Tag: ostermalms

January 16, 2020

2019 – the Food Stuff

There’s a weekend to be planned here – nothing that couldn’t be achieved with the services of a private jet, and perhaps a bit of time travel.

You could have breakfast in Paris, take a coffee in Stockholm, then lunch on Torcello, or Borough Market in London if you prefer.

Dinner? Back to Paris, on to Amsterdam? Or (my choice) Stockholm again for a magnificent steak.

I’ll let you take in an hour’s TV to recover, then if you still have the stamina, we’ll head over to Venice for a nightcap.

Best Breakfast of 2019?

It has to be The French Bastards, for ‘A croissant worth crossing Paris for’

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kj

Best croissant in Paris?

Mid morning coffee

A seriously good cup of coffee is one of life’s great pleasures for me, and they don’t get much better than at Robert’s Coffee, in the Saluhall market, Stockholm.

The cinnamon buns are a bonus. (They take cards only, not cash, so you won’t even have to bother buying kronor).

Fika at Robert’s Coffee, Stockholm

What have the Swedes ever done for us?

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Cv

Lunch in the Lagoon….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo on the island of Torcello; all the better for being unexpected.

Torcello is about an hour from Venice; you can reach it on a scheduled service, changing at Burano, using your vaporetto pass.

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo, Torcello

The ancient basilica on Torcello predates the city of Venice. To reach it from the quay, you walk along the side of a canal. The most famous restaurant on the island is the Locanda Cipriani nearby, but you pass three others on the way.

We weren’t looking for a grand lunch, but something to fortify us for the basilica.

The first place looked fun, but was packed with families queuing for pizza.

The second was a fairly standard Trattoria. We walked on.

The third had a big dining room with a covered terrace at the back, opening onto a garden. The menu looked as if we could find something suitable, so we went in and were greeted with smiles and shown to a table.

It was a good decision, even the bread basket was exceptional. We had a pretty antipasto of colourful steamed vegetables, all tasting intensely of themselves, served warm to bring out the fruitiness of the olive oil dressing.

Then black squid ink pasta, with crab, samphire and rosemary; orecchiette with turbot and cherry tomatoes.

We drank Arneis, a white from Piemonte.

After lunch we wandered round the garden and may have dropped off on a bench in the pergola. Just for a moment….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo is open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday, and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Contatti

….and at Borough Market

Closer to home but equally unexpected was discovering the new Brindisa Kitchen at Borough Market. It’s inspired by the bars in Spanish markets.

I saw it had opened the day before I’d arranged to meet a friend for a day of shopping and sustenance (Instagram has its uses).

A perfect scallop

A glass of Manzanilla with a single perfect scallop.

Hake & mussels.

I love watching chefs happy in their work, interacting with their customers, and the bar staff were charming.

The head chef, Brindisa Kitchen

Hake & mussels

https://boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/brindisa-kitchen

Dinner?

Honourable mention for the Sweetbreads at Frenchie’s Wine Bar, Paris.

So good, I ate them twice.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

‘Everything, I want to eat everything’

Caffé Toscanini in Amsterdam for the whole experience of food and hospitality; a perfect aperitif followed by an accomplished Italian meal, delivered with good humour and expertise.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

The bar at Caffe Toscanini, Amserdam

The prize goes to A.G. for the best steak of 2019. I’ll be lucky to find one as good in 2020.

Most of the tables were occupied by groups of men sharing massive steaks.

There were also a few couples on date nights, sharing massive steaks.

‘Vegetarians, look away now’.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Oh

A.G. – ‘vegetarians, look away now’

TV Show: Remarkable places to eat, Episode 1, in which chef Angela Hartnett takes Maitre d’ Fred Siriex to her favourites in Venice.

It’s a full hour of television, so they have time to show you the dedication and hard work that goes into delivering the best ingredients and food experiences in the city. These are not cynical tourist traps. Nothing is done without effort: wading chest deep in the lagoon to harvest seafood; delivering vegetables by boat and trolley to Bruno Gavagnin, the quietly spoken but demanding chef at Alle Testiere; walking half a kilometre over bridges carrying boxes of perfect patisserie to Caffe Florian, from their production kitchen to Piazza San Marco – several times throughout the day.

