Today the Eat the World group is traveling by tabletop to Denmark. Read more about the Eat the World project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz; here's her challenge.
The #EattheWorld Line-up
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Poached Halibut in Orange Lemon Sauce over Braised Lettuce
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
Culinary Cam: Stegt Flæsk Med Persillesov (you're here)
Kitchen Frau: Aebleskiver (Danish Pancake Balls)
Sneha’s Recipe: Salmon & Avocado Towers
Sugarlovespices: Pandekager (classic, thin Danish Pancakes)
The Mann Clan in Denmark
Unlike most of the countries we visit in this group, my family and I have actually been to Denmark. In fact, we have two close family friends who live there now and we spent the 2018 holidays there. Here are a few snapshots from our trip.
Walking around Frederiksborg Castle with the Novaks, Hillerød, Denmark. Christmas 2018.
Fredensborg Palace, Lake Esrum, Sjælland, Denmark. Christmas Eve 2018; Goofing around in Den Gamle By, Århus, Denmark; and New Year's Day, Copenhagen, Denmark.
At the castle that inspired Hamlet: Kronborg Castle with the Novaks, Helsingør, Denmark. New Year's Eve 2018
The times I get to hug Rikke in real life are so few and far between. But when we see each other - even after more than a decade - it's like no time has passed. It was the first time she had met D (I was pregnant with him the last time she visited) and it was the first time I met her husband and her two kids! I am not sure when we'll get together again, but I am grateful for social media because I can watch her kids grow up across the miles.
That trip was what launched my younger son's obsession with nisser, Danish version of gnomes! He spent most of his spending money on bringing nisser home. The following year, he made several ceramic ones in school, and our Christmas tree was a nisser winter wonderland.
Some Danish Eats
Given that we were there for several weeks, we got to try lots of Danish foods, including a stop at a pølsevogn (hot dog wagon), Flæskesteg (roast pig with crackling), Flødeboller (chocolate-covered marshmallows), and Risalamande (rice pudding).
On our last morning in Ry, Rikke made a slightly early New Year's Kransekage. I cried when we said good-bye to the Frydenholm Mortensens and I hope it's not another decade before we see them again.
I have posted a few of our favorite Danish foods previously. Take a look at my posts: Fastelavnsboller + Some Danish Culinary History, Mormor Agnes’ Æbleskiver, and Brunede Kartofler (Danish Caramel Potatoes).
Stegt Flæsk Med Persillesov
For this post, I made Stegt Flæsk Med Persillesov, roasted pork with parsley sauce. Meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes. For a country where no one lives more than 30 miles from the coast, Danes sure do like their meat!
I realized that, though I saw a translation of this dish as "roasted pork", it's traditionally made with unsmoked bacon. Maybe cuts of pork belly. I'm not sure. I had some double applewood smoked sous vide sliced bacon from a local company. So, I used that.
Also, the Danish parsley sauce, persillesov, is essentially a cream sauce with chopped parsley. But it's a little bit bland, so I stirred in some prepared horseradish that is not traditional. It was a perfect addition to this plate.
Ingredients
thick sliced bacon
potatoes
Sauce
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon oil
1 cup diced onions
1/4 cup flour
1 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Bacon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the bacon flat in a baking dish or on a wire rack over a baking dish. Roast for 20 minutes. Flip. And roast for another 20 minutes. The fat should be rendered and the meat crisp and browned. Let drain on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.
Boil your potatoes until cooked. And make the parsley sauce.
Sauce
In a medium saucepan melt butter in olive oil. Stir in the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Whisk in the flour and, while continuing to whisk, pour in the broth and cream. Cook until the gravy start to thicken. Add in the horseradish and fold in the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To Serve
Place the potatoes and bacon on serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and serve hot.
That's a wrap for my Danish offering for #EattheWorld. I can't wait to hear what country Evelyne has us heading to for May. Stay tuned!