Quiches, pizzas & similar – Page 2

Recipe: pizza bianco with truffle salami and burrata

Published on January 24, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

I heart truffle. If I sea truffle on a menu my mouth starts watering and I have to have it. And I savour every bite. So imagine my delight (and surprise) when I found a packet (yes, packet – not even in the deli counter!!) of thinly sliced salami with truffle in my Swedish supermarket. I immediately grabbed a burrata nearby and decided on making this pizza.

Which I loved as much as I thought I would. I heart truffle. And burrata. But a nice grassy olive oil is key too.

Pizza bianco with truffle salami and burrata, makes 1 pizza

1/4 pizza dough

flour for rolling

2-3 tbsp creme fraiche

1/4 buffalo mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces

100 ml grated Västerbotten cheese (mature cheddar works too)

16-20 thin slices truffle salami (I actually found mine in the supermarket)

1 burrata

1-2 tbsp good grassy olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

Roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin on a floured surface. Place the rolled out pizza base on a parchment paper covered baking tray. Spread out the creme fraiche on the pizza base. Divide the mozzarella and the grated Västerbotten cheese. Bake in a 220C (200C fan) oven for 8-10 minutes, until the base is crisp, the cheese has melted and the whole thing is golden brown.

Remove the pizza from the oven and cover it with truffle salami. Tear the burrata into smaller pieces and scatter them on the pizza. Drizzle with nice olive oil. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt and add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.

Recipe: pizza bianco with pears and Saint Agur

Published on September 21, 2018February 4, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

The last one of the pizzas I made in Sweden in the summer is this one with pears and my favourite blue cheese St Agur. It’s a very classic flavour combination that works really well on the bianco base. And I can assure you it was as yummy as it looks!

But, as I always strive towards perfection, I do think it would be even nicer with some added crunch in the form of chopped walnuts and an extra hint of sweetness with a drizzle of Acacia honey. I tried to find both these ingredients in the beach house but as it’s not as well stocked as our regular kitchen I came out empty. As you can tell I didn’t really plan all the pizza toppings beforehand, but got carried away mid-baking.

Edit 4 February 2019: I made this again on New Year’s Day, this time with the chopped walnuts and acacia honey. And it really elevated the pizza! I highly recommend it. The honey contrasted nicely against the salty cheese and the walnuts added another dimension with their crunch and bitterness. Yum! See last picture.

Pizza bianco with pears and Saint Agur, makes 1 pizza

1/4 pizza dough

flour for rolling

2-3 tbsp creme fraiche

1/4 buffalo mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces

100 ml grated Präst cheese (mature cheddar works too)

2 pears, thinly sliced lenghtways

40 g Saint Agur, broken into smaller pieces

sea salt and black pepper

To serve:

chopped walnuts and a drizzle of acacia honey

Roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin on a floured surface. Place the rolled out pizza base on a parchment paper covered baking tray. Spread out the creme fraiche on the pizza base. Divide the mozzarella and the grated Präst cheese. Add the pear slices and distribute the Saint Agur. Season. Bake in a 220C (200C fan) oven for 8-10 minutes, until the base is crisp, the cheese has melted and the whole thing is golden brown. Remove from oven, add walnuts and honey and cut into slices.

Recipe: pizza bianco with butter-fried girolles and Västerbotten cheese

Published on September 14, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

For once I feel like I’ve had a proper summer. It’s been warm and sunny both here in London and in Sweden. I’ve still got a tan and I swam in the sea several times. Had al fresco meals and lots of rosé. One might think I’ve had enough of summer for now, but I would happily continue the summer for another few months. But, because we had a real summer I am also, at the same time, looking forward to autumn. To cosy nights in, lit candles, blankets, darker colours and heartier dinners. And red wine instead of rosé.

And just like the trench coat and the leather jacket are good transitional pieces in our wardrobes I feel this pizza is the ultimate transitional dinner dish.

Mushrooms always get me excited about autumn and their earthy taste is just what I’d want right now. Before the soups and stews. And, luckily – this pizza goes well with both red and rosé!

