Guest cook: Thomas Lorentzen – Denmark

It ‘s Wednesday and the first evening of the festival, we have a table booked at The Fish Company at 17:30. Outside it ‘s still bright but inside the restaurant the lights have been turned down low. The atmosphere is cozy and relaxing. I immidiety start unwinding in my chair surrounded by a unique decor with a vintage Icelandic touch. The staff make us feel very welcome. There are a lot of waiters in the room, they all radiate professionalism and it‘s clear that everyone is ready for tonight‘s service.

We have decided to enjoy tonight‘s menu along with specially selected wines. The first wine is Yalumba Viognier from South Africa. The wine aromatic, full bodied and dense.

 

The bread is beautifully presented, it comes with three types of spreads.

– Bread, whipped butter with bacon, whipped butter with onion and cranberry and red onion jam.

Something more than just plain old butter. The jam is adventurous and the bacon butter hits the spot.

 

We start by getting an amuse bouche.

– Dried chicken skin, mayonnaise with smoked cod roe, vinegar powder and watercress .

The chicken skin is crisp and salty. The mayonnaise gives a creamy texture that softens the saltiness. The vinegar gives some bitterness along with acidity. This is a crunchy „amuse“ which starts up the palate with a bang and will compliment any aperitif there is. Yalumba Viognier is a great match with the rich flavour of the chicken skin.

 

The first course of the evening.

– Salted lobster, pickled cucumber, kohlrabi strips, romaine purée , dill tops and mussle broth, poured at the table, with buttermilk and dill oil.

” Spring is in the air ” is the first thing I that comes to my mind when the fresh, green aroma arises from the plate. I start looking forward to summer with it‘s lush, green grass. The first thing I notice is that the lobster is served room temperature, the temperature has changed the texture of the lobster which melts in the mouth, the cooking is perfect. The kohlrabi is crisp and the cucumber is refreshing. Mild flavors describe this dish where each item gets their moment in the spotlight. Dill and lobster are a fantastic combination, forget about the garlic!!

The wine with the next course is Robertson Winery Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. The wine is not as aggressive as the first wine. It‘s balanced with a firm body, fruity and has a fresh acidity which is distinctive for the Sauvignon Blanc grape.

 

The second course is a fish course .

– Oven baked cod, potatoe purée , vinegar onion, egg sauce, potato crumble and garden cress.

I start by tasting the beautiful garden cress that gives the dish so much life . The garden cress is subtle with a strong aftertaste which is going to give the dish a delicate kick. The Cod is firm although the fish fillet falls apart by the slightest touch. The Cod is served room temperature , again!! I think this is a bold move by Thomas and I‘m completely fascinated by the transformation of the density in the texture of the fish. The egg sauce coats the mouth and the acidity from the wine cleanses the palate with style. The onion is bitter and sweet while the potato crumle gives salt and depth to the dish. A well thought out combination of flavours and a fantastic version of a simple Icelandic dish i.e. Cod, potatoes, onion and hollandaise.

The wine with tonight‘s main course is Réne Muré Pinot Noir from Alsace. A wine which is very light in colour and body. Aromas of red berries and heather, wonderfully fresh and delicate wine.

 

The main course tonight looks extremely exciting
 

• Charred fillet of Icelandic lamb seasoned with hay, fennel, onion and garlic. Beetroot in two ways, slowly cooked lamb shoulder and lamb glace with marrow, hazelnuts and morels. Mint.

Thomas himself serves the main course, he pours the sauce while explaning the dish and the cooking methods. Super cool presentation, the fillet looks like a piece of coal. The beetroots create a fresh contrast with the smokey flavours from the lamb. Unfortunately the fillet is a bit over cooked but since we are the first table of the festival I believe that this will change. The shoulder has a powerful flavour from the slow cooking method. Here we definitely have the wine match of the night, the beetroots compliment this Pinot beautifully.

We move on to the sweet wine with our dessert, Morande Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. A big bodied dessert wine with aromas of honey, dates and apricots. The waiter tells us about the method of production while he pours our glasses. Impressive.

 

The dessert is green like summer.

• Cream cheese, „skyr“ sorbet, meringue, apples, walnuts, white chocolate crumble and sorrel sauce.

An interesting dessert, light and fresh. The chocolate crumle is crunchy, delicate and tastes like an Italian white nougat. The sorrel sauce perfectly balances sweet and sour. Again every item of the dish is the star of the show. Personally I love desserts which are light, this one is also simple and honest. The wine was overpowering though, I would have chosen a sparkling sweet wine because you have to match the weight of the dish.

 

Thomas Lorenzen comes from Denmark. He graduated as a chef in 2006. Thomas seeks his inspiration in New Nordic cuisine together with classic French cuisine. In 2007, Thomas became a head chef at the restaurant Kadeau in Bornholm . Kadeau is a seasonal restaurant which is only open during summer, when all of their ingredients are in season. I asked Thomas if he thought Bornholm was similar to Iceland in some way? Being stuck on a small island makes it more difficult to get fresh produce from other countries, you always have to wait. Thomas said that he was a bit disappointed not being able to use more Icelandic vegetables while being here. But that he can understand why the Food & Fun Festival is held in February: February is usually the slowest month in restaurant industry in Europe, except for Valentine’s Day, which makes it easier having chefs over from other countries. Thomas now works as a chef at Nimba Terrasse in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

I am looking forward to visit Thomas in Tivoli to experience his adventurous cooking skills again. It is obvious that Thomas thinks a lot about the different textures put together to create a dish and he uses the effect of temperature to control the texture. When I asked him about his temperature pervertism he said that texture is always on the top of his mind in his menu creations. This was delivered beautifully throughout his cooking.

Words: Tinna Óðinsdóttir
Photos: Birta Rán Björgvinsdóttir

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