plate 16: sweden

While on holidays on the not-so-sunny, but totally relaxing Gold Coast, for one night I was transported to Sweden - in the kitchen, of course.

It was going to be tricky to make a meal that was as stunning as the one we had the night before at a beautiful, intimate restaurant, Satiate, in the cute little town of Bangalow on the NSW far north coast. Their five-course degustation was nothing short of remarkable. (They have a SMH Good Food Guide hat, which substantiates my judgement.)

But from the humble kitchen of our little holiday apartment I was set to create a Swedish meal that was just as memorable. And, just like a piece of IKEA furniture, it didn't disappoint. The meal was simple in design - meatballs and potato bake; easy to assemble when following detailed instructions; and very satisfying once complete. Thankfully, the recipes were easy peasy - not like following that crazy muppet - The Swedish Chef.

Swedish meatballs - kottbullar (pronounced "shirt-boolar") are no ordinary meatballs. Across Sweden they're served at smorgasbords and lovingly referred to as "Mum's meatballs" because every household has their own recipe. Essentially, though, they contain mince meat, onion, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices, and some, like the ones I made, even feature mashed potato - a wonderful thing for a girl who loves starchy carbs. And with cream-based gravy poured over the top, plus a few little sliced gherkins and a glass of chilled red from the lush Queensland town of Mount Tamborine, they taste excellent.

On the side I served Janssons Frestelse (said yahn-sons freh-stel-seh), which means Jansson's Temptation. Uh huh, it was tempting alright. It's traditionally served at Christmas when the weather is bitterly cold in Sweden, so that semi-suited the weather we were having on the GC. OK, it would be melodramatic to say it was freezing, but it was a little wet and chilly at times. Instead of cutting the potatoes into rounds as you would for a gratin, you cut the potatoes into matchsticks, layer it with onions, deliciously salty anchovies, pour over a basic cream sauce and sprinkle over some breadcrumbs. An hour later, there you have it: a super-fabulous potato bake sporting a crunchy golden top - and a meal that'll be gobbled up quick.