January feels like we’re lumbering through the grey and the cold that forces its way through our clothes and into our bones. I need comfort at this time of year and it had occurred to me whilst sitting in my kitchen flicking through my recipe notebook that I hadn’t made this Swedish classic for some time. ‘Biff à la Lindström’ Beetroot,…
nordic
Ris à la Malta (Swedish Rice Pudding)
It wouldn’t be Christmas in my house without ‘Ris à la Malta’ A lightly sweetened rice pudding, infused with vanilla and cinnamon served with fruit. My Mother and Grandmother always used to serve it with a cherry compote, an appealing festive red next to the pure white of the rice looked so pretty. It’s traditionally served after the…
Slow Cooked Pork Cheeks
Each year, the plunge into winter makes me grateful for a well-stocked larder and freezer, it makes it easy to create a repast even when it’s too cold to go outside and stock up on this-or-that. This is a wonderful prepare ahead dish, requires a little effort but well worth it. It’s comfort food at its best, a casserole with deliciously tender…
Lussekatter – Lucia Saffron Buns
Lussekatter (Lucia saffron buns) are traditionally eaten on the day of Lucia. Each bun is shaped into an S-shape, which is supposed to resemble a cat’s tail. Nobody knows for sure the origins of the shape and the connection with Saint Lucia, but it seems likely that they were originally called djävulskatter (the devil’s cats)….
Santa Lucia (St Lucy’s Day) 13th December
Lucia is a magnificent advent tradition in Sweden, for the music, white gowns, candles and the sheer beauty of the event – it is definitely worth seeing if you can, you won’t have to go far to find a Lucia celebration in Scandinavia at this time of year. In the past, the feast of Lucia was celebrated during the Winter Solstice 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…
Knäckebröd (Swedish Crispbread)
Oh I love this cold weather, hardy grain, it’s extremely tasty, high in fibre and sustaining. You’ll find it’s the dominant ingredient in most crispbreads across the Nordic region and not forgetting the large array of dense and dark rye breads too. These rye or wholemeal flatbreads are widely baked in the Nordic region. Their…
Lingonberries
I’m going to introduce you to a few Nordic ingredients, some you may or may not know in my next few posts. Although lingonberries look so delicious in their natural form they are not good to eat raw as they are really tart and bitter, adding sugar transforms them into something that goes incredibly well with…
