February 2014 – Scandelights

A new breakfast favourite: egg mayonnaise with pancetta on toast

Published on February 27, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Pret A Manger sells a small baguette with egg mayonnaise and bacon that I sometimes have for breakfast and that’s of course where I found the inspiration for this lovely breakfast. The crispy toast (with salted butter), smooth egg mayonnaise with plenty of flavour and savoury pancetta is such a great breakfast I’ve already had it two mornings in a row for breakfast.

NB. I prefer runny eggs in general but that doesn’t work in egg mayonnaise, therefore I boil them for seven and a half minutes so the yolks are set but still very yellow and creamy. If you prefer your eggs hardboiled please boil them for longer. Also, I prefer white pepper to black in subtle (non-Italian or meat) dishes, but again, it’s up to you to decide what you prefer.

Egg mayonnaise, serves 3

4 medium eggs

50 ml mayonnaise (Hellman’s or homemade)

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and white pepper

Bring water to the boil in the saucepan and place the eggs in the pan. Boil for seven and a half minutes. Drain and cover the eggs with very cold water. Drain once the eggs are cool and place in fridge for an hour to cool some more (makes it easier to peel them).

Peel the eggs and chop with a sharp knife. Mix mayonnaise with mustard and add the chopped eggs. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Keep refrigerated.

Egg mayonnaise on toast with pancetta, per serving

1 thick slice white toast

a knob of butter for the toast

2 tbsp egg mayonnaise (as above)

2 slices pancetta, fried in the oven, 15 minutes in 200C

Toast the bread and butter it. Spread the egg salad on to the bread, top with the crispy pancetta. Serve immediately.

Lunch at The Delaunay, Holborn

Published on February 25, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Last Saturday Sinead and I played ‘ladies who lunches’ and went to The Delaunay for lunch after the Isabella Blow exhibition at Somerset House. The Delaunay is part of the same company that runs The Wolseley as well as Brasserie Zédel and Colbert (of which I’ve been to all the others).

Just like the other restaurants in this group The Delaunay has a grand art deco interior and a very classic European menu offering borstj, pierogi, wurts and Schnitzel as well as French classics.

I had the steak tartare (which I adore if it’s made properly) and this was a very nice version. Perfect balance of flavour, good quality meat and a quail egg yolk on top. I chose the smaller size because even though I love steak tartare I can’t eat a lot of it. The smaller portion came with sourdough toast but I ordered some frites so make it more substantial.

Sinead loves chicken and had the spatchcocked poussin with salsa verde and a green salad. She enjoyed it but wasn’t as pleased as I was with my steak tartare.

We both liked The Delaunay but prefer The Wolseley. The Wolseley just feels grander with its lighter interior while The Delaunay is darker with its wood panelling. I also found the service a little lacking here. But with that said, it is still a great restaurant and a good alternative to the real thing if you find yourself in Holborn.

The Delaunay, 55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB

Mushrooms, courgette and feta in pitta bread

Published on February 24, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

The most satisfying way for me to cook is to look in the quite empty fridge and forage a few ingredients and turn them into a delicious meal. It is definitely a challenge but this is usually when I come up with some really good dishes I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

I really despise food waste and am trying my best not to throw produce away so that’s the main purpose of fridge foraging but I like the fact that I can turn this into something really delicious too.

This dish came about when I had some sad looking mushrooms lying about in the fridge together with some spring onions and an opened packet of feta. Together with some courgette, aleppo pepper and garlic in a toasted pitta it turned out to be a great dish. Lots of umami and tang from the feta combined with a bit of heat. A perfect weekday supper.

Mushrooms, courgette, spring onions and feta in pitta, serves 1

about 8 chestnut mushrooms, washed and sliced

1/2 medium courgette, thinly sliced

4 spring onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2-1 tsp aleppo pepper or similar (a pinch of cayenne pepper works well)

2-3 tbsp crumbled feta

oil for frying

salt, black pepper

toasted pitta to serve

Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and let them brown then add the spring onions and courgettes and fry for another five minutes. Add garlic and aleppo pepper, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add the cumbled feta. Serve with toasted pitta.

Cakes for the office

Published on February 20, 2014 by Hanna2 Comments

Chocolate fudge cake with peanut butter frosting and salted peanuts

Last week I finally managed to have time for an evening of baking for the office. As the archives here on the blog are quite full already, I decided to stick to some tried and tested recipes that never fail to impress!

Mary Berry’s white chocolate cheesecake is always a winner

Swedish drömmar (crumbly vanilla cookies) went down a treat

Dinner at Little Social, Mayfair

Published on February 19, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

One Saturday night in the beginning of the month I met up with a bunch of girl friends for dinner. First we went to Mr. Fogg’s (although I recommend you book first, which we didn’t , but they were kind enough to let us in anyway) and then on for dinner at Little Social, also in Mayfair.

