The Swedish main ingredients

The competitors have five hours and thirty-five minutes to complete 14 plates of one fish and one meat dish.

The main ingredient for the meat and fish dish is decided by Bocuse d’Or and was announced in November 2013. The main ingredient for the fish dish will be saithe, delivered by Nordsjöfisk, oysters, delivered by Scanfjord and mussels from Grebbestad. The main ingredient for the meat dish will be Swedish young pig from Havor Farm on Gotland, delivered by Svenskt Kött.

In addition to the main ingredient each dish must include garnish and sauce. The ingredients for garnish and sauce is decided by the competitor. New for Bocuse d’Or Europe 2014 is that the fish dish must consist of at least 50 % greens, i.e. produce that grow in nature, ocean, hothouse or garden.

The meat dish is presented on large silver platters and then served onto plates. Ten plates for the jury and four plates for presentation and photography.

The fish dish is presented on a plate. Ten plates for the jury and four plates for presentation and photography.

The courses are judged by a meat and fish jury. There are 10 judges in each jury.

Who will be in the fish respectively meat jury will be drawn the day before the competition. Henrik Norström, president of the Swedish Bocuse d’or Academy, will be the Swedish jury representative.

OYSTERS

The oysters are from Grebbestad as are 90 % of all oysters sold in Sweden. Due to the climate and the temperature  of the water, some of the world’s finest oysters are harvested in Bohuslän, Sweden. Oysters can be found all along the west coast down to Varberg, due to the low salinity of the waters this marks the border of the oyster population. The most densely populated oyster banks/beds can be found at 3-8 meters depth on the southwest side of islands with relatively sandy and slightly slopping ocean beds.

Oysters come in two sizes, 1s and 2s, 2s are smaller and must be a minimum of 6 cm. The Grebbestad oyster is round and flat while the imported oysters usually are oblong and slightly domed. The oysters from Grebbestad is harvested and distributed by Bröderna Klemming.
Oysters feed on phytoplankton and are therefore second in line on the food chain. That makes them incredibly healthy, rich in micronutrients, minerals and vitamins. Oysters are also the food that contains the most B-12 vitamins. Earlier oysters where harvested with rakes, scrapers and tongs. Today divers do the harvesting and this ensures that the oysters are harvested in an environmentally sustainable manner. Oyster divers compare it to tending a garden and they can see a great difference between well-tended versus unexplored oyster waters. Oyster beds are the property of the water owner, up till 200 m from shore and to pick/harvest oysters you need the permission from the owner.

MUSSELS

The Mussels will be from Mollösund on the west coast of Sweden. Mussels have a unique ability to cleanse water and absorb nutrients that would otherwise cause over-fertilization in the ocean. Mussels have an overall positive impact on our oceans environment. One single mussel can filter up to five litres of ocean water per hour. Because mussels form dense populations they have a great impact on the plankton community in the surrounding waters – something that can be used to enhance the quality of the waters. The mussels that will be used during Bocuse d’Or Europe are environmentally certified and cultured in a sustainable manner.

SAITHE

Saithe, also known as pollock,     is a robust and fairly large species of fish, related to the cod although the saithe lack the characteristic barbel of the cod. Its coloration is green to deep green, almost black, on the back and sliver white along the sides and belly. The saithe has a split tail fin and a strongly protruding lower jaw. The Saithe is a schooling fish and live, among other places, along the Swedish west coast, the North Sea, Kattegatt och Skagerrak. It can often be found following schools of herring. The saithe feeds on herring, whitebait, fish fry and certain crustaceans. The Saithe can become up to 120 cm long and weigh up to 15 kilos. The Saithe plays in from February to May and it will then travel to seek food from its play area in the North Sea to the coastlines  of Skagerrak. The saithe is a common cooking fish and the meat is slightly greyish and has a heavier texture than the white cod. The meat is lean and reminiscent of the pollack. Saithe can be fished year round and is caught using yarn, hook, beam and trawl.
    – This is the first time the main ingredients are products of the hosting country which is a unique opportunity for us to showcase our amazing produce and how to best experience them, says Jill Pabst, who’s responsible for Culinary tourism at West Sweden Tourist Board.

YOUNG PIG

The main ingredient for the meat dish is Swedish piglet, which has a clear and refined meat. The young pig is highly marbled with interspersed fat which in turn gives it a lot of flavour. The pig itself comes from Havor farm in Hvadhem on Gotland, an island on the east coast of Sweden. It is a family farm that has been run by the same family for eleven generations. On the 130 hectar of the farm they grow  peas, barley, wheat and triticale that are then used to feed  to their pigs. A young pig weighs around 40 kg.

Swedish pork is a rare gastronomic experience outside of Sweden. Even in Sweden the meat is not found in abundance – there is barley 3 million animals reared each year. The high quality of the meat is the result of prudent and long- term breeding, excellent conditions for livestock and some of the strongest animal