Tag Archives: Johanna Kindvall

Anna’s Rosehip Sherry

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Every Autumn about this time my twin sister Anna goes out to pick rose hips for her yearly Rose Hip Sherry. This is an exceptionally delightful treat for being a homemade spirit. My sister has done this for a while, so her wine cabinet has become full of different vintages of Rose Hip Sherry. Sometimes I have had the honor to be part of her sherry tastings, which she has after an excellent dinner. It really is a fantastic finish to a good meal and I must say the sherry just gets better as it ages.

The sherry also works in cooking and Anna says that a dash of Rose Hip Sherry in a Chanterelle sauce is absolutely heavenly! Sound fantastic to me!

2 liter (8 ½ cups) rose hips (the long narrow fruits, avoid the rounder ones)
1 ½ kg (3 1/3 lb) sugar
3 liter (12 2/3 cups) water
25 gr (7/8 oz) wine maker’s yeast (or fresh yeast and it might even work w/ instant yeast)

Roughly trim the rose hips but don’t rinse them with water as the surface contains natural yeast that are useful in the process. Make a sugar syrup by heating up the sugar and the water. When the sugar has dissolved let it cool. Use some of the liquid to dissolve the yeast. Let the yeast start (there will be bubbles on the surface) before mixing with the rest of the sugar liquid and the rose hips in a bucket or a glass carboy. Cover the jar and let the wine sit still for three months. At this time the liquid should look clear and the rose hips have fallen to the bottom of the jar. Tap the sherry into dark bottles (for example on 33 cl (12 fl oz) beer bottles). To avoid the sediment at the bottom Anna recommends to spoon up the sherry instead of pouring (can be hard with a carboy). Seal with a suitable cork or cap. Let the sherry stand for at least one more month before drinking. If your are patient enough to store it, or at least with some of it, my sister thinks it’s best to drink after 5 years.

Mushrooms (preserves)

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brunsop

I can’t say I’m an expert in mushrooms and mushroom-picking but I am pretty good. I started learning as a child by picking together with my father, who could spot ceps (porcinos) while driving the car, and my mother who would also pick berries. Today I pick mostly mushrooms that are quite safe; they are easy to recognize and don’t have many poison look-alikes.

Here are some cooking and preserving tips:

Fresh Mushrooms
Clean the mushrooms with a brush and a knife. (I use runing water only if they are really sandy or dirty). Chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces. In a dry pan place the mushrooms and let them cook in their own liquid on medium heat (only add some water if the mushrooms are too dry). Let the liquid slowly cook into the mushrooms. Only when the mushrooms are dry can you add some butter. Keep feeding the mushrooms with more and more butter and season with salt, thyme and just a touch of pepper (optional).  I like my mushrooms well cooked and  little crispy.

You can stop cooking here and just serve the buttery mushrooms on toast. However this lovely mushroom can easily be used in risotto, as a side for meat or together with pasta (I make a really flavorful version of Carbonara with bacon and mushrooms). Together with cream spiced with, for example, dry sherry, they are lovely in stews, sauces, pies or lasagna etc.

I often use thyme as it really works well with most mushrooms. Its mild and doesn’t overpower the flavor of the mushroom. But there are plenty of other herbs and tasty ingredients that work just as well. For instance, rosemary works great with portabella, fresh fennel is lovely w/ Ceps  and juniper w/ Funnel Chanterelles.

pots

Dried Mushrooms
Mushrooms that are good to dry are, among others, the Boletus family (with my favorites Cep and Bay Bolete), Funnel Chanterelle, black trumpets and morels (another favorite but which I know too little about to pick).

Clean the mushrooms with a brush and a knife. Ceps and most mushrooms can be cut smaller with a knife into 1/4″ pieces. Don’t cut them too small as they shrink a bit when drying. Funnel chantarelles and trumpets you can just tear in half or thirds depending on how big they are.

The best way to dry the goodies are to let them get as much dry air as possible. However if you live small it works to dry them on baking paper and turn them around now and again. Try not to use newspaper as the mushrooms will soak up some of the printing ink.  I use a thin net curtain that I hang as a hammock so air can come from all sides. Its also works well to dry on low heat (max 50°C) in a convection oven.  It takes between 1-5 days to dry depending on which method you use and you will have an insane smell of mushrooms in your home. The mushrooms have to be totally dry before storing. I store dried mushrooms in glass jars placed in a dark cupboard. Some say they have to be in a paper bag but then they need to be stored in a very dry place. The mushrooms can be stored like this for years.

