Executive Chef Emma Bengtsson from Aquavit in Midtown New York uses emerald crystal lettuce in a unique dish of hers—and she has generously allowed us to share information about this marvelous dish as well as her culinary journey and more.
Chef Emma grew up in a small Swedish fishing village where she aspired to become a fighter pilot. However, she shares, “my grandmother was an avid home cook and inspired me to go on to study at the International Restaurant School in Stockholm.” From there, she served as a pastry chef at Edsbacka Krog, the only Swedish restaurant to hold two Michelin stars at the time, before going on to Operakällaren within the Royal Swedish Opera as a pastry chef. In 2010, she joined the Aquavit team as pastry chef in 2010, becoming the executive chef in 2014.
Seared Scallop Dish
Emma uses emerald crystal lettuce in a dish that features seared scallop, cauliflower, lingonberries, and bacon vinaigrette. Just looking at a photo of the dish can make your mouth water!
She knew that, for this dish, she’d need a fresh component, and she really appreciates the bright pop that emerald crystal lettuce gives: lots of leaves to offer up a profile with a succulent-like texture that adds freshness to a dish.
Chef Emma’s Style
“When composing a dish,” she tells us, “I first think—does it taste good? Then I try to make it as beautiful as possible so that it takes you a minute before you start eating it. It should be too pretty to eat. I try to look at the color contrast, height, and texture just like you would when painting a picture.”
She enjoys working with beet blush from the farm, too. “It's like having leaves of the beet, but they are super strong in color,” she says, “so it brings life to the party. It tastes like beet but is such a fun ingredient to work with. I also love to work with tomatoes right now and am currently working with the dragon eye tomato.”
One of the first chefs that Emma worked with told her that it’s important to be happy where you work—and, if you aren’t, it’s time to move on. Fortunately, she loves being at Aquavit. “I’m really proud of and very excited for the team that we’ve created here at the restaurant,” she says, “both back and front of house, and I'm very excited to see what we can bring together in the future.”
Thank you very much, Chef Emma, for the insights you’ve shared!
More About Emerald Crystal Lettuce
This truly is a lovely lettuce with a fresh green flavor and tender texture (that also provides a nice crunch!). Leaves of emerald crystal lettuce are fleshy, a creamy-edged green. When ordered in the summertime, there are also deliciously edible rose-colored flowers. Chef Jamie Simpson also enjoys using emerald crystal lettuce at the Culinary Vegetable Institute—and, if you’d like to add these luscious leaves to your own creative menus and dishes, please let your product specialist know!