As a result of the Swedish Summer Crayfish Dinner at the Living Room of c/o Maidstone on Wednesday night, I learned:
Swedish drinking songs really do make you drink—at least when the choice is between some schnapps in a nice small glass that you belt back or vocalizing from a page in phonetic Old Norse, with the ever-present threat of diacritical mark perched over a lurking vowel never far from my mind. The attractive young Swedes at one table set the pace enabling the rest of us to hum along guilt-free.
Crayfish are traditionally eaten in Sweden in August, during the fishing season and when your clothes are easily washed in a nearby stream. Those of us who have enjoyed lobster most of our lives do not find crayfish easy. The claws are tiny and so is the head. When the crayfish is cooperative enough to give some up of its meat, however, the taste is rich, briny and succulent—quite delicious actually. Some people, I’ve read, keep crayfish as pets.
I could easily have drunk chilled vodka through the meal but good sense prevailed and the Bedell Taste White that Sommelier Kelly Matis recommended was right on target paired with the food. Chef James Carpenter, like a Viking warrior, demonstrated that he is up for any challenge with his wide-ranging skills.