Category: Swedish food

A Swedish luncheon

Published on by Hanna2 Comments

Yesterday I was invited to a Swedish luncheon in London’s Brick Lane, and I brought my friend Emily with me.

I don’t know what I expected from the lunch, but I was rather surprised of how nice it all was. First we were greeted by two ladies showing us in to a temporary red cottage where a large table was beautifully decorated in a nautical way. On one wall a slide show of Swedish scenery from the West Coast was displayed and at one end of the room we could see the chefs hard at work.

To start we had some elderflower cordial and were greeted by another lady chit-chatting to us about Sweden. Soon after our plates arrived showing an array of items smorgasbord style. We had a wonderful soup made from mushrooms and langoustines, Toast Skagen with langoustine, scambled eggs on crisp bread with mackerel, goat’s cheese crème with baked cherry tomato and two cheeses with quince jelly.

One of the chefs, Jenny, also came to chat to us, and told us about how they cooked the food (the soup contained smoked mushrooms for instance) and about where she was from.

It was a nice and efficient (I shouldn’t have doubted the Swedish efficiency either) event and I felt very proud of my country’s tourist board’s efforts.

I was invited to this event by SunVil, who organises travel to Sweden and many other destinations and the event itself was hosted by Visit Sweden.

Midsummer and the summer solstice

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

Picture borrowed here.

Today is the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, and although some believe this can make you a bit crazy (see cult classic The Wicker Man) we celebrate this pagan tradition, Midsummer, differently.

Traditional foods are pickled herring, boiled eggs, new potatoes, meatballs and strawberries in some form, for dessert. Nowadays people like to barbecue too, as the Swedes go crazy with their barbecues every summer.

It is usually bad weather and often rain, which we try to laugh about, but you have to at least try to sit outside. And to keep warm we drink snaps and sing snaps songs of course.

During the afternoon it is customary to dance around a may pole (a phallus symbol) and especially the children like this. An old tradition young girls try at least once is to, late in the evening, walk around and pick seven different types of flowers while silent, then put them underneath your pillow and you will dream about your future husband.

Happy midsummer and skål!

Lunch at Restaurang Kungstorget, Gothenburg, Sweden

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

When we arrived to Gothenburg a few weeks ago, it was on a Friday morning. We went to my friend’s flat and dropped our bags off and then met up with him for lunch. He was busy at work so we chose a place close to his office.

When I walked in to Restaurang Kungstorget I recognised the gold-coloured chairs and dark sofas because we went here for cocktails last time I was in town. I had no idea it was a restaurant by day and was quite surprised when the food came out looking so good. Prejudice – me?! -No.

Linus chose the meatballs served with a creamy sauce, mash and lingonberries. A plate of Sweden basically.

I started regretting my choice of salad when I saw the meatballs, but my salad with plenty of fresh prawns, egg and mayonnaise was nice too.

Laura chose fried haddock with boiled potatoes and creamy sauce. Yes, Sweden is all about the creamy sauces. A nice place with nice food, all very Swedish actually.

Restaurang Kungstorget
Kungstorget 7
Göteborg

Seafood feast in Gothenburg

Published on by Hanna5 Comments

The reason I went to Gothenburg the weekend before last was to keep my friend Laura company and show her around town as she hadn’t been to Sweden before. And the reason she went was to run the half marathon that was on that weekend, Göteborgsvarvet. One of the biggest half marathons in Europe apparently.

While she did the race I went food shopping to give her a nice feast to celebrate her efforts. Gothenburg is situated on the west coast of Sweden and that area is known for its excellent sea food so what could be better than fresh seafood and bubbly to celebrate?!

We had oysters with lemon, langoustines au gratin, radishes and avocado, cold smoked salmon, smoked prawns and fresh prawns (the cold water kind), a quiche with mushrooms and leek and bread.

