Janssons Frestelse (Janssons Temptation) is a traditional Swedish recipe for a classic layered dish of matchstick potatoes, onion and hopped smoked sprats cooked in cream that is traditionally served for Easter (specifically Good Friday). The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Swedish version of: Janssons Temptation (Janssons Frestelse).
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This is a classic Swedish fish pie typically served on Good Friday. It is, basically a potato dish that is topped with Baltic smoked sprats. According to legend, the dish is named after Erik Jansson, Pietist, who was unable to resist the temptation and was caught eating it by a shocked fellow monk. He was accused of failing to reject personal temptation. Please note that the sprats to use here are Swedish sprats and not Baltic sprats (which are smoked and stored in oil). Swedish sprats are not smoked and are preserved in vinegar with sugar, salt and spices (most notably cloves and cinnamon). A single tin typically contains about 20 fillets. In this recipe you can also substitute salt herring (soak in water over night) instead of the sprats — this makes Herring Temptation.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 firm, starchy potatoes, peeled
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 tin (100g) Swedish sprats fillets in oil
250ml double cream
125ml single cream or whole milk
2 tbsp plain breadcrumbs
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Lightly grease a gratin or baking dish with butter and sit on a baking tray. Trim the potatoes neatly so that you end up with four rectangular shapes. Place the potato trimmings in a bowl, cover with water and set aside.
Now take the trimmed potatoes and cut lengthways into thin matchsticks. As you finish a batch of matchsticks, transfer to a bowl of water (this will prevent them from turning brown).
When done, drain the potato matchsticks and use about 1/3 of them to line base of your baking dish, gently pressing them down flat.
Drain the sprats (reserve the oil) and chop coarsely. Scatter half the died onion and half the sprats over the first layer of potato and season with a few twists of black pepper. Use half the remaining potatoes to create a second layer then scatter over the remaining onion and sprats.
Season with more black pepper hen add the remaining potatoes on top, pressing them down gently with the flat of your hand. In a bowl, whisk together the double cream, milk and 2 tbsp of the reserved sprat oil.
Pour this into the dish with the potatoes so that the liquid entirely fills the dish. Cover tightly with a sheet of kitchen foil then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C and bake for about 60 minutes. At this point remove the foil then scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
Return to the oven and bake for between 10 and 15 minutes more, or until the top of the dish is nicely golden brown.
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