This is Why They Invented the Blood Eagle





Wednesday 27/4/2005

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Diary and Notes

One of the benefits of writing this blog is that people give me things - food things. Every manner of strange and odd tasty morsels from around the globe are offered to me by my numerous friends and acquaintances to try. Often just little morsels, sometimes ingredients, but today I was given an entire meal - well sort of.

My friend Oskar (who I may have mentioned previously) is Swedish and went home to Sweden recently. Oskar knows that I am willing to eat just about anything (and drink as well of course) so brought me some delicacies from his homeland so that I may taste, decide and pass judgement - for I truly am the arbiter of all things. Oskar and I have previously discussed Scandinavian food and I've generally been quite rude about such 'delights' as ludefisk, gjetost and sotsuppe - all of which I've tried and judged evil.

So what did Oskar bring me?

First and foremost - booze. Ten miniature bottles of Swedish aqua vit of various flavours. I am quite a fan of schnapps and aqua vit, so this pleased me a great deal.

The other things were a little more unexpected: A giant black pudding (blodpudding) and a jar of jam.

I had no idea black pudding was eaten in Scandinavia and having discussed it with Oskar, he had no idea black pudding was eaten in Britain (possibly because the people of Exeter don't eat it - the fools).

So it's Swedish dinner day. Apparently the jam (lingon berry) is eaten with the black pudding and that's what I did. I also bought some rollmops, made that famous Swedish delicacy hasselback potatoes and also had some traditional Swedish style salad things on the side.

Fantastic!

I don't know if it was the booze (I drank four mini bottles) but the food was delicious. The black pudding was smoother in texture and less crumbly than British black pudding and above all was flavoured with loads of cardamon. As I fried the giant half moon shaped pieces the kitchen filled with a smell not unlike that you get when you make cardamon flavoured coffee. It went well with the jam and I judge it good.

"Swedish food making the grade, what a surprise." You may say - but I refer you also to the excellent Slottstek I made some time ago. The only thing that I didn't like was the beetroot and that was my idea not Oskar's.

Fan-blooming-tastic.

Keep the free grub coming my friends - all donations gratefully received.


Cake Blog

A piece of tiny birthday cake (fruit). It was my friend Stacey's birthday and I bought her a tiny cake from a card shop. She seemed quite pleased.


Menu

  • Blodpudding and Lingon Sylt
  • Rollmops
  • Hasselback Potatoes
  • Salad of Beetroot, Carrot and Radish
  • Rye Bread


    Ingredients*

    Hasselback Potatoes
    2 Large King Edward Potatoes
    50g Clarified Butter (see below)
    1 tsp Paprika
    Salt and Pepper



    Preparation

  • To make clarified butter place the butter in a cup and microwave it until it melts. The clarified butter can be poured off, just leave the solids in the cup and discard.
  • Peel the potatoes and slice the bottom so that they don't wobble when laid flat (take quite a bit off as this prevents the ends falling off when you cut downwards). Place a chopstick either side of the potato and cut down until the knife reaches the chopsticks - making a sort of toast rack type potato. Brush with a little clarified butter, wrap in foil and bake for 30 minutes (about 180c). Remove the foil, brush with more butter, sprinkle on some paprika, salt and pepper and roast for a further 40 minutes until really crisp and golden.

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    *All quantities are very approximate and for a single person





    Jon.Borresen@GMail.com