Æbleflæsk
Pork belly or bacon fried until crisp, then simmered with softened apples and onions - a Funen specialty eaten with dark rye bread.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Æbleflæsk pairs two things that sound unlikely together - crisp fried pork and softened apples - and lets the apples cook down in the rendered fat until they taste nothing like dessert.
It comes from Funen originally but is eaten countrywide now, almost always with a slice of dark rye to mop up the pan.
Part of our 20 best Danish recipes list.
method
Fry the bacon or pork belly in a dry pan over medium heat until crisp and golden, about 8-10 minutes; remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the onion to the fat and cook 5 minutes until softened.
Add the apples and sugar, and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened and started to break down at the edges but still hold some shape.
Stir in the thyme and a grind of black pepper.
Return the crisp bacon to the pan just to warm through, or lay it over the top.
Serve warm, spooned over or alongside slices of dark rye bread.
chef's tips
- Use a tart, firm apple that holds some shape as it cooks rather than a soft eating apple that collapses into sauce.
- Cooking the apples in the rendered bacon fat, with no extra butter, is what makes this taste like more than just stewed fruit.