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THE LOCAL RECIPES

FOOD AND DRINK

How to prepare crayfish for your own Swedish kräftskiva

August crayfish parties are one of the highlights of the Swedish calendar and appeal to people of all ages. Food writer John Duxbury shares his best tips with The Local for making your own crayfish party a success.

Published: 31 July 2015 08:01 CEST
Updated: 14 August 2023 10:44 CEST
How to prepare crayfish for your own Swedish kräftskiva
A traditional crayfish meal is a staple of the late summer season in Sweden. Photo: Mats Schagerström/TT

The annual crayfish party (kräftskiva) is an age-old tradition that has been held in Sweden since the 1800s. Actually, crayfish season used to be regulated in law and start in early August. This has since been done away with and nowadays you can buy frozen crayfish just about anywhere.

If you want to know what you’re letting yourself in for before accepting that invitation to a Swedish crayfish party, read this handy guide first.

Summary

Serves: 6

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking: 40 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2kg (4.5 lb) live crayfish

1 large bunch of dill crowns (flower heads)

1 onion

330ml (12 fl oz) bottled dark beer, porter or stout

1tsp anise (aniseed)

3 litres (5 pints) of water

100 g (1 cup) coarse sea salt

2 tsp of sugar

Method

1. Divide the crayfish between four large plastic freezer bags. Seal each bag and pop the bags in the freezer for 2 hours to put the crayfish to sleep.

2. Set aside some of the best looking dill crowns to use as a garnish. Put the rest in a large bucket, large enough to take all the crayfish, and add the chopped onion, beer and anise.

3. Put the water, salt and sugar in a large pan and bring to the boil.

4. Remove a bag of crayfish from the freezer and immediately drop the crayfish into the boiling water. Cover the pan, return to the boil and cook for about 8 minutes, until the crayfish turn a bright orange/red colour. Remove the crayfish from the water with a slotted spoon and place in the bucket with the dill crowns and beer.

5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining crayfish until they are all cooked.

6. When you have finished cooking the crayfish, carefully pour the hot cooking liquid into the bucket and allow to cool.

7. When cold, transfer the crayfish, dill crowns and all the marinating liquid to containers to fit in your fridge. Leave the crayfish in the fridge overnight.

8. When you are ready to serve the crayfish, remove them from the marinade, drain and stack them on serving plates. Garnish with the reserved dill crowns.

This recipe was originally published on food writer John Duxbury’s Swedish Food website.

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MALMÖ

Five cocktail bars in Malmö to try for pre-dinner drinks

Malmö may not be the first city that comes to mind when you picture a swanky cocktail bar, but Sweden's third-largest city boasts its fair share of spots to grab a drink or two.

Published: 23 April 2024 16:32 CEST
Five cocktail bars in Malmö to try for pre-dinner drinks

Care/of

This award-winning cocktail bar tucked away next to a barber’s shop is a must for any fans of cocktails. It’s tiny, so make sure to make a reservation if you want to be sure to get a seat.

Their cocktails are a mix of classic drinks and their own inventions, including the Guess what?, an ever-changing cocktail made up of whatever the bartender creates that day, as well as a few mocktails, beers and wines.

Want something special or a classic drink not on their menu? Just ask the bartender and they’ll make it for you.

At around 160 kronor for a cocktail, this is maybe not the kind of place you stay in all evening, but is a perfect place to have a couple of drinks before a concert at Malmö Live, which is just around the corner.

They serve small bites for 120 kronor or hotdogs for 100 kronor, so probably best to go somewhere else for dinner.

Address: Fiskehamnspromenaden 11c

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 4pm-late, with a cocktail brunch on Saturdays from 12-3pm

MALMÖ NIGHTLIFE:

BISe

BISe, short for Bisous, the French word for a kiss on the cheek, is a restaurant, wine bar and cocktail bar in the city centre which opened in 2022.

Not only is the food good, but the drinks are too – BISe was nominated in the “sommeliers’ drink experience” category at the Swedish Gastronomy awards in 2023 and again this year.

The bar, Bar Bisou, serves traditional cocktails with BISe’s own twist, which change with the seasons. Why not try a Negroni with Meyer lemons and Sicilian blood orange, a vegan White Russian with BISe’s own coffee liqueur, or the inventively-titled Istället för Old Fashioned (“Instead of Old Fashioned”) with homemade raspberry vinegar and fig leaves? They even have a couple of mocktails, like a non-alcoholic negroni (a NOgroni), and spritz from Scanian producers Franka.

Address: Norra Vallgatan 88

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 3pm-midnight

Boulebar

This might seem like a bit of an odd option on a list of cocktail bars, but Boulebar is more than just a place to go to play a few rounds of petanque. Their cocktail list is small but perfectly formed, like their Angélique Papon with gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, cucumber and lime, or their Pommango Spritz, with vodka, apple, mango and crémant. You can also get a glass of pastis to enjoy while you boule if that’s more your thing.

Address: Drottningtorget 8 or Norra Parkgatan 6

Opening hours: Drottningtorget: Mon-Weds 3pm-11pm, Thurs-Fri 3pm-midnight, Saturday 10:30-midnight. Folkets Park opening hours vary depending on season.

Scania

This bar, which has no relation to the truck company, specialises in a frankly bizarre mix of Mexican-Korean fusion, where they serve bibimbap al pastor and burritos with kimchi. The bar, which is situated in the middle of the restaurant, boasts more than 35 different types of tequila, and it’s perhaps not a surprise that so many of their cocktails include tequila, too.

Here, you can try a chili margarita with a gochugaru-salted rim, or order a pitcher of the spicy Mexican beer and tomato-juice based cocktail michelada to share while you tuck into some kimchi fries.

Address: Bergsgatan 18

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 5pm-3am. Lunch Tues-Fri 11:30am-2pm.

KOL

KOL is a meat-centric restaurant specialising in food cooked on the grill – kol is the Swedish word for coal or charcoal. 

They have a wide range of drinks to go with your dinner, including wines, beers, non-alcoholic options and, yes, cocktails, which they make using their own freshly-pressed juices. You can choose a pre-dinner cocktail, like the Marilyn Monroe featuring vanilla vodka, passionfruit liqueur and sparkling wine, post dinner cocktails like the Port O’Berry – port spiked with blackberry and raspberry, or a whenever-you-feel-like-it cocktail off their drinks menu. Why not the aptly-name Dala Horse, with Swedish lingonberries paired with vodka, lime and ginger beer, or something from their gin menu, where you can choose from garnishes like dill, coffee beans, juniper and thyme? Don’t feel like cocktails? They have a good wine list too.

Address: Kalendegatan 16

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-late, Fri-Sat 5pm-3am. Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm

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