Where I come from, southern Sweden that is, we chop the anchovies and onions and layer them with the potatoes. AND we also use some of the liquid from the anchovies to make it tastier!
Jansson's Temptation
Credit: Russell Kaye
(Janssons Frestelse)
SERVES 4 – 6
This dish may have been named for an ascetic 19th-century religious zealot who enjoyed it on the sly.
20 sprat filets (2 3.5-oz. cans)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tbsp. butter
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced
6 medium boiling potatoes, peeled
2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
2 tbsp. fine bread crumbs
1 cup heavy cream
1. Drain sprats, reserving about 1⁄4 cup of the liquid. Dry filets thoroughly between paper towels.
2. Heat oil and 2 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 400°. Cut potatoes into lengths about 3" × 3⁄4". Do not rinse. Arrange about one-quarter of the potatoes in a buttered medium baking dish. Cover with one-third of the onions and one-third of the sprats. Season with pepper, then repeat process twice more, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs, then dot with remaining 2 tbsp. butter.
4. Warm cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add reserved sprat liquid, then pour over potatoes. Transfer to oven and bake until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour. Serve warm.
Variation—Christer Larsson, chef-owner of Christer's restaurant in Manhattan, suggests making this dish with sautéed potatoes for a change of pace. Begin as in step 1 above, then cut the potatoes as in step 3 above. Sauté potatoes in oil over medium-high heat until golden, about 15 minutes. Assemble and bake as in steps 3 and 4 above.
