Jansson's Temptation
The standout hot dish of a Swedish julbord: potato and pickled sprats baked in cream until golden and deeply savory.
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 50 min
- total
- 1 h 10 min
- serves
- 8
- level
- easy
A Swedish Christmas table, or julbord, is a whole spread: pickled herring, gravlax, meatballs, and always this casserole of potato and sprats baked in cream, which tends to disappear fastest of anything on the table.
It is built around sprats sold in Sweden as "ansjovis," which are not the same as true anchovies and taste milder and sweeter. If you cannot find them, good-quality white anchovy fillets are the closest substitute, used a little more sparingly.
method
Melt half the butter in a pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Butter a baking dish. Layer half the potatoes, half the onions, and the sprats, then top with the remaining potatoes and onions.
Whisk together the cream, milk, the brine from the sprat tins, and white pepper. Pour over the potatoes.
Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top and dot with the remaining butter.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45-50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is deep golden.
Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving, as part of a spread or on its own with rye bread.