PEPPARKAKA
Makes around 80 small biscuits 200 g butter 1 cup sugar ½ cup Swedish light syrup (can be replaced with maple syrup) 1 tbs ground cinnamon Little over ½ tbs each of ground clove, ginger and cardamom ½ tsp ground bitter orange ¾ tbs bicarbonate of soda 450 g plain flour 100 g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
In a pan, melt the butter and sugar. Add the spices, bicarbonate of soda and, last, the flour and the almonds. Shape the dough into 2 cylinder shapes and put in plastic bags. Leave in the fridge over the night. On the second day, cut the dough into thin slices, place on a tray dressed with baking paper, and bake at 200 degrees for 6 minutes (or until golden but not burnt). Leave the pepparkaka to cool and store in an airtight container. Pepparkaka is traditionally enjoyed on its own, but it is actually lovely with Stilton. And mulled wine, of course. In Scandinavia we always enjoy our glögg with a few blanched almonds and raisins in the bottom of the glass.
WILD MEAT WITH SVECIA, CAPERS AND PARSNIP CRISPS
Serves 4 This dish is equally fantastic made with reindeer, elk or deer Parsnips, 4 large or 6 medium-sized Mustard, 1 tbs Cold pressed oil (rapeseed or olive), 4 tbs Freshly ground black pepper and salt White vine vinegar, 1 tbs Brine from the capers jar, ½ tbs Hot smoked topside of deer or elk, thinly sliced, 200 g Capers in brine, 3 tbs Svecia, thinly slices with a peeler 120 g Flat leaf parsley, 10 sprigs Dill, 10 sprigs
Start with the parsnips. Turn on the grill in the oven. Peel the parsnips and remove the peel. Keep peeling until there is nothing left and you have a pile with thin strips. Spread these evenly on an oven tray dressed with baking paper, and leave to dry in the oven, 15-20 minutes, without oil. Turn occasionally. The parsnips are done when the strips are crisp and slightly coloured – you might need to remove thinner strips that get done quicker. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Serve by spreading the meat on a large serving plate. Add the dressing, parsnips, Svecia flakes and finally the tips of the herbs. Place it in the middle of the table and let people help themselves.
LUSSEBULLE
Lucia, celebrated on 13 December, is one of our pre-Christmas highlights. And no Lucia without Lucia buns! Makes 32 buns 50g yeast 150 g butter 500 ml full fat milk 250 g ricotta (unless you can find Swedish Kesella/Kvarg) A pinch of salt 200 g sugar 1-1.5 g saffron 1 egg 1000 g cups self-rising flour 1 egg, for brushing 1 dl raisins
Pour 850 g of the flour to a bowl and stir in the yeast. In a pan, melt the butter and add the milk, saffron, ricotta, salt and sugar. Blend while heating until 45 degrees. Mix the warm liquid with the flour and stir. Pour onto a floured surface, add one egg and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the flour a little at a time, but make sure the dough remains soft, elastic and sticky, yet coming away from the work surface. Put the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel and leave to rise until twice the size, 45-50 minutes. Again, place the dough onto floured work surface and divide into 32 equal parts. Roll each part into strings. Roll the ends into an s-shape (see photo on home page) by turning the ends in separate directions towards the centre. Place the Lucia buns on oven trays dressed with non-stick baking paper. Leave to rise another 30 minutes under tea towels. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Gently brush the buns with a beaten egg and place a raisin in each corner of the bun. Bake in the middle of the oven, 8-10 minutes. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
GRAVLAKS, SALMON CAVIAR, CITRUS DRESSING & HERBS
Jonas Karlsson is the Head Chef at the Fifth Floor Restaurant at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, London. His food is always seasonal, stylish, and often inspired by his Scandinavian heritage. Here are two of his best recipes: GRAVLAKS Salmon fillet, 1 large, trimmed and pin boned with skin on 1 bunch dill 70 g Malden sea salt 140 g Caster sugar Freshly ground black pepper VINAGRETTE Juice of 2 and zest of 1 oranges Juice from 1 lemon 1-2 tbs sugar Fine sea salt and pepper to taste 70 ml cold pressed olive oil FOR SERVING 100 g salmon Caviar, Chum variety Chervil Dill Flat parsley Chives
Cut the salmon fillet in 1/2. Roughly chop the dill and mix thoroughly in a bowl with the salt, sugar and pepper. Lay out a cling film about 4 times the width of a salmon fillet. Spread a quarter of the pickling mix over a fillet-size area on one side of the cling film. Place one fillet, skin side down, on top of the pickle mixture and cover with slightly more than half of what is left. Place the second fillet on top, skin side up, to make a sandwich. Scatter the remaining pickle mixture over the skin. Wrap up the parcel tightly, tucking the ends and edges in underneath the fish. Put the package on the tray and place a similar size tray. Weight it down, with a couple of bricks or anything else handy. Turn the package daily for at least four days, and no more than six. When done, clean and rinse the fillets, and they are ready to serve. Slice the salmon thinly and lay it out on a plate. Dress with vinagrette and salmon caviar, then top with freshly picked herbs.
