Sweden has approximately 24,000 islands from Arholma in the north to Landsort in the south, which make up the archipelago. On a beautiful, warm sunny June day, Edward and I, along with a group of friends, took a ferry ride to the island of Grinda. This beautiful, small and charming island has a small hotel and conference center, the Grinda Wärdshus Hotell & Konferens, www.grindawardshus.se, which also has an award-winning restaurant, called Restaurangen. The owners, Jan Pfister and Annika Hanson, graciously obtained 3 of Chef  Lars Sunekvist’s special recipes for Luxury Experience.

Pan-fried Cured Salmon with a Salad of Cucumber, Radish, Mustard and Dill

Serves 4
400      grams              filet of salmon
100      grams              sugar
500      grams              salt
dill stalks, coarsely chopped
1          tablespoon      sweet mustard
½         tablespoon      Dijon mustard
½         tablespoon      honey
½         tablespoon      sugar
½         tablespoon      white vinegar
⅔– 1    deci-liter          grapeseed oil
4                                sprigs of dill, finely chopped
2          inches             cucumber, diced
6                                radishes, quartered
4                                leaves of Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped

Curing the Salmon:
Mix the sugar and the salt, and then rub the salmon with it. Put it in a plastic bag with the dill stalks and leave it at room temperature until the sugar/salt dissolves. Refrigerate it overnight, turning it over once.

The mustard sauce:
Mix the mustards, honey, sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in the oil slowly and then add the chopped dill.

Serving:
Mix the cucumber, radishes and Romaine lettuce with a few tablespoons of the mustard sauce and divide among 4 plates. Cut the salmon into 4 equal pieces and pat dry. Sear it in a hot pan on one side and serve it immediately with the salad.

Catfish with Egg and “Matjes” Potatoes, Browned Butter and Horseradish

Serves 4
4          grams              potatoes, boiled and peeled
3                                 hard-boiled eggs
50        grams             Swedish “Matjes” herring, sliced
1          teaspoon         chives
1          teaspoon         dill
2          tablespoons     unsalted butter
6          tablespoons     butter, browned in a very hot pan
4          tablespoons     freshly grated horseradish
1                                 lemon, quartered
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Method:
Season and fry the catfish in a pan. Gently mix the potatoes with herring, eggs, herbs and unsalted butter.

Serving:
Place 1 portion of the fish, together with the warm potato mixture, horseradish and the hot browned butter on each of the 4 plates. Garnish each plate with a lemon quarter.

Wild Strawberry Pannacotta with a Consommé of Rhubarb

Serves 4
2          deci-liters       wild strawberry purée
2          deci-liters       double cream
68        grams            sugar
½         sheets           gelatin, soaked in cold water
1          stalk              rhubarb, chopped
4          deci-liters       water
100      grams            sugar
½         deci-liters       dry white wine

Cooking Method:
Bring the cream and sugar to boil and remove from the stove. Stir in the gelatin at once, and mix with purée. Pour into 4 cups and refrigerate until the mixture sets.

Slowly boil the rhubarb with the water, wine and sugar for 15 minutes, and then let it rest for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Let it cool completely.

Serving:
Dip the cups in boiling water and turn the pannacotta onto 4 deep plates. Serve with the rhubarb consommé.

Tank så mycket (thank you so much) to Chef Lars Sunekvist for sharing his recipes with Luxury Experience.

For more articles on Sweden, please read our articles in Destinations – Kalmar and the Glass District and Stockholm, Hotels & Resorts, Chefs’ Recipes and Music Scene.

For more information on Stockholm and Sweden, please visit: www.stockholmtown.com and www.visit-sweden.com.

©November 2004. Luxury Experience. www.luxuryexperience.com All rights reserved.