Langoustines au gratin with garlic, serves 2 as a starter or for a buffet

2 fresh, raw, langoustines

3 tbsp butter

1 large garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

Mix butter and garlic. Cut the langoustines in half lengthways and rinse. Place shell side down on a baking tray and place dollops of butter on the flesh. Put in 200C oven for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Leek and mushroom quiche, serves 4-6

Crust:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1 pinch salt

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

200 g chestnut mushrooms, quartered, fried in butter and perhaps garlic

3/4 leek, finely sliced

3 eggs + 1/2 left over from making the crust

350 ml milk

200 ml grated cheese

salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients for the crust and knead together. Press it into a quiche dish and pierce it with a fork. Pre-bake for 10 minutes in 180/200 C oven. Place the leek and fried mushrooms in the crust and put the grated cheese on top. Beat eggs and milk and season. Pour it into the crust and bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown and set.

Panfried plaice fillet with remoulade

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

When I was a little girl we used to go on holiday and neartby Denmark, and I have many fond memories from our trips there. The light at Skagen was amazing, all the fresh fish in the harbours, the icecream lollies that were different to home, all the seashells one could pick on the beach… And while eating at a restaurant, I almost always chose deep-fried plaice with remoulade sauce. It is such a classic Danish dish and I really enjoy it.

This is the at home version where I have panfried the plaice fillet and made a sauce similar to remoulade. Similar in the way that it does not contain curry powder, where as real remoulade does. I used turmeric instead and seasoned it with dijon mustard and lemon juice.

Panfried plaice fillet with remoulade, serves 1

1-2 plaice fillets

a large knob of butter for frying

Sauce:

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

150 ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)

1/4 lemon, the juice

1-2 tsp dijon mustard

1,5 tsp turmeric

salt, white pepper

6-7 cornichons, chopped

To serve: boiled potatoes, lemon wedge

Whisk together the mayonnaise with an electric whisk, by adding the oil drop by drop to the egg yolk while beating. Add the lemon juice, turmeric and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cornichons.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the fillets skinside down. Fry until the skin is golden brown. Turn and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Turn again and serve skinside down. Spoon over the melted butter. Add salt and pepper.

Scandi tip #10: Semla

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

Picture from Wikipedia.

At this time of year, there is only one pastry on people’s minds in Sweden and Scandinavia, the semla.

It is a regular wheat bun (almost like a brioche), made from a similar recipe to cinnamon buns. You then cut off the lid and fill it with whipped cream and marzipan, put the lid back on and add copious amounts on icing sugar to the buns.

When I was a child I only made homemade ones, as the bought ones, even from a nice bakery, tend to have a very gooey marzipan and I like the sweet almondy set one.

Some people but the semla in a bowl of hot milk called hetvägg (hot wall) and eat the soggy thing with a spoon, but I find that all wrong to be honest.

Anyway, the story behind these semlor has to do with Lent, and these used to eaten on only one day; Shrove Tuesday, before Lent started. Now they are available from bakeries from the beginning of January until a week or so after Shrove Tuesday, which this year is on the 21st February.

If you want to try this delicacy, you are bound to find them at Nordic Bakery, Scandinavian Kitchen and maybe also at Fika, in London. Or why not make your own?

 

Fish gratin with prawns and dill

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

I am one of those girls that like my meat. I like fish too though, but need to eat it more often. And this is the way forward – fish cooked in the oven covered by a nice sauce.

This dish has typical Scandinavian f;avours with prawns, dill and chives, and also some dijon mustard to give it a little zing.

Fish gratin with prawns, serves 2-3

3 tilapia fillets

100 g peeled Icelandic prawns

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1,5 tbsp flour

500 ml milk

150 ml cream

1,5 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 fish stock cube

salt, white pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 bunch dill, chopped

1/2 bunch chives, chopped

Mashed potatoes:

ca 400 g potatoes

100 g butter

salt, white pepper

Butter a dish and place the fish fillets in it. Cook the potatoes very soft in water. Drain and mash with the butter. Season.

Melt the butter for the sauce in a non-stick saucepan. Whisk in the butter. Add the milk little by little, while stirring, until it is all added and the sauce has thickened. Add the cream and stock. Let the sauce thicken and add the mustard, salt and white pepper. Add the herbs at the end.

Pour the sauce over the fish and place the dish in 180C oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and pipe the mashed potatoes around the edges of the dish. Add Scatter the prawns in the middle of the dish. Cook for another 10-15 minutes in the oven. Serve straight away with some green beans.

Scandinavian Kitchen

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

Since I moved to London I miss Swedish groceries less and less. Not because I like it less, but I have become a lot better at finding substitutes and I know which supermarkets to look in for Swedish stuff too.

