TrySwedish Thursdays: Brown Butter Pike Perch from West Sweden

PARTNER POST — TrySwedish Thursdays is a culinary collaboration between TrySwedish, West Sweden, Gothenburg and Västerbottensost cheese. Discover the edible delights of the land.
Chef Emelie Nielsen of Norrqvarn Hotell is a native to West Sweden and knows the in’s and out’s of working with local flavors and produce. She lets us in on the local food landscape and her favorite pike perch recipe.

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“Our food philosophy is one in which we aim to bring attention to the local produce that can be found around us in Skaraborg, and we have a large pantry to pick from. It is wonderful that the demand for such products is steadily on the increase. As we all know, locally produced food is good both for our health and for the environment – and, last but not least, it tastes so much better!”

The Norrqvarn Hotell, located right on the Göta Kanal, prides itself on being one with the surrounding West Sweden nature. We talked with their Chef Emelie Nielsen to find out more about their Taste of Skaraborg menu that highlights the best ingredients in the area.

The menu reflects the area and highlights ingredients in an “old way”, she says, or in the same way her grandmother may have prepared the items. While this idea of going back to the classics may seem old fashioned, it is the latest trend throughout Sweden to put twists and slight updates on chefs’ food heritages.

“In Skaraborg we have lakes, forests, farmers and a lot of both small and large local producers,” says Chef Emelie, “In the menu we reflect these area with different ingredients and cooking techniques. We have wild duck, hunted and smoked in a castle near by. It is served with a variety of wild grown plants picked by our team, and some locally grown cauliflower and black currants.”

The Taste of Skaraborg menu is a perfect example of the many forms of lush landscapes you will find in West Sweden. As a part of the culture, Emelie says chefs have a legal right of passage onto private lands. It is not uncommon to go out foraging for wild berries and mushrooms and not have to worry about encroaching on a neighbor.

Norrqvarn Hotell is located between two of Sweden’s largest lakes. Because of this, there are many fishermen in the community and the pike perch is one of the most commonly caught fishes. Chef Emelie is proud to feature the local fish, caught by her community, and generally served in a more nutritious and sustainable way than red meats. The perch is usually served with Sweden’s classic new potatoes, boiled, but then mashed and pan-fried with other seasonal vegetables.

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Moving on to the desserts often seen on the menu, Chef Emelie admits that she likes the sweet course to be a playful celebration of childhood. In West Sweden, it is not uncommon for children to pick and eaten wood sorrel while they are playing in the surrounding forests. In her plated dessert version of this childhood memory, she serves it with strawberries and a butter roasted spongecake, a cake that is very common to the area.

For a taste of West Sweden even when you are thousands of miles away, try a taste of Chef Emelie’s Brown Butter Pike Perch. Find out about more favorite edible West Sweden destinations here.