Pizza bianco with butter-fried girolles and Västerbotten cheese, makes 1 pizza

1/4 pizza dough

flour for rolling

2-3 tbsp creme fraiche

1/4 buffalo mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces

100 ml grated Västerbotten cheese (mature cheddar works too)

200 g girolles

2-3 tbsp butter

a splash of oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

chopped parsley

sea salt and black pepper

finely grated Västerbotten cheese for serving

In the meantime, fry the girolles in butter and oil on medium-high heat. When the mushrooms are almost done, add the garlic and fry until golden (but no longer). Remove the pan from the heat and season well. Add the chopped parsley.

Remove the pizza from the oven, divide the mushrooms onto the pizza, top with finely grated cheddar and cut into slices.

Recipe: pizza bianco with prosciutto, figs and Cambozola

Published on August 31, 2018August 31, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Another pizza from our pizza making evening in Sweden and another hit all around. The combination of sweet and salty and creamy always works and this pizza with (mother’s homegrown!) figs, prosciutto and blue cheese was no exception!

I realise blue cheese is sometimes an acquired taste, BUT don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I used cambozola here which is rather mild, and only a little of it as I didn’t want it to overpower the sweet and juicy figs – merely complement them!

Pizza bianco with prosciutto, figs and Cambozola, makes 1 pizza

1/4 pizza dough

flour for rolling

2-3 tbsp creme fraiche

1/4 buffalo mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces

100 ml grated Präst cheese (mature cheddar works too)

3 slices prosciutto, torn into a few smaller pieces

2-3 figs, sliced lenghtways

40 g Cambozola, broken into smaller pieces

sea salt and black pepper

Roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin on a floured surface. Place the rolled out pizza base on a parchment paper covered baking tray. Spread out the creme fraiche on the pizza base. Divide the mozzarella and the grated Präst cheese. Add the ham and figs and distribute the Cambozola. Season. Bake in a 220C (200C fan) oven for 8-10 minutes, until the base is crisp, the cheese has melted and the whole thing is golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into slices.

Recipe: pizza bianco with potatoes, rosemary and pickled red onions

Published on August 24, 2018August 24, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

One night in Sweden this happened; pizza night. With the BBQ ban in full swing mamma and I find it so hard to think of summery things to cook, so one night we settled on pizza. Mainly because of one GREAT idea for topping (I promise I will blog about it soon!), and that spiralled into four lovely pizzas.

This one with a white base (bianco), potatoes, rosemary and pickled red onions was amazing. The combination of flavours really work and the smell that filled the house was delicious too. A must try, despite double carbs. It’s SO worth it!

Pizza bianco with potatoes, rosemary and pickled red onions, makes 1 pizza

1/4 pizza dough

flour for rolling

2-3 tbsp creme fraiche

1/4 buffalo mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces

100 ml grated Präst cheese (mature cheddar works too)

4-5 boiled but not overdone potatoes, cooled and cut into 1-2 mm slices

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

sea salt and black pepper

pickled red onions (using the below recipe) for serving

Roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin on a floured surface. Place the rolled out pizza base on a parchment paper covered baking tray. Spread out the creme fraiche on the pizza base. Divide the mozzarella and the grated Präst cheese. Add the potato slices and scatter with rosemary. Bake in a 220C (200C fan) oven for 8-10 minutes, until the base is crisp, the cheese has melted and the whole thing is golden brown. Remove from oven, add the pickled red onions and cut into slices.

Pickled red onions, a small jar

2 red onions, peeled, cut into half and sliced thinly into half moons

1 part matättika (already diluted acetic acid) to 4 parts water

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp salt

Mix one part matättika with 4 parts water so you have enough to cover the onions (approx 200 ml depending on the size of the jar). Add 2-3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and stir util it has dissolved. Leave for at least 30 minutes before serving. Keeps for five days in the fridge if covered.

Reminder: Västerbotten cheese quiche

Published on August 17, 2018August 20, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

In Sweden crayfish season is in full swing, and I wanted to remind you all that one of the most important things for a crayfish party (apart from the crayfish and snaps) is this Västerbotten cheese quiche. You can buy the cheese from Ocado (love their Swedish shop!) but you could also substitute it for a sharp cheddar if you prefer.

We had a little crayfish party when I was home in Sweden and I love this non-holiday more than some actual holidays. The crayfish are just delicious, but we went all out with both fresh and smoked prawns (they’re delicious!) as well.

And yes, we had snaps (Linie Aquavit, pictured above) and silly hats.