But a few times a year, close to the holidays of course, I really crave Swedish food. And then I make sure I pay Scandinavian Kitchen a visit. The shop and café is situated a short walk from Oxford Circus and is open during the day.

My friend Jenny treated me to lunch here last week, and the first thing I saw after entering the shop was the Christmas beverage Julmust, a dark malty soft drink, so I gave off a little happy sound which Jenny found very amusing.

But back to the lunch, they serve open sandwiches with traditional Scandinavian toppings as well as a few different salads. They have two lunch offers on where you can mix what sandwiches and salads you like. Either three or five. We went for the large plate for £8.95 and that was great value for money. Tasty too.

Above is my choice of salami sandwich, roast beef sandwich with remoulade (Danish piccalilli and crispy fried onions, egg and prawn sandwich, salmon and dill wrap and potato salad.

Jenny chose the same salmon wrap, carrot salad, beetroot salad, meatball and beatroot sandwich and a salmon sandwich.

Here is the lovely Christmas drink! I had to buy one to take away as well, so I can enjoy it with gingerbread. Yum, yum!

It was a great lunch, thanks Jenny! And in my opinion it beats an English sandwich every day. These look prettier too!

Midsummer luncheon

Published on by Hanna2 Comments

Yesterday we had a lovely lunch at Ian and Anna’s house, so us scandos (Anna and me) could celebrate midsummer. There were eight of us, and everyone brought something for the meal, so we had a very international selection of food. Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Polish and, of course, English.

The weather was gorgeous so we stayed outside in the garden and cooled down with first Pimm’s, then white wine.

The first course was fish: two types of herring (mustard and dill), matjes cheesecake (more herring), smoked salmon on rye bread, borgis (Polish cabbage stew with sausage), salad and bread.

Second course was meat: shaslik (Russian lamb scewers), meatballs, Salad Olivier (Russian potato salad with sausages, mayo, gherkins, apple..) and Polish piergi with cheese and potato.

After that we had to take quite a long break, then we had two desserts; English Eton Mess and Swedish strawberry cake (which is compulsory for Midsummer).

It was a lovely day and to be able to sit outside in the sun, eating and drinking and chatting – that is quality time well spent!

Matjes cheesecake, serves 10

6-8 slices German style rye bread

50 g softened butter

400 ml creme fraiche

200 g cream cheese

75 ml mayo (Hellman’s)

1 tin matjes herring

1 bunch of chives, finely chopped

salt

white pepper

3 gelatine leaves

1 tbsp water

Mix the bread into crumbs. Mix with the butter. Cover the base of a 20 cm springform. Press properly. Chop the herring. Mix cheese, mayo, creme fraiche, herring and chives. Season to taste. Place the gelatine leaves in cold water. Squeeze out the excess water. Melt on low heat in a pan with 1 tbsp water. Leave to cool slightly. Mix with the herring mixture. Spread it out in the springform. Cover with clingfilm and leave in fridge overnight. 

Midsummer

Published on by Hanna2 Comments

Wednesday was the longest day of the year, and the Friday after the Nordic countries celebrate the pagan tradition Midsummer.

It varies the way you celebrate, but most people dance around a maypole, eat traditional food such as pickled herring in different flavours, sour cream, chives, new potatoes, meatballs and strawberry cream cake.

As an expat I won’t celebrate Midsummer the same way as I would at home. First of all it is a bank holiday or half day in Sweden but a full working day here, but in Sweden you would gather with your friends in the countryside, pick flowers, hang out and prepare for the traditional meal, put the bottles of snaps in the freezer so they are really cold, put the beer in a large bucket with ice to cool that down, and usually rush in when a rain shower comes, and back out when it is over.

It is seldom sunny and warm on Midsummer’s Eve, but it is part of the tradition now. 🙂 You have to make sure you have a warm jumper at hand for the chilly evening, and you just sit together, drinking, eating, singing snaps songs and chatting.

It is a lovely laid-back affair, and as I wrote this I realise how much I can miss traditions like these. But, I will celebrate Midsummer together with a Scandi friend and a few other friends on Sunday, outside in a garden in the countryside, and I know for sure that it will be lovely!

Happy Midsummer to you all!