ROASTED COD WITH BRAISED LENTILS, SPINACH AND SMOKED MUSSELS
1 cod fillet weighting 800-900 g 200 g Puy lentils 1 large bay leaf 1 whole clove garlic 1 carrot 200 g celeriac 500 g baby spinach 1 l chicken stock 190 g smoked mussels in oil 100 g diced butter
Skin and, if necessary, pin bone the cod. Rub the fillet with 2 tablespoons of sea salt and leave to marinade for about 20 minutes. Rinse in plenty of cold water, then pat dry and roll tight in cling film in a cylinder shape, leave to rest in fridge until is ready to cook. Rinse the lentils then bring to boil with the chicken stock, bay leaf, the whole carrot and celeriac. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until lentils are cooked. Drain the lentils keeping any stock if needed; discard bay leaf and garlic clove. Grate the carrot and celeriac then mix back into the lentils. Add butter little by little and keep warm. Cut the cod in 4 steaks, pan fry on the cut edge to golden brown, transfer to a tray and finish in the oven at 180°C for about 5 minutes. Just before serving, add the picked and washed spinach and the smoked mussels to the lentils, leave the spinach to wilt and the mussels to be warm then ready to serve with the roasted cod.
MUSSEL INSPIRATION
Want to try something new? The below can be combined to create a toast, canape, or why not use the flavours as the base for a salad, pasta dish or add them to a baked potato? If making toast, we recommend you to spread each slice, roasted or not, with natural cream cheese. Simply drain the oil from the Malmo mussels, put in a bowl and mix with either: Diced CUCUMBER, diced AVOCADO, chopped DILL THYME, LEMON, GARLIC Chopped CHILLI, GARLIC, PARSLEY Grated fresh HORSERADISH, LEMON ZEST Finely slice APPLE, chopped DILL, RED ONION FENNEL seeds, LEMON ZEST, chopped GARLIC
Alternatively, you can fry the mussels in a hot pan. After 2 minutes, carefully mix with one of the above and serve on toasts, with pasta or on a baked potato.
SMOKED MACKEREL NORDIC STYLE
Here is as promised our much appreciated mackerel sandwich filling: 2 small or 1 large fillet of smoked mackerel ½ small apple, cut into small pieces ½ small bunch fresh dill ½ red onion Zest and juice from ½ lemon A little strong mustard, French style White pepper and salt Full fat yoghurt or Crème Fraîche, to taste until preferred consistency
Mix all the above and voilà! Not just fantastic in sandwich or on toast... Why not try Nordic style fish cakes! Just mix with cold potatoes (1 per person), make into cakes and fry in a little hot rapeseed oil. Serve with some cress, topped with sunflower seeds that you have roasted a couple of minutes in a dry hot pan.
