Also known as Jansson’s Temptation
Serves: 4

Preheat oven to 400° F

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds baking potatoes

18 anchovy flat fillets or sprats, chopped

1 yellow or sweet medium-sized onion

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

4 tablespoons bread crumbs

3 tablespoons butter

 

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and the onions.

 

Cut the potatoes in narrow strips, no more than ¼” thick or thin slices cut in half.

 

Thinly slice the onions and cut the slices in half.

 

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a warm frying pan.

 

Saute the onions in the frying pan until soft and translucent.

 

Butter the bottom of a casserole dish.

 

Place half of the potato in the bottom of the casserole dish.

 

Scatter anchovies and onion across the bottom layer of potatoes.

 

Top with remaining potatoes.

 

Stir together half of the cream and the liquid from the anchovies. Pour over the potato mixture.

 

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

 

Remove from oven.

 

Gently place in serving dish. Add the rest of the remaining cream.

 

Melt the remains of the 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Add breadcrumbs and stir until lightly browned.

 

Place in serving dish. Top potatoes with the breadcrumbs.

 

Serve hot.

 

 

Cook’s Note: The anchovies are not a dominant flavor in this dish. However, for those not inclined to anchovies, a reasonable substitute is ½ cup diced ham and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.