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SWEDISH FOOD

Recipe: How to make Swedish fish soup with wild garlic

Swedish food writer John Duxbury's recipe for fish soup with wild garlic is perfect for a warm lunch on a cold March day.

Recipe: How to make Swedish fish soup with wild garlic
Fish soup with wild garlic, Swedish style. Photo: John Duxbury/Swedish foos

Fisk soppa med ramslök och morötter (fish soup with wild garlic and carrots) is a filling soup and so it makes a tasty and attractive main course for lunch.

The recipe is based on one I came across in Mannerströms Fisk, a book by Leif Mannerström, probably Sweden’s best known chef and surely one of Sweden’s oldest working chefs (he was born in 1940). He has run several restaurants, written many books and is currently a regular television judge on Sveriges mästerkock (Sweden’s Master Chef) and Sveriges yngsta mästerkock (Sweden’s Young Master Chef). Both programmes can be seen online on Sweden’s TV4 channel.

Summary

Serves: 4

Level: Easy

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 25 minutes

TOTAL: 35 minutes

Tips

• Leif recommends using stenbitsfilé (cat fish fillets), which can be bought online, at least in the UK. (As my fishmonger never stocks catfish I normally ask for a bag of mixed white fish, such as cod, pollack or haddock, instead.)

• Wild garlic (also known as ramsons) can be picked from March until June, depending on where you live. If wild garlic is out of season, use chives instead.

The bunch above weighed 90 grams.

• Pick a medium sized bunch as shown, avoiding any very large leaves as they tend to be bitter.

• If you plan to freeze the soup do so before adding the fish. (I freeze it in 300 ml whipping cream tubs.) To serve, defrost the soup, gently reheat and serve with freshly cooked fish. Garnish with chives if wild garlic is no longer in season.

• The soup is superb with some good white sourdough. For our recipe click here.

Ingredients

4   small carrots
600 g (1¼ lb) skinless white fish pieces
2 tbsp   oil
1   onion, finely diced
100 g (4 oz) celeriac, peeled and diced
150 g (6 oz) floury potato, peeled and diced
600 ml (2½ cups) fish stock
1 tbsp   white wine vinegar
2   fresh bay leaves
300 ml (1¼ cups) whipping cream
90 g (1 bunch) wild garlic leaves
    salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel the carrots and slice thinly with a potato peeler. Put them in a bowl of cold water and leave them to soak.

2. Cut the fish into 1 cm x 1 cm (½” x ½”) pieces and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the diced onion, celeriac and potato for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.

4. Add the fish stock, vinegar and bay leaves and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

5. Add the cream and bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer.

6. Add the wild garlic, but reserve a few small leaves to use as a garnish. Simmer for a minute or so until wilted and then liquidise the mixture.

7. Sieve the mixture into saucepan. Season to taste with salt, pepper and possibly a little more vinegar. Keep warm.

8. Boil up a saucepan of lightly salted water. Add the fish and leave it to simmer for 2-3 minutes.

9. Divide the fish between 4 deep soup bowls and add the reserved carrot slices.

10. Whisk the soup so it is nice and foamy and pour over the fish. Garnish with the reserved wild garlic leaves.

Recipe courtesy of John Duxbury, founder and editor of Swedish Food.

For members

FOOD AND DRINK

Five budget-friendly bars for a night out in Malmö

For Eurovision visitors, students or anyone else looking to have a good evening without breaking the bank, Malmö has plenty of pubs – which is good news for beer drinkers, as alcohol is famously expensive in Sweden.

Five budget-friendly bars for a night out in Malmö

Most of these are around the Möllan neighbourhood, which is more or less the centre of the city’s nightlife.

A general tip if you’re buying a beer anywhere in Sweden and aren’t too bothered about the exact one you get is to order a stor stark, literally a “big strong one”. These are usually half a litre of beer at around 5.5 percent ABV, so bear that in mind if that’s more than what you’re used to.

Nobes

Technically known as Gamle Nobes Bodega, everyone in Malmö calls it Nobes. Originally opened in 1937, Nobes is the closest you’re going to get to a British-style pub or German Bierhalle, with its tiled floor and rustic dark wooden décor.

As far as food is concerned, Nobes has some of the best traditional Swedish food in Malmö, with its kålpudding cabbage casserole, served with gravy, potatoes, pickled cucumber and lingonberry jam a must (it’s better than it sounds, we promise).

They have a dart board and sometimes have live music, and you can choose from a range of draft or bottled beers, ciders and wines.

Expect to pay a minimum of 60 kronor for a beer and around 160 kronor for food.

Address: Kristianstadsgatan 36

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 2pm-midnight, Fri 2pm-1am, Sat noon-1am and Sun noon-midnight

Ölkaféet

This is one of the most popular pubs in the Möllan neighbourhood, and that’s not just because it’s the unofficial supporters bar of the local football team, Malmö FF.

They’re cheap and cheerful, with reasonably priced pub grub, a heated outdoor seating area with views over the Möllan square and football matches on the TV, if that’s your kind of thing.

They even have a small library, a gallery wall with works by local artists, and board games like backgammon, checkers and chess, which you can borrow.

If there are no seats (it can get busy on the weekend), Vegan Bar next door is a good alternative, even for non-vegans.

A standard 50cl beer (veckans öl or “beer of the week”, despite the fact it hasn’t changed in years) costs around 65 kronor, with a burger costing around 140 kronor.

Address: Södra Skolgatan 43 – or just walk to the Möllevångstorget square and look for the bright blue awnings.

Opening hours: All days 10am-1am

Rex Pizzeria

Rex, on Nobelvägen, is probably the best example of a classic Swedish pizzeria that you can find in Malmö.

A warning: leave any expectation of Italian-style pizzas at the door, as Rex is firmly in the Swedish-style fulpizza category.

Their pizzas, such as the Tropicana, with cheese, tomato, ham, banana and curry powder, almost make a Hawaiian pizza look tame – although you can get more normal pizza toppings too if banana and curry is a bit too wild for you. They also have vegetarian and vegan options, for groups with allergies or other dietary restrictions.

Pizzas aside, Rex is also a popular pub with cheap drinks, shuffleboard and pool tables, and a nice outdoor serving area in summer. They often host quizzes, standup or other entertainment in their event room in the basement.

Beers cost around 60 kronor and pizzas range from 70 to 140 kronor.

Address: Nobelvägen 107

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 11am-1am, Sun-Mon 11am-11pm

Azalee

If you’re looking for a cheap bar which also provides the evening’s entertainment, Azalee’s your best bet.

This bar is a bizarre mix of casino, karaoke bar and pub, and an evening of karaoke here is equally as entertaining whether you’re getting up on stage yourself or just listening to the other guests get progressively worse at singing as the night goes on.

They offer classic pub fare at around 150-200 kronor and reasonably priced drinks.

Address: Claesgatan 8

Opening hours: Weds-Tors 4pm-1am, Fre-Sat 4pm-3am

Karaoke: Weds and Thurs, 8pm-1am, Friday and Saturday 8pm-3am

Blackjack Weds-Sat 6pm-close

Entry fee: 50kr after 11pm on weekends

Lion Bar

The picturesque Lilla Torg area of Malmö is not known for being cheap, but Lion Bar (a national chain) is an exception, offering a 40cl beer for under 40kr.

Food wise, they offer standard pub grub – nachos, buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, burgers and so on – with deals on some food items.

Unsurprisingly, the prices rise if you stray from the special offers, particularly if ordering cocktails or wine.

Address: Landbygatan 4

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 3pm-1am

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