Smalhans is chef: An interview with Hans-Peter Lindstrøm (pt. 5)

On the fifth day of Electronic Beats’ “Smalhans is chef” interview series with Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, we’re serving up a seasonal dish called “Fāār-i-kāāl” as we continue our track-by-track breakdown of Lindstrøm’s latest album Smalhans. Don’t forget to check out all four previous episodes if this is your first encounter with our kitchen-centred interview column.

You’ve already mentioned that you tend to finish your meal and eat everything rather than throwing away food, and also that some food is even better when being warmed over. This is also true for Fårikål, it’s said to be even better the next day.

That’s true! I really like this kind of food. A lot of food needs to be eaten right after you’ve prepared it. Vegetables need to be fresh and crisp, but boiling meat or carrots for a long time makes them even better. It’s very convenient when you have a busy schedule and can’t spend hours and hours on cooking when you come home. Fårikål is pretty good when you need food fast—of course you have to prepare it beforehand.

Fårikål is a kind of stew? Is it a seasonal dish or do you eat it all year long?

No, we only have it during the fall and winter time. It’s a very traditional lamb dish, probably not so common in the rest of the world. And it’s so easy to prepare: you take lamb and cabbage and boil it with water and whole pepper corns—that’s it.

“Smalhans is chef” continues: the final episode of our kitchen-centred interview series with Lindstrøm will follow on Friday.

Published November 14, 2012.