Starters

The starter sets the tone for the whole dinner. Here you will find light, fresh and slightly festive dishes that wake up the appetite without spoiling it: from toasts and carpaccio to soups and ceviche. Most of them can be prepared well ahead, so you can be with your guests when they arrive.

Gazpacho

Our take on the classic Spanish soup: cool, refreshing and full of flavour, and perfect as a starter on a warm summer evening. It is best made ahead, so the flavours have time to develop.

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Deep-Fried Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Crisp, golden cauliflower florets with a rich cheese sauce. At first glance cauliflower can seem a rather dull vegetable, with its pale, slightly beige colour. But it is something of a rough diamond: cooked the right way it has both great flavour and an interesting texture. Lifted by a light, crisp batter and a good cheese sauce, it becomes something special.

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Shrimp Ceviche

Ceviche is Peru's national dish, traditionally made with fresh white fish marinated in lime, but here we use shrimp, which work beautifully. In the photo we have swapped the coriander for flat-leaf parsley, which works just as well if you're not a fan of coriander. Adjust the chilli and garlic to your own and your guests' taste: as written, this is quite a hot dish.

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Warm Chanterelle Salad with Halloumi

Chanterelles, red onion and fried halloumi in a warm salad with sugar snap peas, tomatoes and walnuts. A vegetarian starter with lots of flavours, and in larger portions just as good as a main course or a late-summer lunch.

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Salmon Pâté with Pickled Ginger and Croutons

Pâté has lived a rather quiet life since its glory days back in the 1970s – which is a shame, because it’s a wonderfully versatile dish that can be adapted with an endless variety of flavours and textures. Here, we’ve gone for a classic salmon pâté, combining familiar flavours with a subtle Asian twist from the pickled ginger. An intriguing and flavourful dish that feels just right for autumn.

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Shrimp Cocktail with Avocado Mousse

A true classic in all its simplicity. Shrimp and avocado are a perfect match, with a gentle kick of chilli and a fresh touch of acidity from the lemon bringing everything together. Just as delicious served as a starter as it is enjoyed as a light bite in the evening sun.

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Butter-Sautéed Asparagus with Air-Dried Ham

Green asparagus sautéed in butter, paired with salty air-dried ham and a fragrant dill oil, makes for a classic, quick and effortless starter where clean flavours and crisp textures take centre stage. An elegant way to begin the menu, requiring very little time at the stove.

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Tapas

Spanish tapas is a wonderfully easy and relaxed way to create a Mediterranean-inspired starter that both looks and tastes like a holiday. Tapas classics include a variety of cured meats, olives, bite-sized versions of Spanish tortilla and vegetables preserved in olive oil. Here, we’ve kept things fairly classic and simple, making it perfect as a starter. If you want to turn your tapas into a full meal, simply add a wider selection of small dishes – perhaps even give it a Swedish twist with cubes of Västerbotten cheese, slices of gravlax or some bite-sized Swedish meatballs? When it comes to tapas, the only limit is your imagination.

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Beef Carpaccio

Thinly sliced raw beef fillet with rocket, Parmesan, chilli and lemon, a delicacy from the Italian kitchen. The raw beef appeals to something wonderfully primal, while the other ingredients lend the dish an air of sophistication.

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Christmas Starter: Herring, Gravlax and Jansson's

This starter brings together three classics from the opening round of a traditional Swedish Christmas table: creamy mustard herring, gravlax and Jansson’s temptation. Each is served on a slice of hearty wholegrain bread, with a discreet nod to Denmark’s wonderful smørrebrød.

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Chanterelle Soup

Chanterelles are the hidden gold nuggets of the autumn forest, a real delicacy that can be hard to find unless you know where to look. Once you have found your chanterelle spot, which sometimes turns out to be the vegetable aisle of the supermarket, you can enjoy this culinary treat. Chanterelles go especially well with butter and cream, and together they make a gastronomic highlight. The soup is fairly quick to make, but it can of course also be made the day before and warmed up when the guests arrive. As the host, it is nice to have time for your guests too.

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Goat Cheese Toast with Toasted Pine Nuts and Lemon Honey

Warm, golden goat cheese on crisp butter-fried bread, with salt-roasted pine nuts and a drizzle of lemon honey. A quick starter where the tang of the cheese and the sweetness of the honey balance each other perfectly.

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Gratinated Cauliflower Soup

At first glance cauliflower may seem a rather dull vegetable, with its pale colour leaning towards beige. But it is something of a rough diamond on the vegetable counter and, cooked right, offers both great flavour and an interesting texture. In a soup it adds body and a mild flavour that plays delicately with the other ingredients.

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Seared Scallops with White Wine Sauce

A true delicacy from the sea. With their velvety texture and fresh taste of the ocean, scallops are a dream for the taste buds, and a fresh white wine sauce makes the experience complete. Here we have garnished them with two simple chive stems.

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