There is quite a revolution happening in British kitchens, no longer are we satisfied with supermarket pre-packed sliced, we want to master a home baked loaf. Now if you follow my blog you’ll know that I am a sourdough addict, occasionally though I find I just haven’t enough time to bake my sourdough. This is…
scandinavian
Beetroot & Horseradish Cured Gravad Lax
Gravad lax these days is so readily available, the lightly cured salmon with a scattering of chopped dill, I find the commercial versions often taste incredibly similar and the accompanying mustard sauce can be too acidic and intense. The salmon I ate in Sweden, prepared by my mother and grandmother always tasted so fresh, with…
Swedish Fish Soup with Saffron Rouille
If ever you find yourself in Stockholm at the Food-hall (Saluhall) at lunchtime you will do well to join the local shoppers and office workers in a bowl of fish soup. Swedes like to eat lunch early, we’re talking midday or even earlier! You’ll find yourself sitting at a table where you will be jostled…
Semlor Buns (Swedish Lent Buns)
The merest hint of cardamom or cinnamon instantly triggers memories of my childhood. The smell of meatballs sizzling in butter and the comforting feeling when the air is scented with pepparkakor fresh from the oven. How smell can evoke such happy, mouthwatering memories. My mother and grandmother always had buns of differing flavours in the…
Venison à la Lindström with Spiced Celeriac Remoulade
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,…
Slow Cooked Pigs 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…
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…
Whipped Chanterelle Butter
The Swedish word for fungus is ‘svamp’ Popular mushrooms in Sweden include the trumpet chanterelle, black chanterelles and hedgehog mushrooms. By far the most famous fungi is the golden chanterelle, with its woody, peppery flavour, it can be picked throughout the summer and into early autumn. You will seem them in abundance in the Food Halls…
Moorish Swedish Crispbread (Knäckebröd)
Oh I love this cold weather hardy grain, it’s super 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 dark rye bread too. You can’t go far in the Nordic region without seeing rye flatbreads. Their origins lie in Sweden…
