For someone who’s never been to Sweden, I sure do write a lot about Swedish food. After my recent discovery of Fabrique, a Swedish bakery that sells the most delicious cinnamon buns, I wanted to know what more the Swedish kitchen had to offer.
Lucky for me, my friend Gina of Sweet Serenity invited me to join her for a Try Swedish cooking masterclass hosted by TV chef Gizzi Erskine. As soon as we stepped into Aveqia, we were not in London anymore, but had magically arrived in Sweden. Including handsome Swedish men offering us drinks and small bites to welcome us (I was already starting to love Sweden at this point). And not just any drink…No, a ‘Snälleröds Jungfrun cocktail with coriander and cucumber’ served with ice from ICEHOTEL. And a toast of reindeer with Kalix bleak roe, quail egg and horseradish. One word: yum!
Because Sweden is such a large country, the variety of food is enormous with every region having its own specialities. For this masterclass we were going to cook a ‘compass menu’, exploring the best food that Sweden has to offer. With a little guidance from some of Sweden’s top chefs who’d come to London just for this occasion.
As usual I was more occupied with taking photos than actually cooking, but I did my share of preparing the ‘west coast tartar’ (langoustines, oysters, mussels and apple).
The entire menu was so delicious. And with every dish they served a special Swedish beer, wine or port. I can never get enough of the cheese and port combination, and I especially loved this port wine from Hällåkra vineyard in Skåne.
The pastries at Fabrique already got me excited about visiting Sweden, but after this masterclass I can’t wait to see for myself what this country has to offer.
