The Swedish Korvkiosk

After several years eating pølser in Denmark I figured it was time to see what was going on in Sweden. I had heard about hotdogs with mashed potatos on top, and shrimp salad and the famous tunnbrödsrulle so i was excited to taste these exotic hotdogs across the Øresundsbro.



Hotdogs are called korv in Swedish and are served from a korvkiosk. korv was first served in Stockholm in 1897 by "korv ladies" carrying trays of hotdogs around their necks, then sold from kiosks in the 1950's. Most kiosks are stationary, unlike carts in America or Denmark.

My first stop was "Pølsemannen" a mobile kiosk selling a limited selection of dogs in a large "Chicago" bun. This was a pleasant suprise because in Scandinavia the regular bun you get is so small I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I was first served one. I had a chorizo with mustard and crisp onions. A tame but tasty start to the day.

My next stop was a larger korvkiosk serving all types of korv as well as burgers and ice cream. This time i tried a korv topped with räksallad (shrimps in mayonaise). It was messy, but good.



After a few beers on an outdoor patio we moved on to another place and tried a korv with mos and bostongurka as well as the swedish specialty köttbullar with lingonberry sauce. Both were good, but very filling.

Unforunately I left the biggest for last. Tunnbrödsrulle is a monster. Two korv wrapped inside a tortilla like flat bread with mashed potatos, shrimp salad, relish, mustard, and ketchup. This is the classic late night after pub food.
I was too full. It was too much, even for me. I promise I will go back soon and try one with the chocolate drink "pucko", but not today!

Thanks to Mia Hargreave for her hotdog photography

Pani cà Meusa

Pani cà Meusa Stand

If it's traditional regional cuisine I'll try it. Pani cà meusa is a local Sicilian sandwich. Cow spleen is sliced thinly and slowly stewed in lard and served on a burger style bun with grated caciocavallo cheese and a squeeze of lemon. You can also order it maritato "married", which comes topped with ricotta cheese as well

I had never tried spleen, but i like liver so I ordered one on the way home from a wine bar. It was OK, but it's not in my top ten late night snack experiences. It's popular though, there was a line-up at midnight.
                              
                Here is a video about a pani cà meusa stand in Vucciria Market                                               

Arancini in Palermo

One of my all time favorite snacks are arancini. A Sicilian speciality of fried rice balls with various fillings. I've put them on the menu as an appetizer at a few of my restaurants and was excited to try "the real deal" when I was in Palermo.

Palermo Central Station

Nearby Market

Newstand

Arancini means "little oranges" in Sicilian and they can be found all over Palermo but the best ones i had were at the train station. Saffron coloured rice is formed around a ragu of tomato, meat and peas, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown. They're about the size of a baseball and a great deal for €1.30 at several kiosks in the station. Soft and crispy at the same time, the arancini here are a bit messy, because the filling is so juicy. They taste amazing, but take a couple of napkins from the stand

Arancini can also be filled with cheese, prosciutto, or seafood. In restaurants I serve mine stuffed with mozzarella di bufala and served with a sundried tomato arrabiata sauce. In Rome these are known as supplì al telefono, because when you break them apart the strings of cheese in the center resemble telephone wires.

Here is my recipe for mozzarella stuffed arancini:

• 300g Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• 750ml chicken stock
• 250ml tomato juice
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• a few strands of saffron
• 200ml white wine
• 50g grated parmesan
• 150g fresh mozzarella cut in 1cm cubes
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
• salt

1. Saute garlic and rice in a large pan for one minute
2. Add white wine, saffron and half the stock and simmer until liquid is absorbed
3. Add the rest of the stock, tomato juice and about 1 tsp salt and stir until the liquid is absorbed again
4. stir in Parmesan and remove to a bowl until cool enough to handle
5. divide the risotto into approximately 3 tbsp portions. form the portions into ball shapes.
6. Press a hole into the center of each risotto ball and stuff the center with a mozzarella cube
7. Close the risotto around the cheese and roll in breadcrumbs
8. Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown

Serve with arrabiata sauce and fresh basil

see more photos of Palermo at AdventureFood Photo Blog