TEN GOOD REASONS TO LOVE AAMANNS
Danish Chef Adam Aamann has championed Danish cuisine through a perfect blend of nostalgia, innovation and creativity.
The root of his success goes beyond the heralded Nordic fine dining scene, (although he can do that too), and into the cuisine of Denmark’s past, modernising old favourites, and in particular giving the smørrebrød a completely gourmet transformation. Punchy flavours and the freshest ingredients have become synonymous Aamann’s cuisine.
Here are ten more good reasons to love Aamanns.
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1. Ingenuity.
Chef Adam Aamann, through a combination of tradition and creativity has completely reinvented the smørrebrød. A creation from the late 1800s, the smørrebrød is an open-faced sandwich topped with fine Danish ingredients including meat, fish, fragrant herbs and vegetables.
Aamann, plucking this simple dish from Denmark’s past and injecting it with his own creative vision, has put it right back into the spotlight.
In turn, he has not only sparked a whole food trend in itself, but also carved out another facet in the Nordic food scene, demonstrating his very own versatility and boldness in the Danish culinary landscape.
Read also: The ever-evolving King of Smørrebrød.
2. Danish Ingredients.
The philosophy of Danish cuisine is working from what is at hand, native and above all seasonal. Aamann adopts this entirely.
He is passionate about what Danish land offers, especially its variety, this is beautifully reflected in the manifold combinations of meat, fish, vegetables, herbs and flowers that can be married together in a smørrebrød.
For example, the salmon smørrebrød with lemon mayonnaise, pickled currants and radishes or chicken with honey and mustard, apple, celery and fried chicken skin. Aamann’s display of bounty and mastery of flavours has lead to the smørrebrød becoming almost as synonymous with Denmark as pizza is to Italy.
No mean feat.
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3. A visual delight.
Aamann has elevated something so humble to a thing of beauty; he has brought craftsmanship to the sandwich. With his knack for reinvention smørrebrød has been elevated to a platform for which each carefully chosen ingredient can take stage and sing.
Unlike the smørrebrød of old, Aamann sees that each is a carefully constructed visual delight, balanced not only in flavour, but colour and composition.
Check out: The New York Times on Adam Aamann.
4. Lunch, reinvented.
Aamann, like no one else before, has really pioneered the Danish lunch revolution. The open sandwich had got a bad reputation, with too many pre-prepared foods, fatty meats and wilted vegetables.
The consensus was that lunch is laborious, loveless meal, which is necessary only for top chefs to pay the bills- the main focus was upon dinner. Aamann wanted to take lunch seriously, he saw the Danish lunch tradition as something intrinsic, to be celebrated and owned again.
He drew upon his nostalgia for the days gone by of Danes enjoying smørrebrød in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens. This lateral thinking and ingenuity is exactly what enabled him to expand his emterprise with more restaurants whose menus reflect this very same attitude and simultaneous nod to Danish heritage.
Aamann himself says as a chef, his role is to draw upon the old and create new experiences, ones that aren’t so predictable.
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5. From scratch and sustainable.
Across all of Adam Aamann’s establishments, true to his philosophy, the food is all made from scratch with pure, raw produce; meaning there is a complete absence of additives like nitrite, colourants and stabilisers.
Similarly, all meat comes from free-range animals, and so can be eaten with good conscience. All rye bread is made from scratch too, and you can even find homemade aquavit in his restaurants.
Follow: The adventures of Adam Aamann on Instagram.
6. Michelin recommends.
Aamann’s was the first place in Copenhagen, known for its lunch primarily, to receive to be recommended by Michelin. This sparked a revolution: traditional lunch in the Danish capital is now one of the most sought-after experiences, with new lunch spots continuously opening.
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7. Aamanns 1921.
Another wing to The Danish King of smørrebrød’s enterprise is Aamann’s 1921. The main focus here is on the Danish kitchen, but reinvented.
For lunch guests can enjoy the best and most creative smørrebrød of course, and for dinner, traditional Danish dishes re-created with punchy flavour and unexpected yet delightful combinations of the freshest ingredients.
Its unique location is in an old bunker from 1921, inspiring the name, and is reminiscent of Danish whitewashed brick chapels with raw oak furniture and granite columns. Just like everything Aamann turns his hand to, all details are finely considered, even down to the soap in the bathroom, homemade by Adam himself so guests can enjoy its light fragrance alongside each dish.
Have a look at: The new castle of Copenhagen’s smørrebrød King.
8. Aamanns Etablissement.
Aamann’s Copenhagen restaurant Etablissement has a focus on modernising Danish classics. Just as Aamann took the smørrebrød and made it modern, he takes dishes of old and puts them on the menu with his own touch.
In this way he weaves a bit of history into the future of Danish cuisine, forming an entirely new narrative. The interior too is a renewed version of the Danish inns, complete with a vinyl collection for guests to rack through and pick their favourite nostalgic tune.
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9. An ambassador for Denmark.
Not only a TV host and author, and evident by his ever-evolving empire with the wonder of Danish produce and heritage at its core, Aamann has become a trusted voice on Danish cuisine. He has sparked a global vibration.
With an opening in the US, where he welcomed no less than the Danish royal family to his NYC establishment and a restaurant at Copenhagen airport, he is the gatekeeper of Danish cuisine. He has brought Denmark the attention it so well deserves.
Still hungry? Read this Q/A with Adam Aamann on Smørrebrød.
10. The Danish Pork Smørrebrød.
A splendid tribute to all that is Danish, made from organic pork, rubbed with herbs and honey, then salted for three days, before being slowly roasted in the oven the smørrebrød is served on Danish homemade rye bread with salted butter and garnished with mustard cream, fresh herbs and crispy cracklings.
A presentation of Denmark at its best.
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Adam Aamann exclusively offers his gastronomic excellence for lectures, food festivals, consultancy and grand dinner parties.
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The diplomacy speaks to a strong network of 600 journalists, bloggers and writers, as well as 5000+ global diners around the world.
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