The Farmer from Vojens Finds His Way to Zealand
Brian Mark Hansen is the head chef at Søllerød Kro and is considered one of the most prominent gastronomic personalities in Denmark.
He calls himself a “farmer from Vojens“, where his father owned Hotel Pauli.
“I was born and raised in the industry, and in my family, we have always gathered around gastronomy. It was around the table that we met. Therefore, gastronomy is also a natural part of me and what I do today,” he says.
After working as both a dishwasher and a waiter at the hotel, he started his apprenticeship at the age of 16. Since then, he has worked at Ruths Hotel in Skagen, Kong Hans Kælder in Copenhagen, and Christiansholm Castle – and now at Søllerød Kro since 2013, where he also served as sous-chef from 2007 to 2011.
He is particularly attracted to the jargon of a kitchen, comparing the world of chefs to playing sports:
“I have always played a lot of sports, and I think there is the same pressure and adrenaline you get in the kitchen when you have to run service. If you’re not ready, then you’re not ready, and you feel it throughout the service. It’s about constantly being tested and ‘evaluated.’ I love it,” he says.
We Ask – Brian Mark Answers
Learn more about Brian Mark Hansen and find out, for example, which cuisine is his favorite and what his favorite dish is, below.
Education?
I qualified as a chef 19 years ago. I started my apprenticeship at the age of 16 and completed it four years later.
Why did you become a chef?
My father owned Hotel Pauli in Vojens, and the culinary profession came to me through that. I started as a dishwasher at a very young age and later moved on to become a waiter. But it was definitely the kitchen that attracted me. We have always gathered around the table in my family, so my interest in gastronomy and food definitely comes from home.
What is your best memory from the kitchen?
Every evening during service is a big moment. I love the way I work. At the inn, we prepare food to the minute. We don’t use anything in bags or reheated. We are a busy place, and it requires that you are present and disciplined.
I love when it’s buzzing, and everything comes together. I have 16 people with me, and everyone is moving in the same direction and making it happen. Everything comes together seamlessly, and everyone performs. It touches me every evening.
Which dish do you like to make the most?
It’s not a single dish, but I have a fondness for fish and shellfish. In recent years, I have also started working a lot with vegetables. It’s a new dimension that opens up for me. I love working with vegetables.
What is your show-off dish?
Chocolate cake made with the kids. It’s where you’re tested and pushed to the edge!
What is your nemesis?
Eel. I think it goes back to my apprenticeship when I was thrown into handling eels alone. I didn’t know how to do it; they were huge, and I was a bit scared. It has stuck with me since.
Which dish do you make most often in your own kitchen?
We are quite fond of Asian cuisine at home. Those are the dishes we make most often. It could, for example, be Vietnamese spring rolls with crispy fillings.
What is your favorite ingredient?
I love, love, love asparagus!
I think it’s because asparagus is a turning point. We have roots 50 percent of the year, but then asparagus comes in May, and you only have them for two months. You wait for them with anticipation all year, and by Midsummer, you’re actually glad the season ends because you can’t have any more asparagus.
Asparagus is a recurring event; they MUST come, and you look forward to it.
One thing you always have in the fridge?
Butter. And it has to be real butter – old-fashioned, churned. We use it for everything. Sauces, frying, on bread – everything.
Do you have a favorite cuisine?
I’m tempted to say my own. Our kitchen is a blend of French and what we create ourselves.
The French kitchen is the foundation, and what I was trained in, but it’s not the only thing we create. When you’ve been in the profession for many years or had a restaurant for a long time, you steer the kitchen in a certain direction. We are called Nordic, among other things, and I think it’s because we are near the forest and beach, which we harvest a lot from. I would probably say we are just our own. We prefer not to resemble anyone else but ourselves.
What is your favorite dish?
I love open-faced sandwiches. But I find the idea of favorite dishes difficult because it’s often the environment you’re in that makes the experience good.
I loved eating at my grandmother’s, but there’s also something about the memories and the family gathering. A meal tastes better when you’re having a good time. That’s also what lingers in the back of my mind – the family meal is the best.
Where were you last impressed by a dining experience out?
At Alchemist in Copenhagen.
It wasn’t so much the food, but they had created a universe that was insanely beautiful and extraordinary. I can hardly say more about it, but you should do yourself a favor and try it.
Do you have a favorite restaurant?
Søllerød Kro is my favorite. It’s where I’ve spent 13 years of my life, and in my opinion, it’s the best restaurant.
What type of knife do you use the most?
A small fillet knife.
What brand are your knives?
I have many different brands.
It’s very important to me to have a good knife. It’s essential. It must be sharp and well-maintained. A knife is a craft.
None of our hands are the same, so knives fit differently in the hand they come to. Some people like an iron handle, I like a wooden handle and for it to be light in the hand. A knife must be well-maintained and sharp. That’s what I preach to my staff. And it doesn’t depend on the price, not at all.
What machine is your favorite?
A sharp knife.
Which kitchen machine do you have a strained relationship with?
A sous vide machine, which is a water-controlled thermostat that ensures a constant temperature. I actually love using it, but it must be for the right things. It can easily be overdone, and people at home think they need all sorts of equipment – also a sous vide machine.
If you could only have 5 pieces of equipment (besides the stove) to cook with, what would they be?
A whisk, a knife, a peeler, a frying pan, and a siphon. I think I can cook everything with that equipment.
What are the most important base dishes to master?
For me, a true chef is someone who knows their cooking methods. It’s important to me that one knows when to boil, fry, and braise. Therefore, the fundamental cooking methods in a kitchen are important to master. If you can’t do that, you can’t do the rest.
It lies close to my heart, also when we train all our chefs. You must know when, how, and why you do things. It’s going out of fashion, the notion that you have to know this, but it’s important, at least if you want to take your chef career far.
Is there something people almost always do wrong in the kitchen that should be corrected/stopped now?
I think, in general, what you should look at in the home kitchen is quality ingredients. It’s, for example, crucial that you don’t buy the worst chicken in the fridge, because as long as you do that, it will be there. Demand equals supply.
There’s a reason you can get a chicken for 25 kroner and mediocre minced meat for cheap. It’s because people buy it. If people instead invested a little more in the good product, animal welfare, and what we put in our mouths, it would be better.
I think you should think about it. Maybe skip the meat twice a week, and then eat meat of proper quality when you do. The nutritional content is also better in, for example, a chicken that has been allowed to walk around and move. There are other fibers and something to chew on. It takes less to satisfy than with a cheap chicken.
Fact Box
Name: Brian Mark Hansen
Age: 39 years
Region: Zealand
Job: Head Chef at Søllerød Kro
Find Brian Mark Hansen on Instagram under @brianmarkhansen and Søllerød Kro under @soelleroed_kro
Photo: Fotoholic