Pyttipanna (Bikesemad) pork and potato hash
In Swedish and Norwegian, this dish translates as ‘pieces in the pan’. In Denmark, the same dish is called ‘Biksemad’ and means ‘mixed food’. It is a great way to use leftover meat from the Sunday roast. What makes it Nordic is the essential addition of pickled beet(root) and fried eggs, giving the dish a good sharpness as well as an instant sauce from the runny egg yolk. We eat this for lunch or dinner. This dish only works if the potatoes are firm so they can be cubed and fried – mushy leftover roasties will not work well for this.
Pytt Bellmann is a Swedish variation of Pyttipanna. It’s always made with chopped veal or beef, and a dash of cream is added at the end to make a creamier dish.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 500 g 1lb. 2 oz cold, cooked potatoes
- 300 g just under 1lb cooked meat leftovers – roast pork or beef or a mixture of the two
- 200 g 7 oz onion
- 75 g 2 1⁄2 oz bacon lardons or back bacon, cut into small rectangular pieces
- 25 g 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 4-8 eggs
- Worcestershire sauce green beans
- green beans if you fancy
- blanched pickled beet(root), sliced as a garnish, side
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes and meat into similar-sized pieces (about 1 cm (1⁄2 in)).
- Chop the onion and bacon (unless you’re using lardons) and set aside.
- In a deep ovenproof frying pan/skillet, melt the butter and a drop of olive oil. Heat up, then add the potatoes and fry until they are golden and have crisped up.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan/skillet, add a bit more oil (if needed), then add the onion and bacon and cook until done. Add the meat, heat through, and carefully fold in the potatoes again (the reason you cook and add the potatoes in two actions is to ensure they keep their shape and do not turn the dish to mush).
- Season with salt and pepper and parsley and transfer to a low oven to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs in another frying pan/skillet. If your guests are a hungry sort, cook two fried eggs per person. If not, fry one each. Serve each portion of Pyttipanna topped with the fried egg(s), a few drops of Worcestershire sauce to taste, a few blanched green beans and sliced pickled beet(root). Some people add ketchup, too – because it’s just oh so nice. Actually, do add the ketchup. It’s great.
Notes
Recipe taken from the book ScandiKtichen Cookbook, by Bronte Aurell. Available in our shop and online and Amazon and all those places you usually buy books.
