Comfort Food
As much as I always hope spring is going to come early, it just manages to feel further and further away each year. We are in the middle of a cold spell here in the UK, so all I want these days is a bit of comfort. Whether it is soup, stew, or a big portion of pasta bolognese, this kind of weather screams out for something warm and nourishing. And in my book, there is nothing more comforting than a hearty portion of mashed potatoes. Even better if they’re topped with some delicious fried bacon and onions!
Today’s Dish
This is the epitome of Scandinavian comfort food: potatoes and meat. The name of the dish really sums it up. This is called brændende kærlighed, or burning love, apparently dubbed as such because there was no better way for a housewife to show her love than to cook a hearty meal like this for her husband. Obviously, times have changed, but food is still definitely a way for us to show our love for others! So, make this for someone you love, whether it’s for a casual weeknight dinner or a part of a special occasion meal. It is super popular in Denmark because it is so simple but so delicious!
Making Today’s Recipe
There are seriously not many easier dishes to make than this one! It is ideal for a busy weeknight or as a delicious way of using up leftover mashed potatoes (from the holidays, for example). This dish is traditionally eaten with pickled beets (find our recipe here), but you can substitute these for any vegetable. We think anything pickled balances out the richness of the potatoes and bacon, but it’s really up to you! For the recipe, start by simply boiling your potatoes. While they boil, fry the bacon and onion in a pan until caramelized and cooked through. Next, mash the potatoes with milk, cream, butter, salt and pepper. Serve in small individual dishes or in a large dish with garnishes, such as parsley, chives, or dill. Enjoy!
Brændende Kærlighed (Mashed Potatoes with Fried Bacon and Onions)
Ingredients
MASHED POTATOES
- 1 kg (~2 lbs; 3 oz) potatoes (about 6-7 medium potatoes)
- 35 grams (2.5 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk *you can also add one cup of half and half in place of the milk and cream!
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
TOPPING
- 340 g (12oz; about 1 pack) bacon
- 1 (about 185g) medium onion
- Salt to taste *bacon is often salty, so add a little bit at a time!
- Pepper to taste
- Parsley, chives, or dill for garnish *optional!
- Pickled beets *optional but a traditional addition to this dish if you have any!
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into 1 inch, equal sized pieces.
- Add to a large pot and cover with cold water.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil; boil for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and a knife or fork goes through a piece of potato with no resistance.
- While the potatoes are cooking, dice the bacon and the onion. Add the bacon to a cold pan; heat over medium/low heat.
- The bacon should start to release some fat and begin to caramelize after about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the onion to the pan. You can drain off some of the bacon fat before adding the onion if you would like, we like to add the onion in with the bacon fat and skim any excess off after it has cooked!
- Cook the onion and bacon together for about another ten minutes until the onion is translucent and the bacon is caramelized. You may have to adjust the cooking temperature to lower heat so the bacon doesn't burn! Turn off the heat when it is ready.
- When the potatoes are almost ready, heat up milk, butter, and cream on the stove until the butter melts. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to add to the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes when they are soft.
- If you have a ricer, pass the potatoes through the ricer. If not, you can mash using a masher or even a large fork – whatever you have works! Now is also a good time to add some salt to the potatoes.
- Add the milk mixture a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare any garnish that you would like to add – parsley, dill, chives, or green onion work well!
- Serve mashed potato on a plate or in a serving dish.
- Top with the bacon and onion mixture.
- Add the garnishes and eat alongside pickled beets for the perfect comfort food!
