A crayfish feast - Odeshog, Sweden

For anybody whose job involves the relentless pinging of emails, checking of electronic statistics or juggling three to four communication devices, a couple of days at Urnatur's wood hermitage would be a very wise choice. In the Holaved forest, three hours from Stockholm, Ulrika and Hakan have used their combined knowledge of traditional crafts, forestry, ecology and design to build a secluded collection of tree houses and cabins.

 

I arrived on a late August Friday afternoon to learn about crayfish during one of Urnatur's hermit weekends. The hermitage is in a wood clearing that would befit Enid Blyton with its collection of magical toadstools and mushrooms (there were even proper fairy red ones with white spots), down a long mossy track leading away from the lakeside main hut.

 

My tree house was on the far edge of the clearing, overlooking a dusky green pond. It was immaculately cosy with a bed, a thinking chair on the tiny balcony, a wood burning stove and kerosene lamps in place of electricity.

 

Just before sundown, the crayfish traps were set. Hakan showed me how to thread pieces of perch onto the giant safety pins within the trap and ping them shut again. We then rowed away from the bobbing jetty to place the traps in spots around the lake that were close to rocks and had the best chance of a catch. Dinner was in a small hut lit with candles and a log fire and was a parade of delicious local vegetables and lamb. I slept soundly all of the time that I was at Urnatur - snug within my creaking tree house.

 

Before breakfast on Saturday, it was time to haul my catch. We collected about two kilos of crayfish and then cooked them by the lake in a giant cauldron, over an old army stove, which was then plunged into the cold shallows so that they didn't overcook. The Crayfish party is a Swedish summer institution and our feast in the main hut, overlooking the lake, was spectacular. We talked about the importance of the two month crayfish season - commencing each August - which used to be legally imposed meaning that you couldn't catch, sell or buy Swedish crayfish outside of this time. Although the law has now been lifted, most lakes still observe it - both because it makes sustainability sense and because it keeps crayfish as a special late summer treat.

 

In between fishing, sleeping and eating you can explore the woods , take the canoe out or swim in the lake. I indulged in a night sauna at the wood fired bath house, hopping from the Japanese style wash area to the fiery heat of the sauna and back out to the crisp air or into the bubbling bath tub.

Whilst I was at Urnatur, I indulged in some espionage to bring you three recipes that I have stolen from Ulrika and Hakan and renamed to try and pass off as my own. (I should warn you that they are traditional cooking experts and I am, at best, slapdash in the kitchen so expect some quality variance) :

 

Crayfish in a cauldron:
Boil a giant pan full of water with a little sugar, a pinch of salt, fresh dill and half a pint of black beer (I would have thought Murphy's would be perfect). When it is boiling, pour the live crayfish into the pan. Keep the heat as high as possible (so the fish die quickly) for seven minutes and then plunge into cold water.

 

Pancakes logger style:
Hakan fried this, traditional dish for loggers, over an open fire. I think it would work well for the hungover. Any calorie counters - please remember that you have assumed the character of a logger with eight hours heavy work ahead of you probably in the snow; butter and bacon are your friends.

Make up a savoury pancake batter (no I don't know how to make pancake batter, google it!) and put to one side. Fry the bacon in butter, drain off the fat and remove. Fry each pancake with mountains of bacon and when cooked served with Lingonberry jam. Blackcurrant jam would also work.

 

Swedish breakfast:
Ulrika showed me this popular Swedish breakfast treat. It really is a lot tastier than it first sounds:

Chop a medium boiled egg onto a crisp bread (Ryvita is probably your best bet here) and top with caviar paste.

 

Further information:

• www.urnatur.se
• I flew from London Heathrow to Stockholm with British Airways and then caught the Swebus to Odeshog. The Swebus is amazing and even has Wifi and plugs so that you can get your last gasp of technology before arriving at the hermitage.

Fran Harris