creme fraiche – Scandelights

Recipe: garlic and herb sauce

Published on October 23, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Growing up in the countryside in the south of Sweden I didn’t realise how lucky I was to grow up in such an idyllic place. Fast forward to present time living in a big city, where getting fresh herbs and locally grown vegetables can be quite tricky at times.

So my first night in Sweden this summer I cooked us a fairly standard summer meal of pork fillet, salad and potatoes. Normally I would cook the meat on the barbecue to get that charred flavour, but due to the first barbecue ban in my life time (even in your own garden – it was that dry) I had to make do with the stove and oven. And sitting outside in the sunshine it was still a lovely meal.

Mainly because of the sauce I literally threw together on the spot. It’s a simple cold sauce with mainly creme fraiche and a little mayonnaise as a base (us Swedes make sauces like this ALL the time), but what made it so nice was the mix (and quantity) of fresh herbs from the garden. An absolute treat for this city girl and something I used to take for granted when I lived at home.

Garlic and herb sauce, serves 3-4

300 ml creme fraiche

2 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Hellman’s)

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Acacia honey

3/4 small garlic clove, finely chopped

approx 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley

salt and pepper

Mix creme fraiche and mayonnaise. Then add mustard, honey, garlic and herbs and leave for a while for the flavours to develop before serving. Season to taste.

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.

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: Oysters au gratin with parmesan and creme fraiche

Published on January 9, 2017January 13, 2017 by Hanna1 Comment

Happy New Year and all the best for 2017!

I hope to post more frequently this year and first up is this lovely recipe for oysters au gratin. This creamy topping and a few slices of baguette is all you need to start off a meal, and it was also the starter I made on Saturday, for my last dinner back in Sweden with my parents. They prefer cooked oysters to au natural and loved these!

Oysters au gratin with parmesan and creme fraiche, serves 3 as a starter

With a heavy main course two oysters were enough as a starter, but with a lighter main I would recommend three per person.

6 fresh oysters

3 tbsp creme fraiche

3 tbsp finely grated parmesan

1 tsp lemon juice

a pinch of cayenne

salt, white pepper

To serve:

6 slices of baguette

tabasco

Open the oysters with an oyster knife and discard the top shell. Cut loose the oysters but keep on the shells and place in an ovenproof dish,. Mix creme fraiche, parmesan, lemon juice and spices in a bowl and spoon over the oysters, Place under the hot grill or in a very hot oven (225C) until bubbly and a little brown, approx 3-5 minutes. Serve with baguette and tabasco.

Recipe: Crisps with bleak roe, creme fraiche and red onions

Published on November 30, 2016 by Hanna1 Comment

lojrom

In Sweden, coming up with new yummy ways to serve bleak roe, is almost a sport. And when I saw this genius idea on Foodetc’s instagram; serving bleak roe and it’s best friends creme fraiche and finely chopped red onions on crisps I just had to try it.

And it turns out crisps are a great vehicle for the bleak roe. They’re crispy and light and has the same effect as rösti and butter-fried bread. So good!

Crisps with bleak roe, creme fraiche and red onions, serves 6 as a canapé

1/2 bag lightly salted good quality crisps

1/2 jar bleak roe

100 ml fat creme fraiche

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

Find the prettiest crisps in the bag and put them on a nice plate/platter. Top with small dollops of creme fraiche, add bleak roe and lastly finely chopped red onions.

Recipe: Toast Lingstrom

Published on October 20, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

You’re probably familiar with Toast Skagen; the iconic Scandinavian starter consisting of butter-fried bread (oh yeah!) topped with a mixture of prawns and dill in mayonnaise?! It’s a true classic that will never go out of style. And so very delicious. My mother serves it at dinner parties and so do I, and sometimes I make one for myself just because I feel like it.

But this thing of placing things on top of butter-fried bread is bigger than just this one dish. It’s a whole food category. And I’m pleased to say I have discovered yet another recipe to add to my repertoire; this wonderful Toast Lingström with ham, named after its inventor, chef Christer Lingström.

The combination of smoked (or cooked) ham, creamy mayonnaise and a little tartness from the creme fraiche really works with the heat from the horseradish. It’s such a great little starter. Or nibble, in which case the recipe below is enough for 8 nibbles. Just cut the bread slices in half.

Toast Lingström, serves 4

Adapted from Christer Lingström’s recipe.

150 g cooked or smoked ham

100 ml crème fraiche

50 ml mayonnaise

2 tbsp finely chopped chives

1 tbsp grated horseradish

salt and pepper

4 slices white tin loaf

3 tbsp butter

Slice or dice the ham and mix with creme fraiche, mayo, chives and horseradish. Season to taste. Cut the crusts off the bread slices and fry in butter until golden. Drain the excess fat on kitchen towel. Divide the mixture between the four bread slices, garnish with some more chopped chives, if you like, and serve.

Rösti with Kalix roe, creme fraiche and red onions

Published on January 30, 2015 by Hanna2 Comments

The combination of caviar, red onions and creme fraiche is a real classic for us Scandis, so much so it features in two subsequent posts here on the blog. The cheaper lumpfish roe or salmon roe can be found in most supermarkets in the UK but my favourite roe is the bleak roe from Kalix in Sweden. It’s just delicious and I import a few packs to keep in the freezer on most trips to Sweden.

It’s best served in a simple way to enjoy the produce the most, like with rösti, red onions and creme fraiche. Last time I had this was just a regular Friday when I was staying in and felt like treating myself both to the roe and a glass of bubbly (since it’s such a wonderful combination).

Happy Friday all!

Oeufs en cocotte with creme fraiche

Published on April 5, 2012April 4, 2012 by Hanna1 Comment

The newest foodie to join the BBC is Rache Khoo in The Little Paris Kitchen. på BBC. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, opened up her small flat as a restaurant and is now cooking away in this series where she focusses on Parisian food, often with a little twist.

In one episode she made oeuf en cocotte, which I have made before too, but she used creme fraiche instead of cream. I had to try this because I adore creme fraiche and always have some at hand in the fridge. However, you do need to like creme fraiche a lot I think to appreciate this recipe as it is a little sour. Instead of serving the cocottes with salmon roe and dill I used truffle oil to flavour mine.

Oeuf en cocotte with creme fraiche and truffle oil, 1 portion

1 egg

50-100 ml creme fraiche (full fat)

salt & pepper

grated nutmeg

a few drops truffle oil

Spoon most of the creme fraiche into a ramekin and season it with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Crack the egg on top and place another dollop of creme fraiche on top. Add the truffle oil and place in a roasting tray. Pour lukewarm water into the roasting tray so it reaches half way up the sides of the ramekin. Place in 160C oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Longer if you want your eggs more set. Serve with soldiers.