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Travel: West Sweden: murder,crayfish and oysters

May 12, 2012 3 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

Fjallbacka
‘Fika’ of chocolate cake with blueberry whipped cream
The Kings Cleft
Breakfast at Fjallbacka
Like Midsomer in England, the problem with Fjallbacka, a dozy fishing village in West Sweden, is the sky-high murder rate. Camilla Lackberg, who lives there with her hunky detective husband, chronicles this in her series of crime novels. On this visit to Sweden, in which I venture outside the city and discover the seaside, I was given a Fjallbacka tour by one of ABBA’s relatives, Inga. The trouble was she kept revealing the plots of Camilla’s books. “And here is where the two bodies were discovered by the cliffs” “Over there is the graveyard of all the sailors in the third book” she’d point and finally“and there is where Erika and Patrik get married”.

“What??” I spluttered “They are married? I’m on the first novel and they haven’t even kissed yet”. Inga looked abashed.
Fjallbacka was also where film star Ingrid Bergman had her summer home; there is a square named after her. Reading Lackberg’s books, you get the impression it’s quite a large town. Untrue, it’s tiny, although jumbled with pastel wooden huts, classic red summer houses and almost every inhabitant owns a boat.

I took two boat trips; one on a local fishing boat, learning to catch crayfish, the other, on a  vintage sailing boat, all lovingly varnished oak and pine, where I was taught the correct method of opening an oyster. With your palm, you wedge your oyster knife in the ‘hinge’, applying pressure from your fingers around the other edge of the shell. Wriggle the knife. The European oyster, found in the cold waters of West Sweden, less slimy than others, will resist with tons of pressure. Keep jamming in the knife edge. Suddenly, the shell will relent. You use the other end of the knife to hook beneath the oyster mussel, slicing it closely against the shell. The oyster shells are kept and sold to cosmetic companies. The mother of pearl will be finely ground and used as the opalescence in lipsticks, blushers and eye shadows.
I witnessed the Nordic oyster opening championships where, despite the rock star posturings of the long-haired Swedish chef, oyster knives in his holster, and a scarlet-lipped blonde girlfriend cheering him on, a Finn wearing a crimson pixie hat won. These things are serious.

Female and male crayfish
One of the judges, checking for grit, drips, shell, blood, lack of severing, a cut or sliced oyster.

Weather Islands with sprig of scurvy curing flower


I asked for the recipe but they wouldn’t give it.

My favourite location was the ‘Weather Islands’, notionally a mosaic of barren rocks in the archipelago of Western Sweden, but home to a wooden guesthouse with the best fish chowder – thick, yellow, rich – that I have ever eaten. This is where Sweden’s weather station is located along with a lighthouse to guide lost ships through the pebble dash of islets to the mainland. A tiny white flower, sprigs among the boulders, the name I could not discover, saved parched sailors from scurvy. I arrived on a calm sunny day and felt that I’d like to spend a week there, reading, painting, watching seals, taking saunas and dips in the clear depths of the clean green sea. But they say the weather islands are “A heaven in the sea or a hell on earth”. During bad weather, they watch the sea rise ’til it must lap the skirting boards. Having no fresh water, there is a desalination plant, but at first “it was too clean, people got sick, we had to introduce some bacteria”. 
I love this link: ‘Buying your own private island- things to consider’, a handy guide for every millionaire.

You know I love a hat!

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Comments

  1. The Curious Cat

    May 12, 2012 at 8:20 am

    Just looking over the last few posts quickly before I head to London – some AMAZING photos – love the one of you above! Looks like you have been having a ton of adventures!! Can't wait to read more. Hope you are well! xxx

    Reply
  2. Magnolia Verandah

    May 14, 2012 at 12:05 pm

    Shame you couldn't manage to get that chowder recipe.

    Reply
  3. Isabel Natrins

    May 14, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    I agree, some really great photos recently!!

    Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here h Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th at London’s pioneering supper club. Tickets £50 BYO. Scandinavian inspired summery food. #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer #northwestlondon #londonevents #popups
Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy cir Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy circa 1987 pic: kerstin Rodgers #rip #tinaturner #rockphotographer #kerstinrodgers #teenagephotographer
Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on war photography in the Ukraine . Go to the exhibition @thebppa @thebargehouse in SE1 last few days 
Had to stop filming cos I was told off. The photographers would be less forthcoming if they were filmed I was told. 
Anyway @frenchpete_1 should be followed by a camera crew cos he’s a star.
For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pas For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pastry quiche and a little one with less blue cheese & no salt for my 7 month old granddaughter. She absolutely loved it. I’m enjoying seeing her experience and explore new foods with baby led weaning. Avocado, strawberries, kiwi & buttered crumpets are a hit. Pasta less so. Who is this child? Are we even related? #babyledweaning #quiche #homemadepuffpastry
Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The natio Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The national newspaper again. These are the stories I love to do: I go off on an adventure, take my time, interview people (especially women), photograph them in their environment and create recipes on site. This story cost me a lot more than I made as I had an accident and lost my excess. My own damn fault though! Loved loved loved having a campervan. Thanks for lending me it @camperdays.international and sorry about the hole in the side.  https://www.thenational.scot/news/23505593.foraging-seaweed-western-isles/
My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @l My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @lk.general.building left yesterday. They’ve been working since January. I had the awning installed, the encaustic Minton tiles removed and put back with green grout. The terrace was causing damp so this had to be done. My calamondin plant is looking lovely. The benches which I repaired with hard wood & I repainted using a mix of 2 colours. The marble table I bought in Suffolk at a car boot. Everything is still dusty & I’m waiting for the window cleaner to arrive.
Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine f Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine for their contribution of these beautiful dry ciders for the coronation street lunch. Gorgeously illustrated labels. #stcuthbertsrd #kilburn #london #cider #artisanaldrinks
When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. It’s smoother. Artisanal distillery @devoncovevodka contributed some bottles to my coronation lunch which gave everyone a feeling of being at a classy party. Thanks so much. And also @rawfoodanddrink for arranging. If you want to read my blog post about how and why I organised this event, copy and paste this link: https://t.co/GWNNW2XKba #coronationstreetparty #biglunch #community #kilburn #london #forthepeoplebythepeople
I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now. They sent a selection: elderflower bubbly, st. Clements orange 🍊 Sicilian lemonade, @belvoirfarm_uk lemonade, which were all delicious and just the tickets for the fortuitous mini-heatwave that occurred on the Sunday coronation lunch. #thankyou #community #coronation #streetparty #biglunch
Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! T Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! Tiny bit in the guardian. Decent pic in the Mail and The Star credit @asproider #coronationlunch #kilburn #stcuthbertsrd #kingscroftrd #fordwychrd #templarhouse
My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, s My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, spinach, cheddar. I used crème fraiche and blind baked puff pastry shells. I was up at 11 last night making these for todays street party, which featured in the mail, telegraph, mirror, metro courtesy of photographer Gavin Rodgers @asproider
Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebr Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebrides with @outerhebrideanforager Fi bird. She’s cutting sea spaghetti. I drove my campervan @camperdays.international from london to the Hebrides- using my gas stove to cook foraged and local ingredients. A real food safari. With the sea spaghetti I made a sea spag vongole with giant parlourdes picked up from the sand at the same time. Great fun, beautiful weather and, the day of the full moon, a wonderfully low tide. This was on south Uist.
More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-ba More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-based version of the original. Beautifully constructed, designed and written by @nikisegnit it’s vegetarian rather than vegan but recommended for both. She widens the sensory vocabulary around plant flavours in this book- encouraging new delicious sounding combinations. Now she includes new categories such as flower & meadow, caramel roasted, zesty roost- just the words make me salivate. #foodbooks #bookstagram #newbooks
Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainman Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainmansion I found out so much about marmalade. I’m going to make it this winter. I found out the worlds best maker is Japanese, in fact I was most impressed by the Japanese marmalades in general. Everyone wore orange. I must have tasted 50 marmalades. I met Paddington’s sister, karen jankel who is michael bond’s daughter, born in the same year as Paddington. She gave a charming talk on Paddington, mentioning how the queen insisted on having real marmalade sandwiches in her @launerlondonofficial handbag during the shoot. The house itself is Tudor and Georgian. I stayed in my campervan from @camperdays.international in the car park, cosy in the rain. Another freewheeling adventure. #yorkshire #marmalade #travel #food #ontheroad #campervan
I had a piece in @thetimes on Sunday about being a I had a piece in @thetimes on Sunday about being a vegetarian rather than a vegan. How I still need butter. And how restaurants & plane meals are now vegan rather than vegetarian. But, there are still more the double amount of vegetarians as vegans in the UK. I’ve written a vegan cookbook V is for vegan (link in bio) and am a big fan of vegan foods. I’ve not eaten meat for over 40 years. This is a sustainable diet, in terms of longevity. Vegans that I knew from the early noughties have reverted to meat eating. #newpuritanism? #vegetarian #vegan #foodwriter
Scrambled croft eggs (bright yellow yolks) with a Scrambled croft eggs (bright yellow yolks) with a seaweed that tastes just like truffle. Just done a little kelp foraging at low tide with @thetempleharris’ Amanda Saurin. Isle of Harris. Turquoise sea, white sand, cloud hovering just above. @camperdays.international @roosterpr
I went to Wembley in north west london to talk to I went to Wembley in north west london to talk to Sophie of @tobia.teff she uses the iron-rich, gluten free teff grain from her homeland Ethiopia. She showed me how to make injera, the Ethiopian flatbread which is fermented. She also talked about the coffee ceremony, 3 cups, which they pair with toasted barley or, currently, popcorn! I’d love to visit Ethiopia and find out more about their ancient food culture, history, 3.5k year old monarchy and religions.
Doing a spring budget recipe cooking demo for @bre Doing a spring budget recipe cooking demo for @brentcouncil Willesden library. I’ve been doing this a few times a year for the last few years. Wouldn’t it be great if they had a kitchen set up permanently. Libraries are community centres and could be used to teach how to cook from scratch.
Mother’s Day flowers from @siennamarla who is ex Mother’s Day flowers from @siennamarla who is experiencing her own first Mother’s Day with Ophelia. I’m still living in chaos & work was slow yesterday due to rain. Only another month…
Last week I did a wild foraging walk with @luciath Last week I did a wild foraging walk with @luciathewildkitchen in Kent @kent_downs_aonb just outside Canterbury. I’m going to help out during her May wild asparagus workshop. This chef lived in France, is a brilliant forager and cook. Her campfire meal of lentils, wild garlic raitha and a dukkah of alexanders, Parmesan was genuinely delicious not worthy like so much foraged food.
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