PLÄTTAR (RYE BLINIS) WITH CAVIAR
Plättar is the Scandinavian name for the Russian blini, those are slightly thinner and don’t have to be made from buckwheat flour. Makes 20-30 depending on size 2 eggs 30 g rye flour 90 g wheat flour 20 cl semi-skimmed, organic milk 2 pinches salt 20 g butter, for frying Soured cream, for serving 100 g fish roe, preferably salmon or capelin
Whisk the ingredients for the batter in a bowl. It’s best to start with half of the milk and, when lump free, add the rest. Set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a large frying pan on low heat and add to the batter. Turn up the heat and make as many round-shaped plättar as possible in one go – a tablespoon of batter makes good-sized plättar – they need 1-2 minutes each side. Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter and pile the done ones on a plate, covered with tin foil, to prevent them from going cold. Enjoy with soured cream and caviar. Or with apple compote. Or as pudding with vanilla ice-cream or berries and whipped cream...
OUR FAVOURITE WALNUT BREAD
½ cup raisins and dried apricots ½ cup linseed ½ cup walnuts ½ cup sunflower seeds 2½ cups whole meal flour (graham flour) 2 ½ cups wheat flour 2 tsp bicarbonate (of soda) 2 tsp salt ½ cup dark syrup (can be replaced with honey) 4 cups unsweetened, natural yoghurt (our preferably soured milk, can be bought in Scandinavian food stores)
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and, last, add the yoghurt. Butter a baking tray (square shaped with capacity for 2 litres) and pour sunflower seeds and/or linseeds into it. Shake the tray to make the seeds stick to the butter along all sides. Bake in a preheated oven 175°C for about 1 hour. The last 10 minutes without the tray.
SVECIA SALAD WITH A BITE
Serves 4 as a starter 8 radishes (preferably the long thin ones) 150g Svecia cheese 50g walnut halves 2 stalks celery 4 tomatoes 4 tsp cold pressed rapeseed oil 50g Maché salad leaves
Cut the radishes, celery stalks and tomatoes in thin slices, and the Svecia into small cubes. Place the vegetables and cheese in layers on plates. Put the salad leaves and walnuts on top, and finalise with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt flakes.
MUSSEL SPAGHETTI WITH APPLE AND ROASTED LENTILS
Serves 4 Spaghetti Smoked mussels, 2 jars Red chilli without seeds, ½-1 Apple, 1 small Dill, 1 small bunch chopped Mint, 1 small bunch chopped Red onion, 1 large or 2 small Puy lentils, 100g Cold pressed rapeseed oil, 1tbs Mature Präst or Svecia cheese, 100g grated
Cook the lentils 15 minutes in plenty of simmering, unsalted water. Drain and spread evenly on tray dressed with baking paper. Sprinkle with rapeseed oil, season, and place under the grill in the oven. Stir the lentils occasionally and remove after 15 minutes, or when they are cooked, yet crunchy. This far you can prepare. Bring the pasta to boil and start preparing the mussels once the spaghetti is in the water. On low heat in a large pan, fry the onion and chilli in a little of the oil from the mussel jar. Drain the rest of the oil from the mussels, chop the herbs and peel + cut the apple into small cubes. When the pasta has 2 minutes left, turn up the heat of the onion mix and add mussels, apple pieces and herbs. Season, give it a good stir and add half the amount of the cheese and roasted lentils, with a little of the boiling pasta water. Lower the heat, and mix the mussel blend with the drained pasta. Serve straight away, with the rest of the cheese and the lentils in small bowls on the side for those who want more. This dish is also nice with added fried pancetta or topped with bresaola.
THE LIGHTEST, MOST DELIGHTFUL SALMON STARTER
¼ cucumber, finely diced ½ British apple finely diced ½ shallot, finely chopped 1 handful dill, chopped A squeeze of lemon 2 tbs Greek yoghurt 4 pieces thin crispbread or flatbread (optional, the filling can also be served straight on the salmon) 4 large slices good quality smoked salmon in slices
Combine all ingredients apart from the salmon and crispbread. Place a slice of smoked salmon on top of the bread and finish with a large spoonful of the yoghurt topping. Alternatively you can skip the bread and serve the filling straight on top of the salmon. Decorate with a little dill.