Bread and cheese is also needed to soak up the alcohol (snaps is strong!) and maybe some homemade mayonnaise for dipping. And don’t forget the finger bowls – this is a very messy (but really fun!) affair!

Skål!

Västerbotten cheese quiche, serves 6

Dough:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

250 g grated Västerbotten cheese (or a sharp cheddar will do)

2 egg yolks

2 eggs

200 ml cream

salt

Topping:

100 g girolles

2 tbsp salted butter

1 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

salt, pepper

chopped parsley

Mix the ingredients together for the dough and press it out in a quiche dish. Use a fork to pierce the dough all over. Pre-bake the dough for 10 mins at 175 C.

Mix the grated cheese with the cream, eggs and yolks and pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for another 20 mins.

Fry the girolles in butter on medium-high heat until almost done. Add the shallots and garlic and fry until golden. Season well and add the parsley. Place on top of the quiche just before serving.

Recipe: bleak roe pizza

Published on July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Bleak roe, i.e. Swedish caviar, is a treasured ingredient in Sweden and something I can really long for. We eat it with devotion and save it for special occasions. I always make sure I have some, for emergencies, in my London freezer, and try to eat it regularly when I go home to Sweden to visit. Luckily we’re more or less feasting the whole time I come home as my parents and I are so happy to be together.

My only “problem” with bleak roe, is that I under no circumstances want to mess it up. Therefore I often serve it like a ‘toast‘ with butterfried bread, creme fraiche or smetana and chopped red onions. Because, as we now, less is sometimes more.

But it’s equally lovely as a topping for crisps (it’s the perfect snack to accompany a glass of champagne) or served with crispy rösti as a starter.

When I was last home in May, we decided to branch out to pizza. A pizza bianco though as the tomato would rival the bleak roe too much. And, as you can probably guess, it was wonderful! I used a recipe from a restaurant in Stockholm famous for their bleak roe pizza (or löjromspizza as it’s called in Swedish) but made a few minor changes to it (because I simply can’t help myself).

Bleak roe pizza, serves 4-6 as a starter (2 as a main course)

Translated from and adapted after Taverna Brillo’s recipe.

Pizza dough:

250 ml water

1 tbsp olive oil

390 g 00 flour

1 tsp dried yeast

2 tsp sea salt

Topping:

8 tbsp creme fraiche flavoured with a little lemon

100 g buffalo mozzarella

100 g coarsely grated mature präst cheese or cheddar

80 g Kalix bleak roe

100 g creme fraiche

finely chopped red onions

finely chopped chives

dill

lemon

Ina mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Add salt, olive oil and flour. Knead the dough by hand for 15 minutes (or in a machine for 10 minutes). Divide into two, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size, approx 30 minutes. Roll out the dough and shape into round pizzas. Place on a parchment paper covered baking tray. Heat the oven to 250°C.

Spread 4 tbsp creme fraiche onto each pizza and divide the mozzarella (in chunks or slices) and präst/cheddar cheese. Bake in a low oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and top with bleak roe, creme fraiche, onions, chives, dill and lemon.

Recipe: wild garlic fritters

Published on June 5, 2018June 5, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

Wild garlic season is almost over now, but luckily there were a few leaves left when I was in Sweden last and I used them wisely by trying a completely new recipe!

As you may know by now, I love fritters and have a few recipes on the blog already, but when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit I couldn’t resist trying it. Wild garlic is my favourite flavour in spring (together with asparagus and rhubarb) as it’s less pungent than garlic. It seems fresher somehow. But it also reminds me of my childhood, of going for walks in the woods and sensing that onion-y smell when they were first in season, and later spotting the pretty white flowers.

The fritters turned out really well, even though I tweaked the recipe a bit, and both my parents gave them the thumbs up. I thought the fritters needed a sidekick and served my parmesan crème alongside them. Yum!

Wild garlic fritters, serves 4 as a starter

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s recipe.

a bunch of wild garlic, approx 8 cm in diameter

135 g plain flour

120 g potato flour or rice flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

100-200 ml sparkling water

approx 200-300 ml vegetable oil for frying

lemon wedges to serve

Rinse the wild garlic and pat dry with kitchen towel. Remove the coarse part of the stems. Cut into 1 cm long pieces and put to the side.