This is another restaurant in the very large Jason Atherton empire just across the road from his first London restaurant Pollen Street Social.

Two of my friends had the cod brandade to start and although it was very well executed!

I had the crab mayonnaise with bitter leaves and toast which was very fresh and lovely.

The other two girls had the seasonal truffle risotto with a heap of shaved truffle. I must admit I had food envy but I don’t think I would have managed two courses if this was one of them. I got to taste it though and it was the creamiest risotto I’ve ever had without being too rich. It seems impossible but it was simply divine.

For mains, Gaby had the seabass BLT with fried portobello mushroom, tomato, lardon and lettuce wedge. I’m not sure the concept worked as such but the fish and mushroom were very nice.

Rowena had the lamb shank with potato purée and vegetables. Pretty as a picture and very nice.

Laura had the ox cheeks with potato purée and bone marrow ad I might have had a another case of food envy. Delicious!

Bronwen and I both had the bavette with salad and frites. I had the bearnaise sauce and Bronwen the peppercorn sauce. Both very good and the steak was delicious! Bavette (or flat iron or onglet) is definitely one of my favourite cuts.

The restaurant serves well sourced, well cooked and uncomplicated food that I like a lot. But don’t be fooled, although good ingredients comes a long way you still need skill to know how to best enhance it. Some dishes were better than others but everything was well cooked.

The service is great here too; when we arrived we were seated at a table next to the door and after only a short while our waitress asked to move further into the room because she was worried we were cold in our sleeveless dresses. We were but we didn’t think of demanding another table so it was very sweet of her to offer.

Little Social, 5 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NE

Corn fritters with yoghurt dip

Published on February 18, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

I ♥ fritters. They work as a snack, lunch or light supper and you can use whatever is lying about in the fridge. This particular recipe is from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery School; a new edition to my cookbook shelf.

More fritters recipes:

Leek fritters

Broccoli parmesan fritters

Black salsify and feta fritters ( a favourite!)

Corn fritters, serves 3-4

Adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course.

100 g plain flour

1/2 tsk baking powder

1 egg, beaten

4 tbsp milk

olive oil

2 spring onions, chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander

250 g tinned corn, drained and dried on kitchen towel

salt and pepper

Yoghurt dip:

250 g natural yoghurt

1/2 – 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1/2 lime, the juice

3 tbsp chopped coriander

Start by combining all the ingredients for the dip and set aside.

Next mix flour and baking powder in a bowl, add salt and pepper. Make a well in the middle and add the milk and beaten egg. Incorporate the flour with the egg and milk until all combined. Add 1 tbsp oil and more milk if the batter is too thick. Add spring onions, chilli, coriander and corn. Combine.

Heat up a frying pan on medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Place tablespoon sized dollops of batter in the pan and fry a few fritters at the time, for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the yoghurt dip and maybe a wedge of lime.

Sushi lunch at Chisou, Mayfair

Published on February 11, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

When my friend Carina was in town I got the task to find a good sushi restaurant, that was open for lunch on Sundays, served good vegetarian food (not veggie sushi) and located in central London. Not super easy, especially when one in the group is Japanese, but my apparently my research skills are up to scratch because we ended up at Chisou Mayfair and we were all very pleased with our lunch.

Elena chose a sashimi lunch special served with a salad, rice and fruit for afters and Hetal, who’s vegetarian, had a delicious teriyaki tofu with rice.

Carina and I both love sushi and every time she comes to London to visit we try a new place. We decided to start with three maki rolls and loved them all. The salmon avocado was pretty standard but very good and the shrimp tempura delicious but the spicy tuna toll was a-ma-zing. The tuna was such good quality it just melted in the mouth.

Since the sushi was so good we decided on ordering an extra roll and had the spider roll with soft shell crab – also amazing.

The interior at Chisou is not typical Mayfair but neither are the prices and the short walk from Regent Street together with the excellent food makes this a perfect lunch place when out and about in central London.

Chisou Mayfair, 4 Princes Street, London W1B 2LE

Dinner party with winter gino

Published on February 6, 2014February 6, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

The first weekend in January was the last of my Christmas holiday and on the Friday we had a lovely dinner party at my parents’. It was just my parents, my best friend Emma, her husband Claes and me. And lots of food and wine, as it should be. I love that the people closest to me get on so well and that we can socialise like we’re all just old friends regardless of the age difference.

We had some bubbly and a large batch of Toast Öjeby to start before moving on to the dinner table for the maincourse:

Topside of beef with dauphinoise potatoes (my mother’s version with leek and no cheese), port wine sauce and steamed broccoli. Although a complete classic I never tire of good quality beef and potatoes au gratin!

