Modern Food, Age-Old Technique

Defined more than a decade ago by chefs Claus Meyer and Rene Redzepi, the New Nordic food movement is reimagining what Scandinavian cuisine is, with a focus on seasonality, sustainability, animal welfare and traditional Nordic ingredients. And while this ground breaking philosophy has famously fueled avant-garde creativity, exploring old traditions is leading to the most modern culinary thinking of today. Acclaimed Swedish chef and TV host, Niklas Ekstedt is pushing the envelope by resurrecting 17th and 18th century cooking techniques, creating contemporary food by stepping back 200 years. At his five-year-old namesake restaurant in Stockholm, Ekstedt and head chef Rodrigo Perez are perfecting the art of cooking with live fire, making every component of the menu without electricity. Instead of utilizing sous vide machines and liquid nitrogen, they’re working wonders with wood-fired ovens, fire pits, smoke and ash.

Oysters are cooked with a flambado, a cast iron cone heated to red hot temperatures in the embers, that’s filled with beef tallow. As the fat scorches, it drips out of the cone to lightly sear the oysters; it’s a genius technique. Other stand out dishes include pike perch that’s charred over juniper and served with wild garlic leaves, grilled spring onion, pea mash and green asparagus sauce. Rich butter-basted scallops come with onion petals cooked in ash, horseradish juice and sorrel salad. For dessert, honey cake is baked in a wood-fired oven and topped with birch ice cream. It’s one of the world’s best restaurants, so be sure to make reservations far in advance.

Contact

Humlegårdsgatan 17
114 46 Stockholm
+46 (0) 8 611 12
ekstedt.nu

Photographs by PA Jorgenssen.