Mix flour, potato flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the sparkling water until you have a batter that isn’t too thick or too thin. Add the wild garlic and mix well.

Pour the oil into a high-sided frying pan until it is about 1 cm deep. Heat on medium-high heat until warm enough for deep-frying (it’s ready when a small piece of bread comes out golden).

Add spoonfuls of the batter to the hot pan and fry until gold first one one side and then the other. Drain on kitchen towel. Serve with lemon wedges and parmesan crème.

Recipe: Kale quiche with almond slivers and mature cheese

Published on February 15, 2018February 15, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Already in November I celebrated Christmas the Scandi way with the book club. It’s a nice little tradition and this year we outdid ourselves with carol singing! It was so much fun and the perfect way for me to get into the Christmas spirit.

We started the evening with the loveliest mushrooms salad on crostini, plenty of prosecco and my epic Christmas playlist.

Then we moved on to the main meal of Jansson’s frestelse (grated potato baked with onions, anchovies and cream), two types of meatballs, a salad with pear and walnuts and this kale and almond quiche with Swedish Herrgård cheese.

But the pièce de résistance was Mary-Louise’s pecan and almond pie for pudding. So lovely and timed well as it was around Thanksgiving!

Kale and almond quiche with Herrgård cheese, serves 8-10

Pastry:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

500 g kale, trimmed, rinsed and parboiled

50 g almond slivers

200 ml matured Herrgård cheese, grated (matured cheddar works as well)

3 eggs

100 ml cream

200 ml milk

salt and pepper

Pinch the pastry together and coat a pie dish with it. Use a fork to make small holes in the pastry. Pre-bake it for 10 minutes in 180C. Leave to cool.

Squeeze the water out of the kale and chop it. Add salt and pepper to the kale and place in the the tin. Scatter with almond slivers and add the cheese.

Beat eggs, cream and milk. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Pour into the tin and press the filling down so it’s all covered with the egg mixture. Bake in 180C for about 40 mins (until set and golden brown).

Recipe: weeknight fish tacos

Published on November 24, 2017November 24, 2017 by HannaLeave a comment

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As much as I sometimes like to make an elaborate all-from-scratch meal on weeknights I am often tired and temped to reach for my phone and Deliveroo. But, most of the time I manage to resist because I can come up with a quick and lovely meal that takes only minutes to cook but gives as much satisfaction as a takeaway.

These fish tacos definitely belongs in that category, and although you can bread your own fish it’s not that much better than the good ones you find at M&S or Waitrose, so I take the easy way and buy it. And since I love these tacos so much, I always buy more breaded lemon sole goujons than I need so I can put some in the freezer for the next time the laziness (or craving) hits.

So, when the fish is cooking in the oven, all you have to do is cut some vegetables (out of the suggestions below I find avocado, lettuce and spring onions most pertinent – although my supermarket was out of spring onions when I took the photos – the rest are nice if you have them to hand already but no need to pop to the supermarket to get them) and mix the spicy mayo, which literally takes minutes, and once the fish is cooked, you just assemble and tuck in.

Plus it’s ready before your takeaway would even arrive, which is quite important for us hangry people.

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Weeknight fish tacos, serves 2

4 soft corn or flour tortillas

6-8 store-bought lemon sole goujons

1 little gem

1 avocado

a handful of cherry tomatoes

1/4 cucumber

1/2 lime

spring onions

coriander

100 ml Hellmann’s mayo

2-3 tsp Gochujang paste (or if you prefer a smokier flavour; chipotle paste)

Pre-heat the oven to 180-200C. Line an ovenproof dish with parchment paper and place the fish on it. Place in the hot oven for approx 15 minutes until cooked through and crisp.

Mix mayonnaise and Gochujang paste together in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the vegetables into chunks. Slice the spring onions and chop the coriander. When the fish is ready, take it out of the oven and tear the goujons into chunks. Heat up the tortilla breads in the oven for 30 seconds and start the assembly. I prefer to start with some spicy mayo spread onto the tortilla, then fish, more mayo, vegetables and last the spring onions and coriander. Finish with a squeeze of lime and some salt and dig in.

PS. Since I have a sensitive stomach I’ve only listed the vegetables I use myself, but Rosie’s fish tacos with cabbage looks just as scrummy!