The only newish dish this evening was a wintery take on the classic Swedish dessert gino. I have no idea who invented it or when but a classic ino is like a warm fruit salad covered with white chocolate. The classic combination of fruits is banana, strawberry and kiwi but I opted for some wintery fruits instead; banana, clementine, pineapple and pomegranate seeds. This was probably even better as I prefer the pineapple and pomegranate to the kiwi. You can serve this with lightly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream but I definitely think the ice cream works best.

Winter gino, serves 4

2 bananas, sliced

2-3 clementines, in wedges cut into half

1/3 fresh pinapple, in chunks

1 pomegranate, seeds only

150-200 g white chocolate, chopped

Mix banana, clementine and pineapple in an oven-proof dish. Scatter the pomegranate seeds on top and then the chocolate. Bake in 200C oven until the chocolate has melted and browned a little. Serve with vanilla ice cream (or lightly whipped cream).

Dinner at Steak and Tapas, Malmö, Sweden

Published on February 5, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

When I went home to Sweden over Christmas and the new year I got to try two newish restaurants in Malmö (the third largest city in the country and the one near The Bridge), first B.A.R. and now Steak and Tapas.

When I moved away almost six years ago the restaurant scene was rather boring but now it almost seem to flourish.

Steak and Tapas is situated in the cellar beneath Hotel Tunneln in the centre of town and the white arched walls and rustic wooden tables contributes to the relaxed and cosy atmosphere of the restaurant. The menu is also relaxed with non-poncy with its tapas and steak sections (little surprise there).

I was here with four friends and we decided to share three Spanish cheeses, a focaccia (baked in a pot) and some olives to start before most of us moved on to the meat.

I chose the flatiron steak (onglet) and it arrived with an array of pots. One stainless steel dish for a salad wedge, a small deep-frying basket with fries (I like that quirky touche) and another bowl with the sauces. It felt a bit inefficient serving this many pots, but it looked rather charming.

One friend ordered the halibut instead and was also very pleased. The only let down was that some of the steaks were far from hot by the time they arrived at the table. I like my meat rested but this was a bit excessive..

Although the pudding section only had three choices we decided to share a chocolate cake with peanuts, marshmallows and chocolate sauce. It was a bit too dense and bitter for me and I don’t think we managed to finish it even though all five of us had some.

As a concept Steak and Tapas is very approachable, and I understand why you as a restaurateur in Malmö go for something that appeals to the masses, as the restaurant scene here is not as vibrant as say Gothenburg and Stockholm, even on a smaller scale.

Yet the combination strikes me as odd, but I imagined more cooked tapas and this is mainly charcuteries, cheeses and a few hot plates so it actually works to share a few things before moving on to steak or for a lighter meal sticking to the tapas section the whole meal.

Steak och Tapas, Kansligatan 4, 211 22 Malmö, Sweden

Pasta with mushrooms and leek

Published on February 4, 2014 by Hanna2 Comments

New year’s resolutions. Usually I am against them myself although others seem to do well with a dry or healthy January (well done, guys!). I actually made a small resolution this year and it is totally food related of course; to cook more from my cookbooks.

I have a bit of a, ahem, cookbook addiction and since I don’t want to stop buying new shiny ones I thought I’d better utilise the ones I’ve got. So far I have already cooked a few things from my newly acquired ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course‘, among other things this pasta recipe with mushrooms and leek.

It sounds very ordinary and it sort of is, yet very delicious. The sauce is silky without being too rich (especially with a splash of white wine added to cut through the cream) and the fried mushrooms and leek are very tasty. I also like that the pasta in this dish is lasagne sheets although the dish is quite far from a regular or even open lasagne. But it really works and I prefer it to many other pasta shapes.

Pasta with mushrooms and leek, serves 2

Adapted from ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cooking Course‘.

For once I followed the recipe dutifully, apart from one small addition; a splash of white wine in the cream sauce.

8 chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

1 leek, washed, trimmed, quartered and sliced

oil for frying

salt, pepper

250 ml chicken stock

100 ml double cream

1 tbsp white wine

4-6 lasagne sheets

To serve: grated parmesan, optional

Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Add the garlic after two minutes and the leek after another two. Fry until the mushrooms are golden and the leek has softened. Season.

Add the chicken stock and let it reduce for five minutes.

In the meantime, cook the lasagne sheets in salted water until al dente, for four minutes. Add the cream to the mushrooms and a splash of wine and let it thicken. Season to taste. Remove from heat and submerge the lasagne sheets in the sauce. Plate prettily and serve with or without grated parmesan.