Swedish Potato and Sprat Gratin (Jansson's Frestelse)

9 ingredients

12 steps

What you need

1 kg (2 1/4 lb) floury potatoes, such as russet, peeled
2 large yellow onions
200 g (7 oz) Swedish-style spiced sprats, sold as ansjovis; keep the brine. Tinned anchovy fillets are a saltier stand-in, so use half as many
240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
180 ml (3/4 cup) whole milk
110 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste, sparingly

Restated from the original video

1
Heat the oven to 220 °C (425 °F) and butter a baking dish of about 2 l (2 qt).
2
Slice the onions thinly. Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent but not browned, 5-7 min.
3
Cut the potatoes into thin matchsticks about 5 mm (1/4 in) thick. Do not rinse them; what clings to them thickens the cream as it bakes.
4
Drain the sprats, keeping the brine, and chop them roughly.
5
Scatter a third of the potatoes over the base of the dish. Cover with half the onions and half the sprats and grind over some pepper.
6
Repeat with another third of the potatoes and the rest of the onions and sprats, then finish with the remaining potatoes on top.
7
Whisk the cream and milk with 2-3 tbsp of the sprat brine. Taste before adding any salt, as the fish is already salty.
8
Pour half the cream mixture over the potatoes.
9
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and dot with the remaining butter.
10
Bake on the middle shelf for 20 min, then pour the rest of the cream mixture down the sides of the dish.
11
Bake for another 30-40 min, until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife and the top is golden and bubbling. Lay foil loosely over the dish if it browns too fast.
12
Rest for 10 min before serving so the sauce thickens.

Imported from honestcooking.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.