Chef Fredrik Björlin of Vassa Eggen Restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden gets ready for the 2008 International Culinary Olympics and shares his vision and recipes for a creative 3-course menu.
While I was in Stockholm in May 2008, I had a wonderful dinner at the attractive Vassa Eggen Restaurant where I met with Chef Fredrik Björlin to learn more about this interesting chef. For starters, he grew up appreciating good food, and although his mother is a teacher, and his father works in a bank, they both like to cook and passed their culinary passion on to their son. He has been at Vassa Eggen Restaurant for 8 years now, beginning as a student, and has worked at all of the stations honing his skills.
When I asked him about culinary trends in Stockholm, he replied that it is more of a lifestyle now, with an emphasis on ecological, smaller farms producing meats, vegetables, and produce. Stockholm (population +1.9 million) is booming with new restaurants and he described the restaurant scene as having many restaurants and few "eaters", but there is a good brotherhood of chefs here.
When not working at Vassa Eggen Restaurant, his spends time with his girlfriend, snowboarding in the winter, and preparing with the Swedish Culinary Team for the 2008 International Culinary Olympics that will be held in Erfurt, Germany from October 19 – 22, 2008. The team consists of 13 chefs who have worked together for the last 3 years. No stranger to the competition, Chef Fredrik Björlin competed as a Junior in the last Culinary Olympics held in 2004. Luxury Experience Magazine wishes Chef Fredrik Björlin and the team much success at the 2008 International Culinary Olympics.
As for the menu at Vassa Eggen Restaurant, I look forward to returning to Stockholm and sampling more of Chef Björlin’s creative recipes. His 3-course menu provides an insight into his culinary vision.
The Menu
Pâté of Duck with Acacia Honey
Chicken with Onions and Polenta Crème
Chocolate Mousse with Sorbet of Mandarin
Pâté of Duck with Acacia Honey
Pâté of Duck Ingredients:
|
600 |
Grams (1.3 pounds) |
Duck breast, coarsely ground |
|
250 |
Grams (8.8 ounces) |
Fat |
|
150 |
Grams (5.3 ounces) |
Calves liver |
|
1 |
|
Egg |
|
100 |
Grams (3.5 ounces) |
Boiled onions, finely chopped |
|
2 |
|
Duck legs confit, veins removed |
|
50 |
Grams (1.7 ounces) |
Diced duck liver |
Method: Mix all ingredients with salt and white pepper to a smooth mince. It is important to keep everything well chilled. Season with cognac and port wine. Bake in a bread pan at 85 °C (185 °F) until inner temperature reaches 75 °C (167 °F). Let rest overnight to settle.
Honey Jelly Ingredients:
|
500 |
Grams (17.6 ounces) |
Water |
|
50 |
Grams (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) |
Honey |
|
6 |
Grams (1 teaspoon) |
Agar Agar |
Method: Boil all ingredients and adjust with vinegar. Spread into thin sheets on baking trays. Serve with croutons of dark rye bread, fresh plums, and a little plum chutney and salad.
Chicken with Onions and Polenta Crème
Chicken with Onions and Polenta Crème Ingredients:
|
4 |
|
Spring Chickens |
|
4 |
|
Onions, coarsely chopped |
|
50 |
Grams (1.7 ounces) |
Butter |
|
2 |
|
Garlic cloves, chopped |
|
50 |
Grams (1.7 ounces) |
Polenta |
|
|
|
Milk, Cream, Salt |
Method: Sauté onions and garlic in butter until clear, add polenta and cover with milk and cream. Gently simmer over low heat and mix to a smooth cream. De-bone chicken and make a dark stock of the remains. Reduce to a sauce and season with vinegar and salt. Sear chicken quickly in a frying pan and bake in the oven until done.
Vegetables Ingredients:
|
|
|
Diced Celery |
|
|
|
Tomato Concassé (diced) |
|
|
|
Boiled White Beans |
|
|
|
Diced Zucchini |
Method: Blanch celery and zucchini quickly. Just before serving, heat all vegetables in olive oil and season with salt.
Chocolate Mousse with Sorbet of Mandarin
Chocolate Mousse Ingredients:
|
1 |
|
Egg |
|
140 |
Grams (4.9 ounces) |
Egg Yolk |
|
180 |
Grams (6.3 ounces) |
Sugar Syrup (50/50) |
|
350 |
Grams (12.4 ounces) |
Melted Dark Chocolate |
|
700 |
Grams (24.7 ounces) |
Lightly Whipped Cream |
Method: Beat egg, yolk, and sugar syrup in a Bain Marie until it reaches 86 °C (187 °F). Then beat with an electric mixer until it reaches room temperature. Fold in some of the cream into the chocolate. Mix the chocolate and the egg, and then fold in the cream. Fill cylinders with the chocolate mousse.
Sorbet of Mandarin Ingredients:
|
1000 |
Grams (35.3 ounces) |
Mandarin juice |
|
250 |
Grams (8.8 ounces) |
Sugar |
|
185 |
Grams 6.5 ounces) |
Glucose |
|
2 |
|
Gelatin Leaves, soaked |
|
4 |
Cl (1.4 ounces) |
Vodka |
|
4 |
Cl (1.4 ounces) |
Orange Liqueur |
Method: Mix all ingredients and heat gently in a saucepan until sugar and gelatin are dissolved. Cool and process in an ice-cream machine.
Lemon Foam Ingredients:
|
2 |
Dl (6.8 ounces) |
Milk |
|
½ |
|
Vanilla Pod |
|
|
|
Lemon Zest |
|
|
|
Some Sugar |
Method: Heat gently to 60 °C (140 °F), let rest for 10 minutes, and then strain it. Foam with stick blender at serving time.
Mandarin Ingredients:
|
|
|
Fillets of Mandarin |
|
½ |
|
Orange Bliss (or other orange liqueur) |
|
|
|
Sugar Syrup |
Method: Mix ingredients and let rest to marinate. At serving time, pipe sorbet onto a frozen tray and cut into cylinders. Keep in mind that the chocolate mousse is to be served at room temperature.
Read other articles on Vassa Eggen in the Restaurants and Destinations sections, and also in Swedish in Chefs’ Recipes section.
Vassa Eggen Restaurant
Birger Jarlsgatan 29
10395 Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: +46 821-6169
Fax: +46 820-3446
Email: info@vassaeggen.com
www.VassaEggen.com
Read other articles on Stockholm in the Destinations, Restaurants, and Chefs’ Recipes sections.
Read other articles on Sweden in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Chefs’ Recipes, Gastronomy, and Travel News sections.
For information on Sweden, please visit the website: www.VisitSweden.com. For information on SAS Airlines, please visit the website: www.Flysas.com.
© July 2008. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.
