Tip from Sweden's Chef of the Year.

"Ecological isn't always the best way to go," says this year’s Chef of the Year in Sweden, Viktor Westerlind, whose winning recipe, Hind loin with thyme, can be sampled here. 

  • This year’s Chef of the Year in Sweden, Viktor Westerlind. Photo: Magnus Skoglöf.

  • Westerlind believes that buying products that are grown nearby is much more important. “Buying a product from Södertälje is better than buying an ecological product from Colombia,” he says. “It’s obviously more environmental friendly to buy products that have been locally produced than products that have traveled halfway across the globe.”
    The chef of the year works at Fredsgatan 12 in Stockholm, www.fredsgatan12.com More info on the contest: www.aretskock.se

  • Viktor Westerlind's winning dish: Hind loin with thyme. Photo: Magnus Skoglöf.

  • Viktor Westerlind's winning dish based on supplied ingredients in a basket
    Hind loin with thyme

  • Viktor Westerlind's other dish, by choice and on the theme 'Natural meets technique' Photo: Magnus Skoglöf. Description of the dish in Swedish: Havsvattenrimmad mjölkbakad sejrygg med citronette, knaperstekt slag och krispigt skinn. Mörkokt fänkålshjärta fylld med musslor samt svensk choucroute på fänkål. Serverad med räkpotatis och lågtempererad råräka, ängamatsgrönsaker samt fänkålsvelouté.

  • Ingredients:
    About 2 lbs of hind loin
    Salt and pepper
    Olive oil
    2 Tablespoons butter
    2 garlic cloves
    10 branches of thyme

  • This year’s Chef of the Year in Sweden, Viktor Westerlind. Photo: Magnus Skoglöf.

  • Debone and polish the meat, salt and pepper it and fry quickly in the olive oil. Put in an ovenproof dish and bake 250F until it reaches a temperature of 143F. Let it rest for 10 minutes. When serving: Fry the meat with the fatty side down in a frying pan, so that the fat melts a bit. When it begins to color, add butter, crushed garlic, and thyme. Turn the steak and pour over the frying fat, fry for another 2 minutes. Make sure the temperature is about 149F. Cut into thin slices.

  • Choucroute
    1 fennel
    1 leek
    8 oz white wine
    10 branches thyme, leaves picked
    2 Tablespoons butter
    salt and pepper
    Clean and julienne fennel and leek. Bring wine to a boil and add fennel and leek, let boil until wine is completely gone. Add thyme and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  • Cream of onion
    2 large yellow onion
    1 leek
    8 oz milk
    8 oz heavy cream
    2 Tablespoons crème fraiche
    juice of half a lemon
    salt and pepper
    Peel and coarsely chop the onions. Clean and cut the leek. Boil the onion in the heavy cream until soft. Strain and save the liquid. Puree the onion with a hand-blender, add the liquid and add crème fraiche and lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.

  • Roasted onion
    1 yellow onion
    4 oz olive oil
    Peel and finely chop the onion. Brown it in the oil until golden. Strain the onion and put on a piece of paper towel. When serving: Put the roasted onion of top of the Cream of onion.

  • Apricot compote
    8 oz dried apricots
    8 oz white wine
    4 oz water
    sherry vinegar
    salt and pepper

  • Chop the apricots rather coarsely. Let boil in wine and water until a compote. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

  • Vinegar jus
    ½ yellow onion
    olive oil
    8 oz red wine
    1.2 cups beef bouillon
    10 branches thyme
    1 branch rosemary
    1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
    salt and pepper
    1 Tablespoon butter
    Peel and chop the onion. Fry in oil until transparent. Add wine and let boil. Add buillon and let boil. Add herbs and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.
    When serving: Strain and warm up the jus. Add butter.

  • Garnish
    Fresh chervil.