredibly crumbly. You might swear a little and think there is something missing in the recipe. But then you cut them up and pinch them together on the baking sheet and place them in the oven and suddenly your kitchen smells like heaven. Chocolate heaven.

And then you bite into one, still warm from the oven. And bliss.

Despite the annoying texture pre-bake these cookies are some of the best I’ve ever tried. And according to the blog Smitten Kitchen, where I found the recipe, they could in fact contribute to world peace.

Amazing chocolate cookies, makes about 25-35

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe. Original recipe by Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets.

180 gplain flour

5 tbsp + 1 tsp cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

160 g softened butter

120 g soft light brown sugar

4 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla

140 g chopped dark chocolate

Mix flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat butter until fluffy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until creamy.

Add the flour mixture and place a tea towel over the bowl (to avoid flour dusting all over your kitchen) and beat on low speed until the flour has been incorporated. Beat as little as possible. It needs to be mixed but the dough will have a very crumbly texture. Add the chocolate and pour the crumbs out onto a baking table and divide into two heaps. Press each heao into a roll, 2.5 inches thick and cover with clingfilm. Refridgerate for at least three hours.

Pre-heat oven to 160C. Cover two baking trays with parchment paper. Cut 1 cm thick slices of the cookie dough rolls and place on the trays, about an inch apart. The dough will crumble but just press the crumbs into a rough cookie shape.

Bake for 12 minutes in the middle of the oven. They won’t look done, but they will be. Leave to cool on a wire rack or tray and serve.

Summer supper

Published on June 7, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

On Wednesday I had some friends over for dinner and because of the gorgeous weather of late I decided to keep a summery and fuss-free approach to the food.

We started with a pre-dinner drink from Germany, called Hugo, that my bestie Emma introduced to me. It is so refreshing with elderflower, bubbly and mint.

I kept the starter simple and served it on a large plate. Scattered on a bed of rocket, these little Parma ham parcels are filled with sundried tomatoes and cream cheese and drizzled with a good olive oil and crema di balsamico.

For the maincourse we had caramelised pork tenderloin slices with an amazing all-in-one potato salad with new potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and water cress and a lovely (yet incredibly simple) parmesan and lemon crème.

As I was short of time prepping that evening, I had the pudding already sitting in the fridge as I made this stunning dulce de leche cheesecake the night before.

We had such a fun evening with the wine flowing, lots of laughter and fun conversation. Thanks guys!

Hugo, per drink

1 part elderflower cordial

3 parts sparkling wine

1 part sparkling water

fresh mint

lime wedge

ice

Mix and serve.

Parma ham parcels with sundried tomato crème and rocket, serves 4

200 g rocket

12 slices Parma ham or similar

100-150 g Philadelphia

4-5 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped

olive oil

crema di balsamic

fresh basil

Spread out the rocket on a large plate. Mix the chopped tomatoes with the cream cheese. Season to taste. Place a dollop of the mixture onto each ham slice and fold into a parcel. Place the parcels on the bed of rocket and drizzle with olive oil and crema di balsamico. Add basil leaves. Serve with bread and butter.

Potato salad with asparagus, serves 4

about 800 g new potatoes

8-10 asparagus stalks

150-200 g cherry tomatoes

100 g watercress

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

50 ml good quality olive oil

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt, black pepper

1 handful chopped chives

1 handful chopped parsley

Wash and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Cook, drain and leave to cool. Cut the asparagus into inch-long pieces, steam/boil for 2-3 minutes, drain and place in ice water. Drain.

Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the potatoes and asparagus. Add the watercress. Mix mustard and honey in a bowl and add the oil while whisking season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Dress the salad and mix well.

Chop the herbs and scatter on top. Serve.

Parmesan and lemon crème, serves 4

300 mlcreme fraiche (at least)

3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

1/2 lemon, grated zest

salt, black pepper

Mix all the ingredients and serve.