This recipe was developed by Marcus Jernmark, chef at Aquavit in New York City, as part of the restaurant’s traditional julbord spread for Christmas. “Dip-in-the-Pot is something we do at home in Sweden; I’ve almost never seen it in America,” Jernmark explains. After cooking the Christmas ham, the broth in which it boiled is strained and reduced, and then served fondue-style. It’s one of the few truly communal tabletop elements of the julbord: “I grew up, like lots of Swedish kids, with a long Christmas table, and another table for the buffet,” says Jernmark. “But on the dining table you have maybe a bread basket, maybe a few sliced meats, a bottle of aquavit, a few bottles of beer — and the Dip-in-the-Pot. Everyone reaches over to dunk their bread.”
Ingredients
- Christmas ham
- Aromatics to taste (fresh bay leaf, dill, parsley, etc.)
- Good, crusty bread, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
Instructions
- Strain vegetables and other solids from reserved ham water. Pour the broth into a stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add aromatics and let the mixture simmer uncovered for one hour, stirring occasionally until liquid is reduced; it should be rich and flavorful. Strain out the aromatics and serve the clear broth in a fondue pot or another serving vessel, accompanied by bread squares.
To eat, spear bread squares with fondue sticks or forks and dip in the liquid.
