As winter is almost upon us I like to have a few hidden gems stored away in my larder to pull out at the last minute. These are just that, fragrant autumn jewels that see me through the winter months. Simple as they are, they bring warmth to salty cheese and work perfectly with game….
Preserving
Pickled Blackberries
I love the ritual of blackberry picking, time spent, basket in hand choosing the ripest juiciest fruit for dessert. When my children were small it was a family affair and a competition as to who could pick the most berries. Now I’ll take a friend and my dogs to forage and chatter. Is it me…
Brined Salmon with Creamy Dill Infused Potatoes & Lightly Pickled Cucumber
Most of you are familiar with Gravad Lax, a popular delicacy in the English-speaking world, and English has naturally adopted the short version of its name, gravlax. There seems to be endless ways to flavour this fish from beetroot, horseradish to gin and juniper. You may not be aware of the lesser known Swedish classic…
Elderflower Cordial
If you are really quick and very lucky, you may just get the end of the elderflower season. I was ambling home after a dog walk last week and spotted a glut of these on the edge of a field, which I duly and promptly helped myself to. I made sure I picked evenly and…
The Scandinavian Open Sandwich
Open sandwiches (smörgås) are a favourite of mine and also one of the simplest things to create. You don’t need a recipe for them, it’s really just about using your favourite kind of bread and adding the toppings that you’d like to go on it. Begin by spreading just the right amount of butter on your chosen bread. On…
Venison Casserole with Pickled Chanterelles
In the north, they have the advantage of being able to indulge in a lot of game during the autumn. Approximately 300,000 Swedes have hunting licenses. In total, they contribute 20,000 tonnes of wild game to the Swedish table every year. As only a certain number of animals can be killed each year thanks to decades of…
Hot Smoked Salmon
I was first introduced to hot smoked fish when I was a child. My family stayed with relatives in the Stockholm archipelago, we would lay fishing nets out in the early evening and hope for a bountiful catch, the excitement when we woke the next morning. The smoked fish I ate in the years after those days…
