As far as I’m concerned, creamy potatoes are the official side dish of Christmas.

By Eric Kim

As far as I’m concerned, creamy potatoes are the official side dish of Christmas. Many permutations of that soft panel of cream, butter and black pepper have made their way into my holiday cooking repertoire over the years. Scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin come to mind, but my latest favorite is Jansson’s temptation.

One of Sweden’s most delicious exports, Jansson’s temptation, otherwise known as Janssons frestelse, is a creamy potato casserole flavored with melty onions and umami-packed tinned sprats. As to the origin of the Swedish classic, which is often served with schnapps as part of the Julbord (“Christmas table”), there are a few theories. One suggests that it was named after a 1928 Edvin Adolphson film, while an older one says that it was named after the Swedish opera singer Per Adolf Janzon — “not so likely,” according to the Swedish food writer Jens Linder. What we do know, Linder says, is that Jansson’s temptation did not appear on the Christmas table until World War II, establishing itself as a holiday food only in the 1970s.

Jansson’s temptation recipe

Ingredients

(6–8 servings)
1.2 kg potatoes
400 g onions
375 g spice-cured sprat filets
600 ml heavy whipping cream
salt, white pepper
breadcrumbs
butter

Preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut them into strips. Peel and cut the onions into thin slices, sautéing them gently in a little butter without browning.

Grease an ovenproof baking dish and cover the bottom with a layer of potatoes, then add half the onions and half the sprat (‘anchovy’) filets. Another layer of potatoes, then the rest of the onion and sprats. Finish with a layer of potatoes. Flatten the surface, apply a few turns of pepper fresh from the mill and sprinkle on a little salt.

Pour the cream on until it is almost visible through the potatoes. Place a few pats of butter on top and, if desired, sprinkle with some breadcrumbs.

Bake in the oven (250°C/475°F) for about an hour.

https://sweden.se/culture/food/janssons-temptation