138 days prior to Worldchefs Congress 2014, the organizers, hosts, supporters, sponsors and other foodies met for kick-off at Sola Strand Hotel. And everyone is looking forward to doing it all again for Nordic Evening on the 4th of July, after a tasty five course dinner.
Worldchefs Congress countdown
Three chefs chosen from each of the five Nordic countries had composed an ambitious menu with the very best produce and techniques from their native countries.
They’ll be back in Stavanger Norway from 2-5 July with a very similar menu, however, changes will be made taking into account feedback from the rehearsal, fresh experiences, and the outdoor setting.
“We’re looking forward to the real event”, confirms the Icelandic spokesman, Bjarni Gunnar Kristinsson. He has two colleagues with him from the restaurant kitchen of the Reykjavik Opera, and is proud to have brought with him Icelandic chocolate as the main ingredients for the dessert; made authentically from cocoa beans.
Johan Franzén, in charge of the Swedish culinary team, has also brought two colleagues. They prepared lamb mains to go with the Danes pork with crackling. The collaboration was as pain free as the traffic on the Øresund-bridge.
No one is looking at the collar flags when it’s getting close to the finishing line. As always in the international food world, it’s professional ranks that counts and not the nationalities, when the bell rings.
NKL-president Kristine H. Hartviksen was glowing from head to toe in the banquet hall of the hotel.
“A promising start for the big event ahead’, she confirms. In her welcome speech she challenged colleagues in the guilds and supporters to pull together to produce “the best Worldchefs Congress ever” in Stavanger, knowing full well that the event in 1994 has gone down in WORLDCHEFS history.
Nordic Evening Menu
Amuse Bouche
Danish Smørrebrød – Dyrlegens Natmad (Denmark)
Poached salted cod with crayfish and juice (Iceland)
Cold smoked elk tartar, Kalix roe, mustard emulsion, juniper berries, rosemary, almond potato and cress (Sweden)
Salted and dried cod Klippfisk balls ‘Ålesund’ with ramson mayonnaise (Norway)
Mature cheese with seasonal garnish (Finland)
Starter – Norway
Scallops ‘Hitra’ served as tartar with crispy oats
Crayfish ‘aspik’ with apple jelly and fennel
Halibut remoulade ‘Hjelmeland’ served on rye crisps and Icelandic seaweed søl
Mains – Sweden and Denmark
Braised and grilled breast of lamb, smoked lamb sausage with lemon thyme, vinegar pickled beets, chanterelles, fried red onion, carrot, almond potato puree seasoned with Swedish flavours. For summer; ramson flowers and truffles from Gotland.
There’s also pork filet with small, glazed beetroots, pea puree, horseradish cream, crackling, new potatoes and sauce.
Dessert – Finland and Iceland
Wild strawberry mousse with blackcurrant-leaf-brûlée, crispy white chocolate, served with spruce foam, and milk cookies – sprinkled with pollen and spelt crumbs.
Energy bar in two parts on Icelandic dark chocolate
Wine
Raventos l’Heure (aperitif)
Laroche Chablis (white)
Canaletto Chianti (red)
Article by Borghild Fiskaa
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