w stands for wallenbergaren

Day 26; W stands for Wallenbergaren – a posh Swedish hamburger

“That is all written in the jus”
Werner Vögeli

This one of my absolute favorite dishes; a very Swedish traditional dish – that have been looked at as the posh relative to our other hamburger that is called Pannbiff, witch is made of minced pork – Wallenbergaren is made of minced veal. A dish have made it is come back big time lately – now often seen on restaurants lunch menus. It’s a fantastic dish.

A Wallenbergare is a hamburger which consists of finely minced veal. Other ingredients include: cream, egg yolks, salt, pepper and fresh breadcrumbs. Wallenbergaren be fried very easily, be light inside and only light brown on the surface. Wallenbergare often served with boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes and green peas. In  my book is Lingonberries a MUST with dish.

Dish is said to be named after the family Wallenberg. The Wallenberg family has a strong culinary tradition. Peter Wallenberg’s grandmother, Amalia Wallenberg, was the daughter of 1800s Great, Swedish food creator, Charles Emil Hagdahl. Probably originated the recipe from him and the right is actually an evolution of the classic, Russian, chopped veal chops “Pojarski” The Wallenberg family is one of the most significant and influential families in Swedish history, goes back to the middle of the 1800’s. I will come to one member of the family during next years challenge, Raul Wallenberg.

When I going to do Wallenbergare I ask my supermarket to grind the minced veal one time more through a slightly finer grinder plate. Lucky, because my supermarket has their own butchers. The mince has to be very lean and fine. Also for this dish is important that you use double cream and real butter. And make sure that bread isn’t fresh – 2 days old at least. I always sliced bread in the freezer, because I love toast made out of frozen bread, it comes out so much crisper. This the recipe I always use and it belongs to our former Royal Executive Chef, Werner Vögeli – he became the Royal Executive Chef in 1977 – that means he was responsible for all official royal meals, until 1996. Werner became of one of our most beloved top chefs – born in Bern, Switzerland, 1930 and died in Stockholm, 2007.  The Swedish chefs are doing very well in all the International gastronomic competitions, one of the most successful countries in the world.

Wallenbergare, 5 serves
400 g / 1 pound veal (preferably topside), absolutely free of tendons and fat
4 egg yolks
4 dl/13.5 fl oz double cream
1.5 tsp salt
1 pinch white pepper
2 slices of white bread
butter for frying
1. Grind the meat three times through the fine disc for meat grinder. Next, add the ground meat in a bowl in the fridge. Feel free to stand bowl in a larger bowl with ice in the bottom so that the ground meat gets really cold.
2. Mix the mince with salt, pepper and egg yolks. Add the cream, a little at a time, under heavy stirring with a wooden spoon. Let the mince rest.
3. Tear bread slices on a grater or with a mixer. Sprinkle then out half the bread crumbs on a waxed paper.
4. Share minced into five patties and put them in the breadcrumbs. Flatten to five steaks, about 1.5 centimeters thick. Sprinkle rest of crumbs on the burgers.
5. Heat a frying pan and add the butter. Fry Wallenbergs golden brown on both sides gently over low heat, about 4 minutes on each side.
6. Put Wallenbergs on a warm serving dish or directly on the plate. To get all the goodie out of the frying pan add another knob of butter it – stir and pour over the Wallenbergs. 7. Serve with extra fine mashed potatoes, tiny green peas and lingonberries.

We don’t serve the dish with any sauce – just the melted butter from the frying pan after the Wallenbergs has been done. This is dish that you can’t go wrong with – if you make it for your family or when the boss comes for dinner with his wife. Or for yourself as a lonely diner. Very posh in all it’s simpleness.

Time to use Marie on her own – 50% of Roxette. Marie is a very popular and sucessful as solo artist too. I personal think she has a fantastic voice and I just love this track.

“Där Du Andas” (Where You Breathe) is a ballad written by Anders Glenmark and Diamond Rio, and recorded by Marie Fredriksson in 2008 as the soundtrack to the film “Arn – The Kingdom at Road’s End” In 2002 was Marie diagnosed with brain cancer – in 2009 she did her come back both on stage and in the studio.

“Where You Breathe”

“Ghosts and games, doubt and forced
The moon rises it sees what you want
Lights in the night, and the rays follow me
they hear me whisper to

Where you breathe, where you love
where I want to live my time on earth
Where we sing all heaven angels get
desire the same song

The sound of us sounds so clean
becomes a picture of the way of love
and the hope and faith that nothing is too late
the heart will find peace

Where you breathe, where you love
where I want to live my time on earth
Where we sing all heaven angels get
desire for the same song

at the same time in the same song

Where you breathe, where you love
where I want to live my time on earth
Where we sing

The same desire the same dreams
the same moon, the same notes as the same voice
the same song”

Photos provided by and thanks to:
Gallery 1; ac108.com/baomi.com/usonoticias.com/facebook.com/
hbl.fi/tradeindia.com/brannisterdown.com.au
Gallery 2; sverigesradio.se/alltommat.se/seriouseat.com/vk.com/
nukokarjag.se
Other; winedine.se & Feature image; sverigesradio.se
Werner; gastromonisverige.se & Marie; vmuzike.net