Stockholm: Folklore and Potatoes

image from lonelyplanet.com

Stockholm is a beautiful city, made up of 17 islands.  I stayed in the Gamla Stan, which is the medieval and original part of the city.  Close to my hotel was a cosy and charming bakery called Fabrique, which featured delicious cardamom rolls.

bakery window

charming interior of the bakery

They are perfect with a caffe latte.

It was lovely to explore the neighbourhood, where I found lots of unique shops with local designers and artisan goods.  

Cathedral of Stockholm

I even stopped by the Cathedral near the top of the hill and listened to the gorgeous voices of the choir practicing there.  

And in keeping with the charm of the neighbourhood, my hotel (Victory Hotel) was cosy and comfortable with great service and even an archeological exhibit with basement where breakfast was served.

my cosy sleeping nook

Along with exploring the Medieval Museum, my favourite attraction was the Nordiska Museum.  

Among the many exhibitions, they had a fascinating exhibit on the Sami culture, the indigenous people who live in the north of Sweden, Norway, and Finland.  (For more info, read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people.)  I especially admired the metalwork embroidery and the bright colours used in their clothing.

Sami embroidered pouch

interior of museum with cafe

The museum cafe was very popular.

daily menu blackboard

my lunch

I ordered the sausage with creamed potatoes and pickled beets.  Very tasty and satisfying.  The sausage used was Isterband, which is a lightly smoked sausage made from pork, barley groats, and potato.  It is prepared by first letting it ferment and then lightly smoking it, to create a distinct, both acidic and slightly smoky flavour. If you can’t find Isterband in your local markets, I’m sure that these potatoes will be tasty with any type of smoked sausage.

These potatoes are so full on yummy that you may want to make this with all kinds of meals.

Servings 5-6

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups cream
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Boil whole, unpeeled potatoes in unsalted water until fork-tender. Remove and allow to sit until cool enough to touch.
2. Peel potatoes, then chop into 1” dice.
3. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together butter and flour to make a light roux, but do not allow to darken.
4. Add cream, salt, and pepper and whisk steadily until incorporated and thickened into a Béchamel cream sauce, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in potatoes, turn heat to medium-low, and allow potatoes to stew just until warmed. Garnish with chopped dill and serve.