The Swedish Bowl

Ludwig Tjörnemo, Chef of the Year 2020, created the 'Swedish Bowl' — a Swedish interpretation of a poké bowl that has become a popular dish among Swedes. "“I wanted the dish to feel modern, contemporary, healthy and consist of easily accessible ingredients. It is easy to prepare and it is also easy to vary the ingredients according to the seasons and add your own favorite greens, herbs or spices.” 

  • The competition “Årets Kock” (Chef of the Year), the Swedish Professional Cooking Championship, is held every year. Sweden’s top chefs compete for the title and the 2025 winner and reigning Swedish champion was Ida Bauhn. The reigning champion launches “Årets Rätt” (“The Dish of the Year”) the following year to inspire home cooks to more sustainable and simple but still exciting cooking. We are eagerly awaiting this year’s dish by the 2025 winner but decided to share an earlier winner’s recipe — a perfect choice for spring.

  • Ludwig Tjörnemo, Chef of the Year 2020, created the Swedish Dish of the Year 2021 — a Swedish interpretation of a poké bowl that has become a popular dish among Swedes. "Creating Dish of the Year 2021 was a fun assignment,” Tjörnemo says. “I wanted the dish to feel modern, contemporary, healthy and consist of easily accessible Swedish ingredients. It is easy to prepare and it is also easy to vary the ingredients according to the seasons and add your own favorite greens, herbs or spices.”

  • The Swedish bowl
    Serves 2

  • Base
    1/2 cup (1 dl) yellow peas
    1/2 cup (1 dl) wheat berries (optional substitution is pearled barley)
    1/4 cup (0.5 dl) sunflower seeds

  • Dressing
    1/2 cup (1 dl) oil
    4 tbsp (50 g) herbs (parsley, garlic or chives - choose your favorites)
    zest of 1 lemon
    salt
    pepper

  • Cook wheat berries (or barley) and peas until soft in lightly salted water. Roast sunflower seeds in the oven at 300°F for 8 minutes. Mix oil, your favorite herbs and lemon zest until smooth. Then mix everything and serve as a base in the bowl.

  • Protein
    4 chicken thigh fillets
    oil
    ground fennel seeds
    salt

  • Fry the chicken in oil over high heat in a skillet until nicely browned. Season the chicken with ground fennel seeds and salt. Bake in the oven at 300°F until it has a core temperature of 150°F. Take out the chicken and cover with foil so the chicken continues to cook after it is removed from the oven. The chicken is ready at 170°F.

  • Sauce
    7 oz (200 g) watercress or arugula (homegrown watercress gives a classic Swedish flavor to the dish)
    10 oz (3 dl) crème fraiche or sour cream
    salt

  • Mix any kind of garden cress with crème fraiche or sour cream and season with salt.

  • Greens
    1 kohlrabi (optional substitution is turnips)
    1/4 cup (0.5 dl) vinegar
    1/2 cup (1 dl) sugar
    1/4 cup (1 dl) water

  • Thinly slice the kohlrabi. Boil the vinegar, sugar and water. Add the kohlrabi and let it cool.

  • 2 onions
    10 oz (300 g) mushrooms
    10 oz (300 g) beets
    oil
    butter

  • Peel and cut the onions and beets into smaller pieces. Roast in the oven with a little oil and salt at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until they have softened. Cut the mushrooms and fry in butter until they have a nice color. Finish with salt to taste.

  • 1/2 head pointed white cabbage
    50g garden cress

  • Separate the cabbage leaves and blanch them in salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain well, then chop the leaves and combine with the cress/arugula or water cress.

  • Topping
    4 tbsp almonds, toasted
    2 oz (50 g) aged cheese
    chili flakes

  • Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan, then chop them and mix with the chili flakes. To finish, grate the cheese over the dish and sprinkle the almond mixture on top.