About this Dish
Jansson's Temptation — a gratin of thinly sliced potato, onion and Swedish anchovy in cream, baked until golden. A Christmas staple in Sweden, served as part of the julbord (Christmas table). The Swedish anchovy (ansjovis) is actually sprat, milder and sweeter than Mediterranean anchovy — the distinction matters significantly to the dish.
IngredientsServes 6
🥔Floury potatoes, 1.2kg peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
🧅Yellow onions, 3 medium, thinly sliced
🐟Swedish ansjovis (sprat fillets in brine, such as Abba brand), 1 tin approx 125g, fillets roughly chopped, brine reserved
🧈Unsalted butter, 30g plus extra for greasing the dish
🥛Double cream, 300ml
🥛Whole milk, 100ml
🍞Dried breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons
🧂White pepper, freshly ground, to taste — go easy, the anchovy brine is already salty
Method
1
Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Generously butter a medium baking dish, roughly 25x20cm. Peel and slice your potatoes into thin matchsticks about 3–4mm thick — a mandoline helps but a steady hand and sharp knife works fine.2
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and gently soften the onions for about 8–10 minutes until translucent and sweet but not browned. Season lightly with white pepper.3
Layer half the potato matchsticks into the buttered dish, then scatter over all the softened onion and the chopped anchovy fillets. Top with the remaining potatoes, spreading them evenly.4
Mix together the cream, milk and 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved anchovy brine. Pour this mixture evenly over the dish — it should come roughly halfway up the potatoes. Taste the liquid before adding any salt; it is usually salty enough from the brine.5
Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top and dot with a few small pieces of butter. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 25–30 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.6
Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving — this helps the cream settle and makes it easier to spoon out. Serve as part of a Christmas spread alongside pickled herring, meatballs and rye bread.User Reviews
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