Cooking:  Soak dried mushrooms for at least 30 minutes – one hour until soft. Drain and reserve the mushroom water for later. The water can also be used in stocks and soups. Sauté the soaked mushrooms in a dry pan on medium heat with some of the soaking water. When dry start feeding with butter. Season w/ salt, thyme and just a touch of pepper (optional). They are done when they are tender and have just started to brown.

Frozen Mushrooms
I don’t think that drying Chanterelles is a great method as they lose their aroma and also tend to get a little bitter. The best way to preserve Chanterelles is to freeze them. My mother also freezes mushrooms from the Boletus family which both me and my sister prefer to dry. Other mushrooms that freeze well are the Wood Hedgehog and species of the Russula family (which I rarely pick).

Clean the mushrooms with a brush and a knife and cut them into smaller pieces. Saute in a dry pan in their own liquid until dry. Don’t add any butter as the butter will shorten their sustainability in the freezer. Freeze the mushrooms in small portions. When its time to use them, defrost before cooking and saute in a pan with plenty of butter. Season with salt and thyme.

There are of course other ways to preserve and cook mushrooms but this is how I’m used to do it. Enjoy!

Coconut Macaroons

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Summer is ending, at least here in Sweden and at the moment I’m dreaming of a balcony in the East Village where the summer will last a little bit longer. My favorite baking treat this summer has been my simple Coconut Macaroons.

(makes about 25-30 macaroons)

50 gram (1/8  lb) butter
3 egg whites, room temperature (use the yolks for a Pasta alla Carbonara or a Mayonnaise)
50 ml (¼ cup) regular sugar
100 ml (½ cup) sucanat
200 gram flaked coconut

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.  Whip the egg whites with regular sugar until stiff (its important that the bowl is absolutely clean before you start and that the eggs really are at room temperature).  Carefully blend in the sucanat followed by the coconut flakes and lastly the cooled melted butter. Let the mixture rest a little. Take a teaspoon and scoop up some of the mixture onto a greased baking sheet.  Repeat until the mixture is divided. Bake for about 12 minutes at 175°C. Let the cookies cool totally before storing them in a sealed container. Enjoy!

(Another cookie recipe: Hazelnut & Cinnamon Cookies)

Pan-fried Tarragon Mackerel

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When I was a little girl we used to go out fishing in a boat on the west coast of Sweden. Mostly we caught cod and mackerel but sometimes we also got garfish. The best thing about these boat trips was when we stopped at some tiny unsettled rocky island to have lunch. We collected firewood and broiled mackerel over an open fire. The fish was just cleaned and gutted, seasoned with salt and lemon and stuck on a wooden stick. Fantastic!

(for two persons)

one whole mackerel
sea salt
a neutral oil

butter
one shallot, finely chopped
one teaspoon brown mustard seeds
fresh tarragon, chopped

Rinse the whole mackerel and fillet the fish. Keep the skin on the fillets. If necessary pull out the remaining bones with a pair of pliers. Salt the fillets and let them cure for about half an hour. I suggest you make a fish stock with the remaining parts such as the head and the bones (not the guts).

Fry the Mackerel fillets in the oil on both sides until meat is white. At the same time melt some butter in another pan and saute the chopped shallot on low heat until soft and transparent. Add mustard seeds and fresh tarragon. When the mustard starts to pop its done. If necessary, to your own taste, add some more butter. Pour over the mackerel fillets and serve immediately with, for example, the mustard sauce below and some fresh summer potatoes.

Mustard Sauce
(for one mackerel)

200 ml (little more than ¾ cup) sour cream
one teaspoon mustard
dill, chopped
some lemon juice
honey (optional)

Stir in mustard and dill into the sour cream. Season with lemon and honey.

Hazelnut Baked Cauliflower

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This summer, when I’ve had the house full of guests, I’ve been in need of simple things that can be done quickly and feed several people. One of our favorites has been this Hazelnut Baked Cauliflower that we’ve served together with different kinds of salads or BBQ (works both with vegetables and meat).

one head of cauliflower
olive oil
fresh basil and oregano
garlic
handful of hazelnuts
salt and pepper
juice from ½ lemon

grated parmesan

Rinse the cauliflower and break up the florets into smaller pieces. Place them steams down in one layer on an oven dish. Chop basil and oregano finely and mix with olive oil, minced garlic and chopped hazelnut. Season with salt, pepper and some lemon juice. Pour mixture over the cauliflower and blend together. Let soak for 15 minutes. Bake in the oven at 400°F (just over 200°C) until al dente. Sprinkle a rich amount of grated parmesan on top. Serve immediately.