Swedish Oven Pancake

Swedish Oven Pancake

Ingredients:

4 servings

3 eggs

8 dl milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 dl wheat flour

1 package bacon

For serving

Lingonberry jam

Directions:

Shred the bacon directly down into a large ovenproof mold or small pan. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes, 225 ° C.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and wheat flour to create a smooth and non-sticky batter.

Take out the pan with the bacon and pour the batter over the bacon in the pan. Set the oven to 225 ° C and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with lingonberry jam. It is also great to serve with shredded carrots and cottage cheese in addition to Lingonberry Jam.

In Sweden Ovenpancake is often served with soup made from yellow peas. I have added two recipes here. One with Split Peas and Ham and one with Chickpeas.

Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

1 large onion, medium diced

6 to 8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 heaped tsp sweet paprika

400 g tinned chopped tomatoes

425 g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

1 l vegetable broth

1 tsp sugar

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

140 g pre-washed baby spinach

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur.

Add spices and saute a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is low, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes. Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Serve soup, drizzled lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups dried split peas

2 quarts cold water

1 ½ pounds ham bone

2 onions, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch dried marjoram

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 potato, diced

Directions:

In a large stock pot, cover peas with 2 quarts cold water and soak overnight. If you need a faster method, simmer the peas gently for 2 minutes, and then soak for l hour.

Once peas are soaked, add ham bone, onion, salt, pepper and marjoram. Cover, bring to boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove bone; cut off meat, dice and return meat to soup. Add celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook slowly, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Irish Stew with Lard Pie Crust

Irish Stew with Lard Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1/2 cup lard

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and make a lid with pastry. Decorate if you wish and make a small hole in the middle. Bake in preheated oven at 350 Fahrenheit ( 175 - 180 Celsius degrees ) for about 30-40  minutes, until golden brown.

For the recipt to the

Traditional Irish Stew

Colcannon

Colcannon

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 pounds moderately starchy potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks 

4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

2 cups chopped kale

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 medium leek, chopped, thoroughly rinsed and drained

1/2 cup quality unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed

1/2 cup whole milk, warmed

3 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Fry the bacon in a large pan until crispy then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate until ready to use.  Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan.

Add the chopped greens to the pan and saute them in the bacon grease until soft, 7-8 minutes.

While the greens are cooking, start the potatoes boiling.  Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft. Thoroughly drain all water from the potatoes.

While the potatoes are still piping hot, add 2/3 of the butter, warm milk and cream. Use a manually masher to mash the potatoes.

Add the cooked greens, bacon, green onions. Stir to combine. Add the salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt according to preference.

Spoon into a serving bowl, make a small well in the center and add the remaining 1/3 butter in the well. Garnish with the reserved bacon and green onions. Serve immediately.

Serving with Traditional Irish Stew you can put the Colcannon into the bowl of stew. Delicious!