At the time of writing it’s not available on BBC iPlayer, but it’s sure to turn up on your TV sooner or later.

Here are the fishermen:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006vw3

Here’s a clip:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07g3dkl

FANCY A NIGHTCAP?

Let’s head back to Venice, for a glass of wine at Vino Vero.

You’ll find it here, on my page ‘And to drink?’

https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

October 9, 2019

Lisa Elmqvist – the legacy of the fisherman’s daughter

Östermalms Saluhall for lunch and dinner

The renovation of the market building, Östermalms Saluhall, started 3 years ago. Work is running late, and it’s now expected to re-open in 2020. In the meantime the market is located in a temporary structure across the street.

Saluhall is emerging from the scaffolding

We’d booked for dinner at Lisa Elmqvist on Saturday, but couldn’t resist lunch at Nybroe Smørrebrød.

Lunch at Nybroe Smorrebrod

They offer a daily selection of three open sandwiches, usually fish, meat and cheese – a three course lunch on one plate. Today it was Skagen Salad (prawns in dill mayonnaise); roast meat with mushrooms, sun dried tomato, tarragon mayo; Brie, chutney, pear & thyme.

The meat was quite dark, and I asked the waitress if it was venison.

‘It’s roast beef, but I don’t know which animal’.

A light three course lunch

Dinner at Lisa Elmqvist

Lisa Elmqvist was a fisherman’s daughter who traded fish and seafood on the Stockholm waterfront in the 1920s. She quickly gained a reputation for the quality of her wares, and opened a stall at Östermalms Saluhall which continues to attract a loyal clientele of seafood lovers.

Run by the fourth generation, it’s still very much a family concern, proudly bearing a royal warrant, and a dozen recommendations in the Michelin Guide.

A very charming waitress crouched next to the table to explain the menu, in perfect English, and take our order.

The kitchen at Lisa Elmqvist

Laxtartar: cured and fresh salmon tartar with Dijon mustard, shallot, pickled cucumber noodles, trout roe and potato crisps.

Six Special Fine de Claire oysters.

Pike Perch (Zander), mushroom and cream sauce.

Butter-fried lemon sole with beetroot.

(The inevitable happened, and our waitress very kindly brought sparkling water to dab the beetroot juice that had landed on my new linen shirt).

Lemon Sole

Playlist: Philadelphia soul, George Benson, Bill Withers. Sade. Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, The Staple Singers.

Mercifully, it seems to be an Abba-free zone.

https://www.lisaelmqvist.se/sv

Stürehof

Dinner at Stürehof had been a highlight of our trip in January, and we returned for lunch on our last day. This time we were able to sit outside.

The crab was outstanding, and so was the people-watching.

The crab at Sturehof

https://sturehof.com/en/

October 9, 2019

“Vegetarians, look away now”

Our taxi driver was puzzled.

A neon light outside gave the only clue to finding the restaurant.

You go down spiral concrete stairs with tiled walls, then two or three flights up.

It felt like going into a 1970s multistorey car park, or the entrance to a speakeasy.

‘Going down’

At the top of the stairs, we could hear noise from the bar to the left; we turned right towards the restaurant reception desk, next to glass cabinets where sides of beef were hanging, and an impressive collection of wine.

We’d found the right place.

“Hej! Välkommen!

Welcome to A. G.”

With this greeting from the Maitre D’, we knew we were in safe hands.

The chef was in evidence, taking calls.

Hands on chef

Once we were seated, good sourdough toast, striped from the griddle, quickly arrived at the table, along with irresistible whipped lard and rosemary (like rillettes, but the proportions of fat and meat are reversed)

Most of the tables were occupied by groups of men sharing massive steaks.

There were also a few couples on date nights, sharing massive steaks.

They were young, prosperous diners on the whole, mostly dressed in Swedish black, and with kronor to spare.

Carnivores bonding

The menu is varied, but as you’ve probably gathered by now, the steak is the thing. The different cuts are described in detail, with the breed, country of origin, and length of ageing.

