THE PLATE OUTDOORS
Autumn was made for outdoors cooking, with friends gathering around the fire eating delicious treats made over the open flames, writes Niklas Ekstedt in ‘Food From The Fire: The Scandinavian Flavours Of Open-Fire Cooking’
Adding his own touch to the Nordic food scene, Niklas Ekstedt cooks in his analogue kitchen, as he calls it – otherwise known as an open fire pit and offers up original and flavoursome recipes to be cooked and enjoyed outside.
Ekstedt took his inspiration from the island of Ingaro in the Stockholm archipelago, after spending the summer of 2011 there with his young family. Hours of staring at the forest turned into a realisation that it was right in front of him – outdoor cooking, which was once the core of Swedish cuisine.
Doughnuts with ember-baked apples and mayple syrup
This is my one of my favourites when spending time with friends and family at a picnic. Bake the apples in the embers while you cook your lunch – or grill the hotdogs – over the fire. If you don’t have a cast-iron doughnut pan, you could cook this batter as a thick pancake in a cast-iron frying pan.
Serves 4
4–8 apples 8 tsp maple syrup
Doughnuts
5 eggs 250g caster (superfine) sugar 600g plain (all-purpose) flour 5 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 225ml double cream 225ml 1 cup milk 225g butter, melted 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Wrap the apples in foil and place them in the embers of your fire (or the oven, preheated to 180°C/350°F/gas 4) for 30–40 minutes. Press a small knife into the centre of one apple to make sure it is cooked and soft. To make the doughnuts, beat the eggs and 225g of the sugar together until pale and creamy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in the cream, milk and half of the melted butter. Mix the remaining sugar with the cinnamon and set aside.
Heat a cast-iron doughnut pan over medium heat and add the remaining butter; it will sizzle and brown. Pipe or spoon the doughnut batter into the pan, filling the moulds half way, and cook over medium–high heat for 3–4 minutes, then turn each doughnut over in its mould and continue cooking until browned all over. Tip the doughnuts out of the pan and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Serve with maple syrup and the ember-baked apples.
Hotdogs with toppings
A great idea for a picnic. Give your friends a selection of toppings to eat with traditional grilled hotdogs. Serves 4
4 frankfurter sausages 4 hotdog rolls, sliced in half creamy potato and caper salad prawn salad, sprinkled with 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (see below) sautéed mushrooms (see below) 2 tsp chopped fresh chives pink pickled onions (see below)
Creamy potato and caper salad
225g/8oz cold cooked potatoes 3 tbsp mayonnaise 30g/1oz capers 1 tsp red wine vinegar
To make the potato and caper salad: cut the potatoes into roughly 1cm/½in cubes. Place in a serving bowl and fold in the mayonnaise, capers and vinegar. Chill until ready to serve. Make the prawn salad and chill until ready to serve, then sprinkle with parsley. The mushrooms can be cleaned up to an hour in advance. Cook them in a cast-iron pan – over the picnic fire, if you like – just before serving, and sprinkle with chives. Grill the sausages over an open fire. Serve in the rolls, with the toppings on the side for everyone to help themselves.
Skagenprawn salad
Toast skagen, or skagenröra, refers to the northern Danish town of Skagen. The dish was invented by the Swedish chef, Tore Wretman, in the mid-1950s, on a sailing trip along the Danish coast. Today, it is one of the most popular dishes in resaturants along the Swedish coast.
280g/10oz cooked peeled prawns 85g/3oz/6 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tsp freshly grated horseradish
Pat the prawns dry on paper towels and chop roughly. Fold in the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Serve with freshly grated horseradish.
Sautéed mushrooms
Soaking the mushrooms in water for 5–10 minutes will clean them and will also prevent the mushrooms from absorbing more fat than necessary when sautéing them.
900g/2lb mixed mushrooms, such as chanterelles, porcini, portobello 4 tsp vegetable oil 1 shallot, sliced 2 tsp fennel seeds 225ml/8fl oz/scant 1 cup dry white wine 120ml/4fl oz/½ cup dry sherry 2 tsp salt 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp chopped fresh chives
Put the mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Carefully lift the mushrooms out of the water, leaving any dirt at the bottom of the bowl, and drain on paper towels. Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the shallot and fennel seeds, and sauté for a further 3 minutes. Add the wine, sherry and salt. Bring to the boil and cook over high heat until all the liquid has evaporated.
Pink pickled onions
1 red onion, sliced 90ml/3fl oz/6 tbsp pickling liquid 1-2-3 (see below), cooled Combine the red onion and pickling liquid. Cover and store in a cold place for 4 hours.
Picking liquid 1-2-3
A Swedish feast cannot be without pickles. Pickling was historically an important way to preserve the harvest before the winter in Sweden. Ättika is a strong Swedish white (clear) vinegar that is traditionally used for preserving. 1-2-3 refers to the proportions of vinegar, sugar and water, and this recipe is the basis for many pickled vegetables and fish.
In many countries the white distilled vinegar used for pickling is less concentrated (5–8%); if using this type of vinegar, the proportions of the recipe change to 2-2-2 – in other words, use more vinegar and less water.
Makes approx. 2.5 litres
450ml 10–12% ättika (Swedish white vinegar) 900g cups sugar 1.4 litres water 1 tsp black peppercorns 3 bay leaves
Combine all the ingredients in a large pan and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Recipes form Food From The Fire: The Scandinavian Flavours Of Open-Fire Cooking, Niklas Ekstedt. Published by Pavilion, photography by Haarala Hamilton, £25