'In the Kitchen' at Operakällaren: Löjrom edition

“I mean, it is the Scandinavian caviar,” says Swedish chef, food commentator and cookbook author Jimmy Guo. He’s speaking, of course, of vendace roe, or löjrom, a delicacy local to Sweden (Kalix löjrom, harvested from the Swedish Bothnian Bay, has earned a protected status). The tiny orange eggs are a mainstay of Swedish cuisine, topping endless dishes (most notably toast Skagen) or served as the main event on toast with crème fraîche, onion and dill. Around the Christmas holidays (or any holiday, really), consumption of löjrom goes into overdrive, with the orange gold sitting proudly on festive tables across the country.

Guo is joined by Siri Barje, a TV chef, cookbook author and food stylist (the duo also co-host a food podcast, Matpodden), at the epicentre of löjrom lore, Restaurant Operakällaren in Stockholm. It was here, back in the 1950s, that legendary chef Tore Wretman elevated löjrom to a covetable delicacy.

Related: In the kitchen with Tommy Myllymäki

Today, the kitchen at Operakällaren, which boasts one Michelin star, is run by chef Emanuel Tärnqvist. Best known for the restaurant Aloë, which holds two Michelin stars (the restaurant is temporarily closed, following the tragic passing of Tärnqvist’s co-founder, Daniel Höglander), Tärnqvist was named executive chef at the historic restaurant in April of last year.

In this special edition of ‘In the Kitchen’, we find Tärnqvist in the bustling back of house at Operakällaren, where he cooks up two dishes: his löjrom-forward “rice in sauce” and his now-famous sweet treat, “coconut and caviar”. Guo and Barje have the pleasure of tasting both dishes.

Ingredients
Rice

• 3dl sushi rice
• Plenty of water + salt for boiling

Butter sauce

• 400 g butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 peperoncino (or to taste), thinly sliced
• 3 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 dl fish or mussel stock
• 1 dl dry white wine
• To finish
• Juice of ½ lemon (or to taste)
• 1 dl finely grated Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cook the rice

1. Cook the sushi rice like pasta in plenty of well-salted water until tender but still with a slight bite.
2. Drain in a colander and quickly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Let drain well.

Make the sauce

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat with a knob of butter or some olive oil.
2. Add the garlic, peperoncino and anchovies.
3. Sauté gently until the garlic is lightly golden and the anchovies have melted into the oil.
4. Pour in the fish or mussel stock and the white wine. Let it simmer briefly.
5. Transfer the mixture to a tall container. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
6. Then, with the blender running, gradually add the cold butter cubes a little at a time until you have a glossy, smooth butter sauce.

Combine
Fold the rice into the butter sauce. Let it rest for about a minute so the rice absorbs the flavours.

Finish
Season with lemon juice, finely grated Parmesan, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Adjust acidity and salt to taste.

To serve
Serve immediately in deep bowls. If desired, top with extra Parmesan.