Entrecote on the bone for two is a rib eye of Swedish beef, dry-aged in the restaurant’s meat room; they recommend it be served medium rare. It’s a massive steak.

We ordered one each (just kidding).

“Medium rare” was right for this cut; dry ageing takes moisture out of the meat, so it’s deep red, but not bloody. Cost was about £70 for two, for probably the finest piece of meat we’ll eat this year; they serve it with baked potatoes, Béarnaise and salad.

Dry-aged Entrecote of Swedish beef

Service is relaxed and confident: ‘You’ve eaten the best meat in Sweden’

The style is quirky; paper table covers, mismatched silver cutlery and coffee pots. The wine list is serious, as indicated by a full magnum decanter waiting at a serving point, beside two empty bottles of Tignanello Super Tuscan.

Playlist: we couldn’t hear it over the sound of Alpha Males bonding, bouncing off the white tiled walls.

Dinner came to £195 for two, including a bottle of Provence rosé and a couple of glasses of excellent Tuscan red (Mazzei).

As we were leaving, we heard the noise at the top of the stairs again, and were tempted to seek more fun. It was the ‘Tapas Bar’, Spanish, Italian…. ‘very New York’.

The tapas bar at A.G.

We decided to stay for one more drink.

We were the oldest people there.

http://www.restaurangag.se/ag/

Footnote:

Smart restaurants in Stockholm tend to follow the American custom of colour-coded uniforms for staff.

The floor managers at A.G. were wearing cotton overshirts the colour of the steaks. Let’s call it Oxblood.

The fabric and relaxed cut looked familiar, and on closer inspection, I realised I had bought the identical shirt on the previous visit to Stockholm, at a shop called A Day’s March.

‘Helps you through the triumphs and troubles of everyday life with style and dignity’

I was glad I hadn’t worn it tonight.

A Swedish menswear label founded in 2014, A Day’s March is the distance an army can march in a day (obviously) and ‘helps you through the triumphs and troubles of everyday life with style and dignity’. I’m all for that.

A Day’s March have stores in Stockholm, Copenhagen and London.

https://adaysmarch.co.uk

March 29, 2019

A “Totally Swedish” moment

Putting together a simple Smörgåsbord

I’ve been writing about the Nordic food adventures I had in January while on a brief weekend in Stockholm, and since then I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen.

Quantities and measurements needn’t be too precise, these are as much processes as recipes; proportions are important but not inflexible. If you’re looking for exact recipes, read to the end of this post.*

For the gravlax, use enough pickling mixture to “bury” the fish completely. (“Gravlax” derives from the Swedish for “buried salmon”).

It’s worth buying a good big bunch of dill from a greengrocer, it will be enough for the gravlax and the skagen salad. A sprig from the supermarket just won’t be big enough.

Skagen, Gravlax, Caviar & Cucumber

Skagen salad

The Stockholm weekend introduced me to this simple salad, also called Skagenröra. The Swedish prawns seemed smaller than the ones you typically find here, but not as small as those little brown Dutch shrimps you can find here in punnets. I buy the smallest peeled Greenland prawns from my fishmonger and cut them into two or even three pieces. It’s worth the trouble, they’re more enjoyable to eat if you can scoop them onto your toast with a fork. In Sweden they’re often served with orange or black fish roe and crisp slices of white bread fried in butter on the side.

Combine them with good quality mayonnaise (commercially made is fine – life’s too short….) and a generous handful of chopped dill. Don’t overload the prawns with mayo. I like to incorporate a dab of good Dijon mustard into the mix, or you might prefer horseradish.

Skagen Salad

Gravlax

The name ‘Gravlax’ derives from the Swedish for “buried salmon”.

Take a thick piece of fresh salmon fillet. Combine an equal quantity of salt flakes and sugar with plenty of chopped dill and a pinch of white or black pepper. (I recently used 250g (12oz) fish, which needed 1.5 tablespoons each of salt and sugar. Increasing the proportion of sugar is supposed to give a creamier texture).

Lay the fish skin-side down in a non-reactive dish. “Bury” the fish in the dry mixture, cover with clingfilm, then place a weight (e.g. tins) to press it down, and refrigerate for two days to extract moisture. The pressure results in a firmer gravlax.

