JANSONS TEMPTATION or JANSONS FRESTELSE

Oh, this winter is killing me – I live in a house from the early 19th century and I can’t say that isolation was a big thing then. We have been having around -10 degrees outside and 16 degrees inside the last couple of days.

Layers after layers of blankets together with a massive cup of tea (just found and fell in love with Clipper Teas – Ginger and Lemon infused green tea, its amazing!) have been keeping me warm. But now the heating seems to have caught up so hopefully we can warm up a bit soon.

Jansons frestelse (or Jansons temptation) is a very traditional Swedish dish often eaten around the holidays but you can find it on the dinner tables in Swedish homes all year. Its similar to a potato gratin but with the addition of anchovies. It doesn’t taste like fish though – the anchovies gives an salty, umami flavor that is really nice.

You’ll need;
3 big yellow onions
1,5 kg firm (non-starchy) potatoes
200-300 g tinned anchovies 
1,5 cups heavy cream
1 cup full fat milk
2 tbs breadcrumbs
3 tbs soft butter

And to cook it, do this;
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees
Peel the onion and slice it finely, then peel and cut the potatoes in thin slices lengthwise (like mini-fries). Soften the onions in a pan on a medium heat until they are soft and translucent.  

In an ovenproof baking dish alternate potatoes, onion and anchovies (either whole or chopped) to make layers (so everyone gets a bit of everything). Make sure that it is a potato-layer in the bottom and on the top. 

Heat up the cream and the milk to a simmer and pour if over together with some of the juices from the anchovies. Top it off by sprinkling the breadcrumbs on top and placing little knobs of butter all over. 

Bake in the bottom of the oven for 1,5-2 hours until the potatoes are cooked. If it starts getting a lot of color on the top, just place some aluminum foil over it. Before tucking in, let it rest outside the oven for 10-15 min so it sets up a bit.