Janssons frestelse – Swedish potato and sprat gratin
Serves 8 as a side · 1 hour 25 minutes · Baking tin
The Swedish Christmas table's essential gratin of potato matchsticks, buttery onions, spiced sprats and cream. In a black enamelled baking tin the top turns golden and the edges crisp.
Janssons frestelse, or Jansson's temptation, is a Swedish gratin of potatoes cut into thin matchsticks, gently softened onions, spiced sprat fillets and cream. It is best with waxy potatoes and thin sticks, baked at 200 °C until bubbling, tender and golden brown on top.
Ingredients
Serves 8 as a side
- 1.2 kg waxy potatoes
- 2 onions
- 40 g butter, plus extra for the tin
- 2 tins (125 g each) Swedish spiced sprat fillets (ansjovis), not Mediterranean anchovies
- 400 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp brine from the sprat tin
- 2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
- White pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 200 °C. Butter the baking tin.
- Peel and thinly slice the onions. Soften them in half the butter over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until soft and glossy but not browned.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin matchsticks, about 5 mm. Do not rinse them; the starch helps thicken the cream.
- Spread a third of the potatoes in the tin. Scatter over half the onions and half the sprat fillets. Repeat and finish with a layer of potatoes. Season lightly with pepper; the salt comes from the sprats.
- Mix the cream with the brine and pour it over so the liquid shows between the sticks without covering them. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and dot with the rest of the butter.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 50–60 minutes until bubbling at the edges, golden brown on top and the potatoes are tender when pierced. Cover with baking paper if the top browns too quickly.
Why it works
The black enamel picks up the oven's heat quickly, so the gratin comes to the boil evenly and the edges crisp. Enamel is unbothered by salty brine and cream, and baked-on bits lift easily after a short soak.
FAQ
Can I make Janssons frestelse the day before?
Yes, layer it in the tin but hold back the cream so the potatoes don't discolour. Add the cream and bake on the day, allowing 10 extra minutes if the tin comes straight from the fridge.
Can I use ordinary anchovies?
Not really. Swedish ansjovis are sprats cured with sugar and spices, sweeter and milder than salted anchovies in oil, which make the dish too salty and taste quite different.
Can you freeze Jansson's temptation?
Once baked it can be frozen, although the potatoes soften a little. Thaw in the fridge and reheat at 175 °C under baking paper.
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