Meet the chef: Niklas Ekstedt of Ekstedt
We sit down with the ‘godfather of Swedish cooking’ to discuss how playing with fire paid off
“Like most young people, my attitude to where I came from was to turn my back on it,” writes Niklas Ekstedt, Sweden’s most famous chef, in a self-penned bio on his eponymous website. During his adolescent years, he explains, his yearning to escape his hometown of Järpen in Jämtland, northern Sweden, was his focus, while his ambition was to reach a place where he could work with the foreign produce, such as Italian olive oil and French poulet de Bresse, that most excited him. He longed for a world away from the rustic slow cooking of the Jämtland forests. So, how did he build an entire foodie empire on something he once wished to escape?
Because, as he puts it, he got lost. The asparagus clouds and deep fried rice paper that once attracted him to fine dining fare eventually bored him. Which isn’t to say he didn’t achieve much during those wayward years: he launched his own eponymous restaurant in 2003, at the age of 21, which quickly earned a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Sweden.
However, it wasn’t until 2011, and armed with a newfound appreciation for Nordic cuisine, that Ekstedt was awarded his big break. Leaning into the tradition of fire cooking, he opened Ekstedt, a restaurant with no cooking equipment other than a fire pit, a wood fired oven and a wood stove, in Stockholm – and two years later secured his first Michelin star.
His London outpost, Ekstedt at The Yard, opened a decade later in the five-star Great Scotland Yard Hotel in Westminster, with a menu grounded in Ekstedt’s founding principles: using very little electricity and primarily cooking on the kitchen’s central open fire. The result? Delectable plates of ember-smoked scallops, seaweed-baked langoustine, cep mushroom souffle and sea buckthorn sorbet. Ready to step inside Ekstedt’s world? Come right this way.
Growing up in the small town of Järpen in Sweden, I was surrounded by nature. My family was passionate about food and my father cooked at home using fresh ingredients from the surrounding landscape. While I was always interested in food, I didn’t necessarily dream of being a chef as a child; it was more about creativity and working with my hands. My passion for cooking developed during my teenage years when I began working in kitchens.
Helping my grandmother bake bread. The smell of fresh, warm bread in her kitchen always made me feel at home. I remember how fascinated I was by the process, especially the way that she did not use any recipes, she just had it in her head from years of experience!
I worked in various kitchens during my teenage years. I attended the gastronomic high school in Åre, which is a ski resort town in Sweden. After that, I trained under Charlie Trotter in Chicago and spent time at several renowned restaurants, including El Bulli in Spain, where I learned a lot.
I was first introduced to fire cooking when I began exploring traditional Nordic techniques. Open-fire cooking has deep roots in Scandinavia; it’s an ancient method used by our ancestors to prepare meals long before modern kitchens existed. What drew me to it was the authenticity, flavour, and simplicity of the technique. It’s not extremely common in contemporary Scandinavian cuisine, but it has always been part of our history.
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and I wanted the freedom to express my vision in the kitchen. Opening a restaurant at 21 was daunting but exciting. It was tough balancing the creative side of cooking with the operational demands of running a business, but I learned a lot through trial and error. Having support from my family, especially my dad, and a great team around me was key.
Each country’s cuisine has taught me something different, but I would say I connected most with Spain. The creativity and experimentation at El Bulli was incredibly inspiring. However, the traditional, ingredient-focused simplicity of Nordic cuisine is closest to my heart.
Nature is a huge influence on my menus. I’m always inspired by the seasons and the ingredients available at a particular time and place, and local culture also plays a big role. I like to blend traditional techniques with modern influences to create something unique while also utilising old-school ways of cooking. I love reading about history and how people lived in the past, while still creating culinary delights.
Earning a Michelin star was an incredible honour, and validation of my team’s hard work. My advice for chefs is to stay true to your vision and focus on quality and consistency. Don’t chase trends – stay passionate and committed to your craft, and let the recognition come naturally. And try to look at history, as there’s so much to learn there.
I really enjoy dining at Brat because they focus on the quality of ingredients and deliver unique and interesting dishes. I also appreciate how they used the wood oven to add flavour to some of their dishes!
One of my favourite dishes is my wood-fired vegetables with wild herbs. It represents the simplicity and depth of flavour that can be achieved through open-fire cooking – the combination of the smokiness from the fire with the freshness of herbs is fantastic.
Visit ekstedt.nu
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