Linda Granebring: her tips for a Swedish Christmas table

Linda Granebring grew up on the small island of Hasslö in the south of Sweden, in the middle of a huge vegetable garden. From the age of 12, she tried cooking by following Jamie Oliver shows on television but turned towards dietetics and management. Having graduated from the University of Gothenburg at the age of 21, she wanted a change of scenery. Direction Paris ! In search of creativity, she flourished in the kitchens of other expatriate compatriots at Le Fumoir, Le Cercle Suédois, La Gazzetta and The Broken Arm before opening, three years ago, Åke table & vin (pronounced “au quai”), a restaurant in tune with the times, with his companion Julien. She offers responsible cuisine based on local products, with little meat and always organic. His thing? Drawing inspiration from seasonal vegetables: “The colors, sizes, textures that change with the climate are a playground. Living in France is fortunate for a cook, who finds happiness at the market all year round . » She is also committed to respecting farmers and the planet. Today, she is releasing a tasty book at the crossroads of her two cultures: “Äta Äta”* which means “to eat” in Swedish. Synonymous with family reunions, Christmas has for her “the taste of yellow Saint Lucia brioches with saffron, without which the celebration could not take place! »

This year, Linda will spend New Year’s Eve at her parents’ house with Julien and their little daughter. In Sweden, we celebrate December 24 in the evening, in a cozy way in the kitchen which has been specially decorated for weeks. “My mother will obviously bring out her embroidered Christmas tablecloth, matching the red and white curtains,” and the table will host the feast traditionally served as a buffet. Almost without surprise from one year to the next, it consists of around twenty tasty savory dishes: salmon gravlax, beetroot salad, potato gratin with fermented anchovies… and a variety of delicacies such as homemade Christmas sweets, nougat, chocolate.

The essential? “Ris à la malta”, a creamy vanilla rice pudding served with cherry compote that is prepared in advance. Long nights require, we go out early in the afternoon. This is when the festivities can begin, with a shot of aquavit, by the fire, listening to the children sing traditional songs, after Santa Claus has passed by. “I have been trying for several years to stop gifts that have no meaning, given only out of habit, says Linda, whose environmental awareness is not limited only to the perimeter of her kitchen. But the rest of the family doesn’t want to listen. It’s difficult to change traditions! » A Christmas with lots of snow is of course at the top of his wish list, and, most importantly, being with his loved ones.

“Äta Äta, my Swedish cuisine” (First editions).

GRAVLAX TROUT WITH CLOVES

“An easy recipe, to prepare in advance. »

Crush 2 tbsp. tablespoon of white pepper and 2 tbsp. tablespoons of cloves in a mortar, mix with 160 g of sugar and 80 g of salt.
Place 600g of skinned trout fillet in a food bag and pour the mixture over it, making sure all the fish is covered.
Reserve in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Turn the bag regularly so that the fish marinates evenly.
Prepare the mustard-dill sauce.
Mix 3 tbsp. mustard seeds, 1 tbsp. tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1.5 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt and 1 small bunch of chopped dill.
Mix the sauce like mayonnaise by adding 20 cl of sunflower oil little by little, whisking gently.
48 hours later, remove the trout from the bag and wipe it to remove the salt and sugar. Cut it into thin slices and serve with the mustard-dill sauce.

RED CABBAGE WITH ORANGES, WALNUTS, PISTACHIOS AND CRANBERRIES

“I really like the sweet-salty combination of cranberries and cabbage. »

Cut 300 g of red cabbage with a mandolin.
Mix with 60g of sugar and 6cl of lemon juice.
Massage with your hands to marinate the cabbage and soften it.
Cut 2 oranges and lift the segments.
Roast 30 g of nuts.
In a bowl, mix cabbage, orange segments with a few cranberries, walnuts and pistachios.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fleur de sel.

TOASTED GINGERBREAD, BLUE AND LINGERINGS

“Lingonberry jam collected in the woods by the Swedes at the end of summer is a cupboard classic. »

Toast the gingerbread slices in a pan.
Place a slice of Auvergne blue cheese (or Roquefort cheese) on each.
Mix 100 g of frozen cranberries with 2 tbsp. tablespoon of sugar.
Let the sugar melt.
Serve the toasts without delay topped with a little cranberry.

BEET SALAD WITH CREAM

“Appetizing with its irresistible pink color, it is the ideal starter or accompaniment to Christmas meats (especially ham and meatballs). »

Peel 500 g of cooked beets and 1 Granny Smith apple, cut them into small cubes.
Chop 4 pickles.
Mix with 3 tbsp. tablespoon of crème fraîche.
Salt and pepper if necessary.
Decorate with fresh herbs (chervil, parsley, dill, for example).

MALTA RICE (CHRISTMAS RICE PUDDING)

“Touillez, whoever finds the almond has won a little gift!” »

Boil 1.5 l of whole milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan then add 2.5 dl of round rice.
Cook for 15 minutes with 25 g of butter, 1 pinch of salt, 2 cinnamon sticks, 30 g of sugar and 1 almond.
Pour into a large dish, bake at 175°C for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Let cool and refrigerate.
Prepare the cherry compote by cooking 500 g of frozen cherries, 60 g of sugar and 2 tbsp. over low heat for 15 minutes. tablespoon of lemon juice.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Whip 50 cl of whipping cream with 60 g of icing sugar and 1 sachet of vanilla sugar.
Mix the rice and cream.
Serve cold with the cherry compote.

EGGS WITH SHRIMP WITH MAYO AND HORSERADISH

“Cut the base of the eggs so they are stable when filling and serving. »

Cook 8 hard-boiled eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Refresh them, peel them and cut them in half.
Reserve the yolks.
Peel 500 g of frozen Nordic shrimp.
Prepare the horseradish mayonnaise by mixing 3 tbsp. tablespoon of mayonnaise with 1 tbsp. tablespoons of grated horseradish and 1 small bunch of chopped dill.
Add salt if necessary.
Mix the yolks with the shrimp and mayonnaise.
Garnish the egg white halves with this mayonnaise-shrimp mixture, dill as a topping and serve immediately.
If you defrost the northern shrimp, squeeze them between your hands to remove as much water as possible.

ALMOND DISHES

“The Swedes eat a lot of sweets. Prepare them in advance, they will keep in the fridge for a week. »

For 40 pieces.
In a saucepan, cook 100 g of liquid cream and 60 g of flour, stirring with a spatula. When a paste has formed, remove from heat.
Add 25 g of almond powder, 240 g of icing sugar, a few drops of bitter almond oil and work the dough with your hands.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and keep one part (neutral).
Divide the other part in half and tint one half pink and the other half green with food coloring.
Using your hands, form four flat squares approximately 1 cm high, assemble neutral + pink and neutral + green and cut them into small cubes.

GLÖGG

“With a glass of glögg, Christmas can begin!” »

In a saucepan, infuse over low heat for 30 minutes, 1 tbsp. tablespoons of whole cardamoms, 1 tbsp. tablespoons of cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 cm of fresh ginger cut into quarters, 120 g of sugar in 75 cl of red wine and possibly 15 cl of vodka.
Be careful not to exceed 70°C temperature.
Turn off the heat and let it infuse for 1 hour before straining.
Serve hot with chopped almonds and raisins.