The Swedish chef shows us around his storerooms, where we find pickled pinecones, incredible apple juice and the best strawberries ever
INGREDIENTS
Note:
As Daniel tends to use only local produce and hardly any packaged food, we had trouble getting him to recommend specific brands that readers could access in other parts of the world. With that in mind, here are some of the delights we found in his storerooms.
Quails
“What have you got in those fridges?” we ask as Daniel takes us through one of the prep kitchens. “Quails,” he says, opening the fridge and taking out a large container full of little headless birds with the feet still attached. “They were butchered yesterday. You’re going to have them for lunch.”
Strawberries
“Those strawberries look good,” we say, hopefully, as we pass through another kitchen. “These strawberries are actually really good,” he says, holding out a punnet. “They are from a small farm nearby. You have to try one.” Verdict: best strawberries ever.
Pickled goods
In one storeroom we visit, Kilner jars containing pickles of every description line the walls. “These are trumpet mushrooms. These are pinecones. This is seaweed – that one’s pickled and we have one that is salted. This is beach cabbage, they are pickled before they flower…. In October and November, this room will be full of new things.” Daniel points out that he isn’t fermenting things just for the sake of it, but to make the most of the seasons and to bring interesting flavours into his dishes.
Array of juices
Alongside the pickled goods is a shelving unit laden with bottles of juice, including birch shoot, rhubarb, strawberry and raspberry, which go on the juice pairing menu at the restaurant. “All the waiters make their own juices for the menu. This is going to be full in October, we hope to have 2000 bottles ready.” The unfiltered apple juice, from a local farm called Stenheda Musteri, is up there with the best we’ve ever tasted.
Rapeseed honey
“This is from Johan Widing at Bokeslundsgården [see Address Book].”
Falukorv
“This is something I like to cook at home. Falukorv. Have you heard of it? It’s like a fat sausage [laughs] that you just sear and have with potato mash and lingonberries… it’s really good.”
BOOKS
Relae: A Book of Ideas, Christian Puglisi »
“I read cookbooks sometimes but to be honest I’m not crazy about them. The last one I read was the Relae book. It was really good – I really like [Christian Puglisi’s] way of thinking about food.”
Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine, Rene Redzepi »
Daniel mentions that he has perused the Noma tome.
Mugaritz: A Natural Science of Cooking, Andoni Aduriz »
And he also name-checks the Mugaritz book by Basque chef-genius Andoni Aduriz.