Lunds Saluhall and some yummy Seafood Crepes

OK, we’re going to get to the Seafood Crepes, but first a little about Lund.  Lund is a very quaint city located in the South of Sweden. With its characteristic cobblestone streets and buildings dating back hundreds of years, it’s a must-see destination.  Famous for Lund Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1145 (yep it’s 873 years old) and indeed visited by Pope Francis in October of 2016.  Lund University, located in the heart of the city, is a globally recognized institute of higher learning, famous for studies in many fields such as medicine and related sciences. Currently with about 42,000 students, it comprises about 47% of Lund’s total population. So, you see, Lund is a “college town”.

Lunds Saluhall, image courtesy of TripAdvisor

Most importantly (to me) it’s close to home (about 30 minutes) and full of wonderful places to dine and markets to shop.  Lunds Saluhall is just one of those spots and it’s a consummate favorite in our house.

First, you might ask, what’s a saluhall?  Simply put, it’s a “food hall”.  Now what can be bad about that?  You’ll find these lovelies in all the major cities in Sweden.  Perhaps the finest and our personal favorite is Östermalms Saluhall in Stockholm.   My-o-my, it’s a foodie’s heaven.  Lunds Saluhall began in in 1906 as a sale house for meats, fish and cheese.  It waned in and out of popularity during the mid-1900’s until the mid-1970’s when it began its transition into the modern food hall of today, currently housing 18 food shops and dining spots.

So, let’s head on in and have a look around and yes, the crepes are on their way.

As you enter from Mårtenstorget square, your sense of smell is awakened by the aroma of cheese.  The Osthuset cheese shop has an enviable selection of cheeses of all types from around the world.  Some mild some mighty bold, but all fine.

There’re several food stalls selling meats, lovely chocolates, poultry both fresh and ready to eat and a place to grab a wrap. 

In addition, there’s a fine bakery and a Thai, a Vietnamese and a Sushi take-away, as well as dine-in spots.  Nobody leaves hungry, unless they wish to.

Tucked away next to the butcher and across from the conventioneer is Petersborgs Gårdsbutik (farm shop), which is actually run by the farmers.  They also carry items from farms in their area.  But more on this later, as we’re planing an early summer post on Petersborgs farm and farm stores (they have two).

But, by far, our favorite market is the fish monger.  Malmstens Fisk has it all, if it’s available.  They always have a wonderful assortment of fresh fish; fresh Norwegian salmon, cod from the North Sea, together with fish that has been smoked and pickled.  Indeed, they have fish that look strange and I know not what they are.

But most importantly, they have the seafood crepes we mentioned in our last post, Svenska pannkakor…the traditional Thursday night dessert… These are the crepes we’re going to show you how to make in just a short bit.  But first, we’re going next door (literally) to Malmstens Kök to enjoy a fine lunch and a glass of white.  Well, I had a glass of yummy Nils Oscar Lager.

Malmstens Kök is one of our favorite Lund lunch spots.  As they can just reach around the corner to get the fish, this fine place is all about seafood.

It’s cafe dining style is even more enjoyable by its setting in an open-air location.  A great “people watching” spot to grab a lunch and a cool one or to meet friends at for an after-work drink.

The menu is on the board and as can be seen, there have been many listings since the last board washing.  For this day you can choose between Kolja (haddock) with a sauté of fennel, pear and roasted onion, served with steam new potatoes and a dollop of whipped butter with garlic and tarragon.  If you wish to have something a bit lighter, go for the cold smoked salmon open-faced sandwich with red beets and horseradish sauce or a shrimp open-faced sandwich.  These are like the one in our “Sandwich with Cold Smoked Salmon and Shrimp” post.  Want something warm and quick, it’s hard to beat their famous fish soup.

This day Eva chose the cold smoke salmon open-faced sandwich (lower right) and I went for the Kolja (haddock) with a sauté of fennel, pear and roasted onion (lower left).  And, always an abundance of incredible sourdough bread and fresh Swedish butter.  Maybe that’s the real reason I like to eat here.

In addition to Malmstens, Lunds Saluhall has other dining spots.  There’s an American burger joint, a classic French bistro, a wine bar, sushi bar, tapas bar and an Italian Trattoria.  And, should you need to refill your wine rack or pick-up a bottle of booze, there’s the Systembolaget, Sweden’s government run liquor store monopoly.

FYI: in 2016 Sweden’s Systembolaget had sales of SEK 28.5 billion (US$3.5 billion).  Keep in mind, we’re only just over 9 million population here.  They did make a profit of SEK 289 million (US$35 million).  They did this in 438 stores and 500 agency stores with 5,461 employees.  They have approx. 16,950 items available.  Now that’s a lot of booze… Indeed, Sweden is considered to have the single largest wine buying power in the world.  Oh, and that SEK 289 million, it doesn’t go to rich fat cats, instead it goes back into the government coffers to help pay for a wonderful healthcare system, magnificent public transit, top notch educational system and more.

 Now, about those Seafood Crepes!

Jump to Recipe

Just follow along and we’ll show you step-by-step how easy these guys are to make.

Grab some bowls and let’s get cracking putting together some yummy Seafood Crepes.

Remember those Swedish Pancakes (Svenska Pannkakor) we showed you how to make in our last post, “Svenska pannkakor…the traditional Thursday night dessert…”?  Well, you’re going to need a batch of those to make these lovely seafood crepes.  No time to make crepes, you can use commercially made crepes available at most markets.  But, if you have time, it’s much better with homemade pannkakor (crepes).

