Scandelights

Mushrooms with crispy herb topping

Published on May 22, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

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

Published on May 18, 2013May 16, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

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

Published on May 16, 2013May 16, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

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

Published on May 15, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

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

Published on May 14, 2013 by Hanna3 Comments

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

Published on May 11, 2013May 9, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

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

Smygehuk, the southern cape of Sweden

Published on May 10, 2013May 10, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Sweden is a very long country so when I say I am from the south it can mean that I’m from somewhere from the middle and downwards. But I am from the real south, were we get Danish and German television channels because we’re so close to the continent. For us, everything north of Stockholm seems way north.

Anyway, just like the Three-Country Cairn (the northern point where Norway, Sweden and Finland meet) is a popular destination, so is the most southern point in our country; Smygehuk.

Smygehuk is just the actual cape with it’s little harbour, kiosk, fish smokery with shop and café, an old building and a camp site. It is quite pretty when the sun is shining, and I love just taking in the vastness of the sea ahead of you.

There is also a village near-by called Smygehamn with a few shops and mostly permanent residents. But all along the southern coast line you have lots of summer houses mixed with old fishing villages and permanent residents, golf courses and lovely sandy beaches.

I simply adore my part of Sweden and summers here are amazing. It is usually warm and sunny, and the ocean heats up to around (and above) 20C so it is nice to go for a swim or just a quick dip to refresh while sunbathing.

It is light until late in the evenings, so you can easily take an evening stroll at 10 or 11pm without bringing a flashlight. Ahh, how I long for the wonderful Swedish summer!

Toasted wild garlic bread

Published on May 9, 2013 by Hanna6 Comments

It is no secret that Swedes take their seafood seriously. More or less every Friday of my childhood we had prawns (or crayfish when it was in season) for supper. Served as above with boiled eggs (cooked after everyone’s different preference), mayonnaise and a nice salas (preferably with avocado) this is such a relaxing way of eating prawns, peeling as you go.

And the prawns taste so much more when bought unpeeled. I find it so sad that it is near impossible to find unpeeled cold water prawns in the supermarkets here.

This meal wouldn’t be complete without some nice bread though, and sometimes we would just get a fresh loaf from the bakery and eat it untoasted with plenty of butter, or sometimes we’d have toasted bread or homemade garlic bread. With plenty of freshly picked wild garlic though, the choice was easy; I wanted to make toasted wild garlic bread. And it was just as delicious as I expected it to be. Prettier than regular garlic bread too, with its vibrant green colour.

Wild garlic grows all around the Southern parts of the UK at least, but if you struggle to forage some you can buy it from a good greengrocer (in Borough Market for example).

Toasted wild garlic bread, serves 3-4

100 g softened salted butter

1 handful wild garlic, finely chopped

salt and white pepper after taste

12 pieces of good crusty bread

Mix the wild garlic with the softened butter until well combined. Season with salt and white pepper. Divide between the bread pieces and spread evenly. Place on a baking tray and toast in a 180-200C oven for 10-15 minutes until the bread is crispy and the butter has melted. Serve warm.

Rhubarb crumble

Published on May 8, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

When visiting my parents this past weekend it was (as usual) a lot of focus on food and seasonal produce.

My mother loves gardening and even though she doesn’t grow as much as she used to when I was younger, there is still plenty of fruit and vegetables to pick in the garden throughout the summer. Around this time of year it is only really the rhubarb that’s ready for picking, so that’s what we did.

And for me, there is nothing better than making a crumble out of the first fruit of the season, and this crumble recipe (a modified Delia-ism) is absolutely divine, especially when served still warm with either vanilla icecream or homemade raw custard (N.B. contains raw eggs so not suitable for everyone).

Rhubarb crumble, serves 4

ca 250 g rhubarb, washed and cut into smaller pieces

100-120 g soft brown sugar (to balance the acid from the rhubarb)

Crumble:

100 g softened butter

200 g plain flour

135 g soft brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

Butter an ovenproof dish. Place the rhubarb pieces in the bottom. Scatter the sugar on top. Combine the ingredients for the crumble in a mixing bowl using a wooden fork. Pour on top of the rhubarb. Place in 175C oven for about 30 minutes or until the fruit is soft and the top golden brown.

Nettles and wild garlic

Published on May 7, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

The last five days I went back home to the south of Sweden to visit my parents and my friends. I had a lovely time seeing everyone and eating great food and even the weather was cooperating (we had the same glorious weather as in Britain, just a few degrees cooler)!

My parents live in the countryside, close to a lake and some woods and with plenty of fields in the near surroundings. It is just as idyllic as it seems and I have so many happy memories from the woods from my childhood. Now I enjoy more seldom, but it just brings back happy memories walking around there.

This time we stayed for quite a while, picking the first small nettles so I could bring them back with me, but also the wonderful wood anemones for pure decoration. There is also plenty of wild garlic, which I love and I picked plenty of that too before leaving.

I have quite a few recipe ideas using nettles and wild garlic, but before I post them I’d like to remind you of some wild garlic recipes already on the blog. I can highly recommend wild garlic mayo which I eat out of season too (just steam and freeze the wild garlic and use whenever), mother’s delicious wild garlic soup and it is always a good pairing with asparagus, like in this quiche.