After two days drain the liquid, rinse off the marinade with cold water, and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Cover and leave for two more days to complete the curing, after which it will keep for several days in the fridge. Cut slices off the skin as needed; thinly at an angle, or thicker slices vertically if you prefer.

“Chalk stream trout” has recently appeared on restaurant menus, and in fishmongers. It’s farmed in Hampshire close to the River Test. It’s lean and mild with a striking colour, and makes a good gravlax.

The Swedish name for trout is “Öring“, so this version should probably be called gravdöring.

Salmon, salt, sugar, dill; it’s that simple.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers

I used to peel and de-seed the cucumbers, but they quickly lost texture in the pickling liquor. I recently discovered small Lebanese cucumbers in my local greengrocers which stay crunchy and sweet.

Bring a tablespoon each of sugar and salt to the boil with enough vinegar and water to fill your jar, and allow to cool. I like to use cider vinegar to make pickles, it’s less assertive than other vinegars.

Put your sliced cucumbers into the clean jar and cover them with the liquid. Infuse with aromatics if you wish: a sprig of dill and a few mustard seeds perhaps.

The pickles are ready to eat the same day, any left over will keep a few days in the fridge. Your guests will love them.

Quick pickled cucumbers

Rye Bread

I’ve recently discovered a Carrot and Rye loaf at Ole & Steen, a Danish bakery and coffee chain in London and Oxford. It’s light and moist, it keeps for several days, and it’s the perfect vehicle for open sandwiches. Ask them to slice it on setting No 10, which is the thickest they can do.

If you’re not within reach of a branch of Ole & Steen, look for a light rye bread, pumpernickel, or wholemeal at a pinch.

https://oleandsteen.co.uk/pages/our-bakeries

Carrot & rye bread, home-cured trout “gravdoring”‘

Pickled Herring

(Disclosure: I have yet to try making my own).

Swedish pickled herrings are usually small pieces of tender fillet in a mild pickling liquid. If you like something with a more vinegary punch, this version from Norfolk should suit you.

Accompany with Akvavit, and singing; optional, or obligatory if you’re Swedish.

https://cleysmokehouse.com/

Norfolk Pickled Herring

Totally Swedish

Black or red “Caviar” is easy enough to find, but for more specialist Swedish products, Totally Swedish can provide them in their two London shops, or on line.

(It can’t be a coincidence that The Swedish School in London, founded 1907, is also located in Barnes).

Totally Swedish

32 Crawford Street, London W1H 1LS 020 7224 9300
66 Barnes High Street, London SW13 9LD 020 8487 2882

shop@totallyswedish.com

https://www.totallyswedish.com/en

*The Nordic Cookbook

If you’re tempted to ‘try this at home’, the definitive source of recipes is the 767 pages of The Nordic Cookbook by Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson. It’s a fascinating insight into the food and culture of the Nordic countries, illustrated with beautiful photographs by the author.

He might even tempt you try an Icelandic tradition – trout, cold-smoked over burning sheep’s dung.

https://uk.phaidon.com/store/food-cook/the-nordic-cookbook-9780714868721/

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January 24, 2019

Swedish food, Part One: “what have the Swedes ever done for us?”

In her Reith Lecture in 2018, Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan said this about the Swedish people:

“Think of the Swedes”

“I mean we think of the Swedes now today as making
expeditions to Ikea, assembling furniture quietly, not getting cross at it. We
think of them going to the woods and picking berries. I mean they are a peaceful people.

If you lived in the 17th century, you would not want a Swedish army anywhere near you. They were notorious…. they were known throughout the Thirty Years’ War as some of the most vicious and dangerous soldiers around”.

So, besides rape and pillage – “What have the Swedes ever done for us?”

IKEA. The safety match. Björn Borg.

Electrolux, Ericsson, Hasselblad cameras, H & M, Saab, Skagen salad, Spotify, Volvo.

Abba….

Add food to that list:

Gravlax, Meatballs, Lingonberries, Fika, and what seems like….

A Hundred Ways with Herring *

So what better place to start a search for Swedish food in Stockholm than a city market?

