DenmarkBowlDinner

Brændende Kærlighed

Name: Brændende Kærlighed
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Denmark
Ingredients: 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cubed; 50 g butter; 150 ml whole milk; 1 tsp salt; 250 g smoked bacon, diced; 2 medium onion, diced; 2 tbsp chives, chopped; 200 g pickled beetroot, sliced, for serving

Creamy mashed potatoes topped with crisp fried bacon and onions, traditionally served with pickled beetroot - the name means "burning love".

prep: 15 min
cook: 30 min
total: 45 min
serves: 4
level: easy

Brændende kærlighed - 'burning love' - is Danish home comfort at its plainest: a bowl of buttery mashed potato buried under bacon and onions fried in the bacon's own fat.

The only real decision is to cook the onions in that rendered bacon fat rather than clean butter, which is what carries the smoke through the whole dish.

Part of our 20 best Danish recipes list.

method

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15-18 minutes until completely tender; drain well.
Mash with the butter and warm milk until smooth and light, seasoning with salt to taste; cover to keep warm.
Fry the bacon in a dry pan over medium heat until it starts to crisp and render its fat, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the onion to the same pan and cook in the bacon fat for 6-8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
Spoon the mash into bowls, top generously with the bacon and onions, and scatter with chives.
Serve with pickled beetroot on the side.

chef's tips

Cook the onions in the rendered bacon fat rather than fresh butter - that fat carries the smoke flavour through the whole topping.
Warm the milk before adding it to the potatoes; cold milk tightens the starch and makes the mash gluey instead of light.