Channelling the heart and hygge of Copenhagen

Let Copenhagen Cult Recipes take you on a journey to the heart of Copenhagen’s culinary traditions, to find out why the Danes embrace their food heritage so passionately. This cuisine centres around “hygge”, the cosy atmosphere for which the Danes are famed.

GASOLINE BURGERThis burger joint opened in 2016 and has been hailed as one of the best burgers in the world. It’s a kiosk at a disused gas station in the city and part of its philosophy is to close when the last burger is sold. Serve with fries seasoned with herb oil and a sauce.

• Serves 4

• Preparation: 30 minutes

• Cooking: 5 minutes

Ingredients

600g grass-fed chuck minced beef

4 slices of Cheddar cheese

4 potato or brioche buns

1 red onion, sliced into rings

150g sour-sweet pickled cucumbers

8 tbsp Thousand Island-style sauce

• Preheat a grill pan or cast-iron frying pan. Season the meat and roughly shape into four patties. Brush the patties with a little oil and sear for one to two minutes on each side until well browned, but still very juicy. Sit the cheese on the hot burger.

• Toast the buns in the grill pan.

• To build, place the base of the bun on a serving plate, top with the patty and melted cheese, then the onion, pickles and sauce. Sandwich with the top bun. Serve.

Thousand Island-style SauceIngredients

2 egg yolks

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

300 ml grapeseed oil

1 tsp tomato puree

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1–2 tbsp creme fraiche

1 splash of Tabasco

• For the sauce, whisk the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar together in a bowl, then, whisking constantly, gradually add oil in a steady stream until a thick consistency is reached. Mix in the remaining ingredients and season.

Seasonal Summer Herb OilIngredients

25g chervil, coarsely chopped

25g tarragon, coarsely chopped

25g flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

250ml whipped cream

50–100ml neutral oil

• For the oil to serve with the fries, blitz the herbs, garlic and cream in a blender. Add oil to barely cover and blend, adding more oil until you reach the desired consistency. Season with pepper.

Fries• For crinkle-cut fries, serve with toppings of your choice. In the summer it’s a fresh herb dip. Offer salt, vinegar and truffle salt as well as the usual sauces and dips.