The handsome 19th century Östermalms Market Hall is undergoing extensive renovation, and activity has been rehoused in a temporary structure opposite.

It was late morning, and the traders seemed less busy than I expected, but I realised they were using their time well. As well as retail, most businesses have an on-site restaurant or takeaway offer, so the staff were calmly working as they prepared for the lunchtime rush.

All markets are best explored after coffee. Fika is the Swedish custom of lingering over coffee with something to eat, usually sweet; Robert’s Coffee fitted the bill perfectly.

FIKA – Cortado with buns; cinnamon and cardamom

Robert’s Coffee

Everything in the market is immaculately presented.

King Crab legs, with whole lobsters for scale

Japanese Wagyu Beef

You can have a sociable meal….

Tysta Mari for seafood

….or a quiet business lunch.

Do Not Disturb

A word of caution: many retail outlets in Stockholm do not accept cash. Take cards, not Kronor!

Tysta Mari in the market provided a splendid lunch – and they take cash!

A typical open sandwich

An open sandwich: avocado, prawns & mild pickled onions on rye bread.

“Fisksoppen” with Aioli

“Fisksoppen” was a wonderful soup – the broth spicy with cardamom, chunks of fish and whole plum tomatoes swimming beneath a shoal of prawns, all pulled together by a rich, garlicky Aoli.

ÖSTERMALMS SALUHALL

Östermalmstorg, 114 39 Stockholm

https://www.ostermalmshallen.se/

Monday – Friday 9.30 – 19.00, Saturday 9.30 – 17.00

But I still hadn’t eaten Gravlax, Herring, Skagen or Meatballs.

I would have to take to the water!

* for more tips on Swedish cuisine, look no further than The Nordic Cook Book, where chef Magnus Nilsson helpfully and definitively describes how to deal with such delicacies as guillemot, reindeer heart, moose, pilot whale and puffin.

https://uk.phaidon.com/store/food-cook/the-nordic-cookbook-9780714868721/

Nordic Fusion in Gamla Stan, the old city centre

January 17, 2019

A taste for Nordic Noir in Stockholm

I’ve read the novels of Henning Mankell; on TV I’ve seen both the Swedish version, and Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of the world-weary detective Kurt Wallander. (Perhaps he was just weary of the insistent ringtone on his mobile that goes off at the most inopportune moments).

Stockholm: cold, dark and deep water?

I was an avid follower of ‘Arne Dahl’ on BBC 4, with its mature female chief leading an elite squad of detectives, facing the problems of investigating crime in contemporary Stockholm.

I came late to ‘The Bridge’, I missed ‘The Killing’, and Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series was a step too far into the dark for me, but they all reinforced my prejudice that Stockholm might not be a safe place to wander in at night.

Night scene, Stockholm, with vulnerable pedestrian

I arrived in the city for the first time with a guilty thrill of anticipation that at some point over the coming weekend I might hear of the discovery of a corpse, brutally murdered and horribly mutilated, in a dark corner somewhere near the hotel.

“The woman was walking her terrier, Garbo, in the park behind the National Library of Sweden. So as not to lose her dog in the dark, she had attached a flashing blue light to its collar. As she let the dog run free, the woman wondered why it was scrabbling in the undergrowth, under the light dusting of snow…..”

No. I couldn’t unleash my inner Wallander.

All I can report is that the Swedes wear a lot of black.

Quilted coats, black suits, leggings, stout boots, that sort of thing.

A mysterious man in black, posing as a shopper, but what was in his bag?

There’s a custom called Fika, which roughly translates as sharing time with a friend over a sweet pastry and a coffee, which is usually strong and…. black.

But then, on day two, I saw this:

“No! Don’t go with her…..” (not in that coat)

A man in a red plaid coat, carefully coordinated with yellow trousers and gloves; clearly a foreigner. Picked up on CCTV, the Swedish police might surmise he was being lured to his death by a Swedish woman in a black coat and boots. How could they possibly find her?

It was a race against time. Eager to help, and with a cover story of exploring Nordic food, for the rest of the weekend I was surreptitiously on the lookout for suspects.