Meet the Swedish Icehotel chef Alexander Meier



Alex Meier with Harrods restaurant manager at the SeaGrill bar

Hello Alex, welcome to London! You have created two dishes for the SeaGrill bar at Harrods, one with arctic char and one crab mousseline. How come you chose those two?
I created them because I think they represent Swedish Lapland. Both dishes are made with fresh Swedish products and if closing your eyes while eating it, you can only imagine how fresh, clean and mysterious the north of Sweden is.

Sounds yummy! What´s your view on Swedish food in general?
This is how it is; we have the forests, the rivers and the mountains that are full of products and flavours. If you make a fusion of these products; mixing for example the traditional Sami food with new fresh ideas, you can create amazing dishes.

You are the head chef at the Swedish Icehotel, what will be on the menu this year?
The new menu for the winter season was created by my F and B manager Stefan Benjaminsson and I. We are going to have exclusive products from Swedish Lapland with a hint of French cuisine. People will be given the chance to taste products from the forests; like reindeer, from the rivers; like arctic char and from the mountains; like cloudberries.

The season at the Icehotel starts on the 3rd of December, what are you looking forward to the most?
For our guests to come and eat and enjoy the greatest food they ever had..!

You are originally from Switzerland, how does it feel living in Sweden?
I love Swedish Lapland. Working with people that are like family to me, I´m living the dream.

Alexander´s dishes will be served at Harrods SeaGrill bar until October 19. To taste these gorgeous ingredients and recipes in their native environment, fly direct to the ICEHOTEL in Swedish Lapland this winter with the experts Discover the World (www.discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel), three night trips from £1,093 per person.

Discover the Swedish world at Harrods 3-19 October

Absolut Svea (ginger and apple) with cloudberry liquor in frozen glass served with...

...Swedish Arctic char and crayfish at Harrods SeaGrill bar

The masterchef himself, Alexander Meier, from the Swedish Icehotel

Delicious products are coming to London

Photo: Markus Alatalo

This winter, Harrods is launching an exclusive range of Swedish products, many of which will be completely new to the UK. For those who want to try some of the ingredients in action, the Sea Grill will also be serving two dishes created by Alexander Meier, the head chef at Swedish Lapland’s renowned ICEHOTEL between 3 and 19 October 2011. An innovative take on traditional Swedish food, the dishes will be Arctic char with dill butter, asparagus and morel cassolette, fried cherry tomatoes and assorted crayfish and King crab mousseline with candied tomatoes, clams, lingonberry vinaigrette and autumn salad. The array of Swedish treats will be available from 3 October 2011 up until Christmas.


For one of Alex´s recipes, click here.