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Jansson's Temptation

By Groceree

Also known as Janssons frestelse

A dish of golden baked potato matchsticks in cream with a browned breadcrumb top, one portion lifted out to show the layers

A Swedish gratin of potato matchsticks and soft onion baked in cream with ansjovis, the sweet spice-cured sprats that give it its particular sweet and salty edge. A few spoonfuls of the tin's brine go in with the cream, which is what stops it tasting like an ordinary dauphinoise.

Last updated

Servings
6 servings
Prep
25 min
Cook
55 min
Total
1 h 30 min

Ingredients

Servings:6
  • floury potatoes1 kg
  • onions2
  • butter50 g
  • Swedish ansjovis (spiced sprat fillets)125 g
  • double cream300 ml
  • whole milk100 ml
  • dried breadcrumbs3 tbsp
  • white pepper
  • salt

Instructions

  1. 01

    Heat the oven to 200°C and a gratin dish of about 25 by 20 cm.

  2. 02

    Peel the and cut them into slices 5 mm thick, then across into matchsticks. Leave them dry and do not put them in water; the starch on the surface is what thickens the sauce as it bakes.

  3. 03

    Halve and thinly slice the . Melt half the in a frying pan and cook the over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until soft and just starting to colour at the edges.

  4. 04

    Spread half the in the dish. Cover with all the and lay the over them in an even grid, keeping the brine in the tin, then season with . Go carefully with at this stage, or not at all; the fish and its brine are salty.

  5. 05

    Top with the rest of the and press the surface flat with your palm so everything is compact.

  6. 06

    Mix the and with 3 tablespoons of the brine and pour half of it over. It should come roughly two thirds of the way up. Bake for 30 minutes.

  7. 07

    Pour over the remaining mixture, scatter the across the top and dot with the rest of the . Return to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

  8. 08

    It is done when the top is deep golden, the sauce is bubbling at the sides and a knife slides through the middle with no resistance. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Swedish ansjovis are sprats cured with sugar, cinnamon and cloves, not the salt-packed Mediterranean anchovy. They dissolve into the cream and taste faintly sweet. If you can only find ordinary anchovies, use half the weight, skip the brine and add a teaspoon of sugar, and accept that it will be a saltier dish.
  • Cut the potatoes by hand rather than grating or using a food processor. Matchsticks hold their shape and stay distinct in the cream, where shreds turn to mash by the time the top has browned.
  • This belongs on the julbord and at the end of a long evening, and it reheats better than most gratins. Cover it with foil and give it 20 minutes at 180°C.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
490 kcal
Protein
9 g
Carbs
39 g
Fat
33 g

Estimated from the ingredients.

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