Morten Schou - Head chef, Musling
Where to go?
I’m spending all my time off at my new summerhouse in Sjællands Odde. Since we got the keys, I’ve spent almost every free minute up there.
What to do?
I want to spend all my time with my wife and our two kids age 6 and 3. We are going to make bonfires, chill in the garden and watch Tour de France. The side of the house is one big window that opens up completely to the garden. If there’s a particularly exiting stage of Le Tour I might turn the television and sit and watch from the sun deck with a chilled glass of wine.
What to eat?
Fish and vegetables. The brilliant organic farm Birkemosegaard is located nearby and they have some of the best produce I’ve ever had. Then there is the fish monger down in Havnebyen. During the summer, I like to eat crab claws with lemon and some nice toasted bread. Other great seasonal options are mackerel, flatfish, turbot and brill. You’re able to follow the specific seasons a lot better when you are away from the city and it’s slowly becoming a huge reward to me as a chef. When I’m at my summerhouse, far away from the city, I think food in a different way. I get ideas that I hand over to my deputy chef who is brilliant at piecing it all together into dishes.
What to drink?
Liters of chilled white wine. Nature wine that is, made with as little technical intervention as possible. Magic of Ju-Ju from Rene Mosse is a current favourite. Also, I’m starting to get a recurring crush on Pastis. I usually water it down a little, but if you are hardcore, you just add a couple of ice cubes and let them melt.
What to read?
I’m going to study the Tour de France magazine through and through. It’s my summer bible. And I’ve just recently purchased Tonny Vorm’s book, ‘Sort Kaffe og Hvide Sokker’ (Eng.: ‘Black Coffee and White Socks) that is highly recommendable. Another classic for cycle nerds is ‘Den Gule trøje i De Høje Bjerge’ by Jørgen Leth (Eng.: ’The Yellow Jersey in the Tall Mountains’).
What to wear?
I’ll pretty much go nowhere without my while Lotto-shorts. My preferred outfit this summer is going to be inspired by the late, great tennis legends. Open shirts, white only and heavily influenced by the 1970s.
Where to swim?
Our little family always dive into Sejerøbugten. Our summerhouse is on an isthmus with roughly the same distance to both Sejerøbugten and Kattegat, but for some reason we always opt with the former.
What to listen to?
First and foremost, the commentary track of the Tour de France. And I might also be in for a lot of the ‘Frozen’ soundtrack. We have a bluetooth speaker and the DJ’s are often my two boys. Luckily for me and my wife, our oldest son is also a big fan of Karl William. Every morning the radio is tuned in to P6 Beat. Works perfectly while cooking breakfast.
What to avoid?
Thinking about work. Although I might not be able to turn it completely off. Because of my talented team, I’m one of the few head chefs that can switch completely off for a couple of weeks. I know everything is running smoothly in the restaurant.
What not to run out of?
Gas for the lawnmower. Which I need to fix by the way.
Phone on or off?
Always on vibrate. Not even. The moon symbol.
Most important difference between holiday and every day life?
I get to spend entire days with my family. And I get to unwind completely. I always come back from vacation a new man.
What’s waiting on the other side of the holiday?
A 10 month old restaurant that is developing in a rapid pace. We haven’t yet found the perfect formula, but we have a product to be proud of with room for improvement. There is still a thousands of buttons to turn and we need to make sure we turn the right ones. It’s an exiting process and we need to keep doing dishes that works both on paper and in praxis. My staff is growing and ideas are constantly flowing.