We’ve got our crepes and we’re ready to go.  Begin by placing a crepe on a flat surface (above, top left image).  Next place a quarter of the seafood filling mix on the center of the crepe (above, top right).  Not to worry, the recipe for the filling is below.  Now, fold the two sides inward toward the center of the crepe (above, center left).  By now, you’ve likely figured out that this is like making a burrito.  Now, roll the top of the crepe towards you to cover the filling (above, center right).  This is where you tuck in the edges and make the final turn (bottom left).  You now have a completed crepe, ready to be put in a pan and popped into the oven ( above, bottom right).  Repeat this process for the number of crepes you’re making.

FYI: If you prefer, you can simply roll the pancakes without tucking in the sides (burrito style).  However, we find by tucking the sides in, all that lovely filling and seafood stays in the crepe.

Let’s talk variations.  You can use a variety of seafood for these crepes.  My personal favorite is to add a piece of uncooked salmon on top of the filling prior to rolling and cooking.  Once cooked, the salmon comes out just cooked and very moist.  You could throw in a couple “Flash Cooked Asparagus“.  Not into seafood, try using cooked ham or rotisserie chicken instead of seafood.  The world is your crepe.

FYI: Neither the filling mix, nor the crepes freeze well.  We recommend making the amount you plan to eat that day.  However, if you do make extra they can be refrigerated and reheated the next day.

Once you have your crepes assembled, set them in the oven pan of choice and sprinkle on some cheese.  I like using an oven-proof frying pan, as the crepes are easier to get out of the pan and onto a plate.  Slide the crepes into the middle rack of a 200° C (390° F) oven for 12-15 minutes.

Serve your Swedish Seafood Crepes with a fresh garden salad and some fresh asparagus or veggie of choice.  When entertaining, we love to start with our lovely “Cold Smoked Salmon and Asparagus with Smoked Salmon Deviled Egg” appetizer followed by these yummy seafood crepes.

We hope you enjoyed our journey through Lunds Saluhall and the making of the Seafood Crepes.

Swedish Seafood Crepes

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Seafood, Swedish

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 2 crepes

Calories: 408 kcal

Author: Ron

A delicious seafood crepes that’s easy to make and lovely for that special brunch, lunch or even a light dinner. The crepes can be prepared ahead, ready to pop in the oven when the guests arrive.

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Ingredients

• 2 9" (23 cm) Svenska Pannakor (Swedish Pancakes), (see note 1)

Filling

• 1 small Spanish (red) onion, finely chopped.
• 1 clove Fresh garlic, finely minced.
• 3.5 oz (100 g) Fresh mushrooms, finely chopped.
• 3.5 oz (100 g) Fresh bay shrimp, (see note 2).
• 4 tbsp (4 msk) Butter.
• 2 tbsp (2 msk) All purpose flour.
• 1.25 Cups (400 ml) Milk.
• 4 tbsp White wine.
• 1 cup (2.25 dl) Aged cheedar cheese (See note 3) , grated.
• 1 handful Fresh dill or tarragon, finely chopped.
• Salt and white pepper, to taste.

Instructions

White wine seafood sauce (filling)

1. Finely chop mushrooms, red onion and raw shrimp (if using) to about the same size.  Reserve for use later.
   

2. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter till is bubbles.  Careful here, don't let it burn.  Once the butter is bubbly, sift in the flour while constantly stirring. Like making a white sauce.
   

3. Once the flour and butter (roux) has cooked for a couple of minutes, slowly stir in the milk.
   

4. Once the milk is blended well with the roux and this sauce thickens add the wine.  Continue to cook a couple of minutes, stirring as you go.  Reduce heat to medium-low.
   

5. You should have a nice white wine sauce at this point.  Now, add your onion and garlic and cook another few minutes or until the onion is tender.
   

6. Add half of the grated cheese to the sauce and stir until melted and blended in.  Remove pot from the heat at this point.  Let cool slightly.
   

7. Now,stir in the herbs (tarragon or dill), mushrooms and shrimp.  Taste for seasoning.  Transfer the filling for your pot into a bowl and begin assembly.
   

Seafood Crepe Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 200° C (390° F).

2. Begin by placing a pannkaka/crepe on a flat surface such as a large plate.
   

   

3. Now place a quarter of the White wine seafood sauce (filling) on the center of the crepe. See note 4.
   

   

4. Next, fold the two sides inward toward the center of the crepe, like making a burrito.
   

   

5. Roll the top of the crepe towards you to cover the filling.

   

6. Roll over another quarter of a turn.  Here is where you tuck in the edges and get ready for the final turn.
   

   

7. Complete the turn and make sure the seam is down.  Repeat for a total of four crepes.  See note 4.
   

   

8. Place the crepes, seam down, in a oven pan of choice and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Feel free to add or subtract cheese to your liking.  Place pan with the crepes on the middle rack of preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

   

9. Serve hot with a fresh garden salad and some fresh asparagus or veggies of choice.

   

Recipe Notes

Please note that the quantities can be changed by entering the amount you wish in the quantity indicator.  However, the metric will not change. 

Notes

1. Commercial made crepes, available at local markets, can be substituted.
2. Cooked small bay (salad) shrimp, hand peeled jarred shrimp (Sweden) or finely chopped fresh uncooked shrimp can be used.
3. "Boars Head" ages cheddar would be a good choice.  In Sweden, we recommend Västerbotten Ost.
4. If using smaller crepes/pancakes adjust filling by number of crepes. 

Please note nutritional information shown is for the filling of the Seafood Crepe.  Please see previous Svenska Pannkakor post for crepe/pancake information.

 

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