You could give me this wonderful Swedish potato dish every day for a week and I’d not complain. Variations are many – I often make this with celeriac, or all dairy rather than part stock, or leave out the breadcrumbs if I can’t be bothered – and this is my current favourite way. Leave out the anchovies and add a tablespoon of pokey mustard for a differently delicious vegetarian version. The spices are all widely used in Scandinavia and come together beautifully. It isn’t critical that the pepper is white, but I like it that way. This makes as good a main with dark, irony brassicas or sprouting broccoli as it does a side to roast lamb or stews.
Ingredients
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- ½ tsp dill seeds
- ½ tsp anise seeds
- ½ tsp celery seeds
- ½ tsp white peppercorns
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 anchovy fillets, plus a little of their oil
- 3 medium onions, very thinly sliced
- 800g (1lb 12oz) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 200ml (7fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock
- Pinch of ground white pepper
- 150ml (5fl oz) double cream
- 60g (2¼oz) breadcrumbs
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Toast the spices in a dry pan until fragrant, shaking the pan to prevent burning. Reduce to a powder in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar.
- Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan over a low–medium heat. Add a tablespoon of the anchovy oil and then the onions and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft. Remove the onions from the pan.
- Add layers of potato to the pan up to halfway. Carefully pour in the stock. Spread the onions evenly on top and dot with the anchovies. Season with a pinch of white pepper, then add the remaining potato in layers, followed by the cream. Press the potatoes into the creamy stock.
- Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, pressing the potatoes into the liquid a couple of times. Remove from the oven. Scatter with the spice mix, then the breadcrumbs. Add a little milk to top up if needed. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C /180°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 and bake for another 30–40 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes cooked.
Wine Recommendations:
This sort of comfort cooking is also relatively easy to partner with wine, both red and white would work equally well. The anchovies are the only ingredient that could present a potential challenge but shouldn’t cause too many issues in these quantities. Opt for reds that are big on fresh red-fruit flavour such as those made from the gamay or pinot noir grape or a perky Italian red like Bardolino or its neighbour Valpolicella. On the white front, think rich and creamy to mirror this aspect of the dish – grenache blanc or a Cape blend would work, as would full-bodied chardonnay, alternatively pick whites with zip and a touch of spice – grüner veltliner, Alsace pinot blanc or an edelzwicker would be great as would reliable all-rounder verdicchio.
