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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Food By

Indulge into Tantalizing Swedish Christmas Flavors with Jannssons Frestelse-Jannsson’s Temptation

November is the right time to start thinking about Christmas in Sweden. The only time of the year when everyone in the family makes it to the julbord (Christmas table) buffet.  A typical Christmas smorgasbord includes Kottbullar (appetizing Swedish meatballs), Julskinka which is the traditional Christmas ham and many other dishes like sausages, ribs, varieties of hard goat cheeses, mulled wine, Knack- a famous Swedish Christmas toffee, Julgrot, and Lussekatter which is also baked on Saint Lucy’s day, which is considered the darkest night in Sweden on 13th of December every year.Christmas is the best time in Sweden. All homes get beautifully adorned with glowing electric lights, there is snow on the streets and atop red roofs. And the homes are warm with aromas of Christmas candles and Christmas dishes.  The Swedes take Christmas really seriously. Christmas trees are decorated with lights, toys ornaments and the national flag of Sweden.And when you think of dark Christmas Eve in Sweden how can you eliminate out Jansson's Frestelse (Swedish for temptation) out of it. It is simple scalloped potatoes casserole along with anchovies and heavy whipped cream served as a Christmas side dish. There are so many stories of its origin. Mr. Jannson or Janssen or Janeson or Janzon, was a famous 19th cook and when he migrated to the United States, he and his disciples in Illinois, who forbade the thought of eating for sheer pleasure succumbed to this dish.

Recipe of Swedish Jannsson’s Temptation

Another story is that Pelle Janzon was an opera singer from 1844-89, and he used to entertain his friends with his performance along with this late night snack. Some people even say that the name is based on a name of a movie. However long the discussion of this dish’s name goes on, this dish won’t take long to finish. It is so delicious! You won’t be able to resist yourself. The creamy potato crust flavored along with anchovies, which are quite different to Italian anchovies. Swedish sprat fillets have a sweet and much milder taste sold as Ansjovis. Try this dish and you’ll have a worthwhile evening at the end of all of it.

Recipe of Swedish Jansson's Temptation

Ingredients:

  1. 2 kg potato
  2. 400gm onions
  3. 375gm spiced sprat filets( Swedish anchovy style sprat fillets)
  4. 600ml heavy whipped cream
  5. Salt
  6. White pepper
  7. Breadcrumbs
  8. Butter

Method:Step 1:

Peel your potatoes & onions and cut them into thin strips. Sauté them in butter.

Step 2: Grease a (13x9) baking dish, now layer its ⅓rd part with potato strips. Then layer it again with onion slices on top of the potato and then put another layer of sprat fillets. Repeat the layering process with another layer of potato strips, onion slices, and sprat filets. Finally, finish it off with another humble layer of potato strips.

Step 3: Flatten the surface and sprinkle on it salt and freshly ground pepper. Now pour on it freshly whipped cream. Cut butter into cubes and place it on top.

Step 4: Place it in a preheated oven at 400F for 10 minutes. After this get it out and pour the remaining cream on top and microwave it for 20 more minutes or till the potatoes soften.

Step 5: Serve it hot as a potato side dish during the main course.

Happy cooking and Merry Christmas!!

image source: scandikitchen.co.uk

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