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Swedish Christmas Ham


Recipe by: Nikolaj Juel
Serves: 4

Procedure

Place the ham in a large pot with peppercorns and bay leaves. Cover it with water and bring to the boil, then simmer until the core temperature is 88-90 degrees.

Let the ham cool down in the boiled water. This can be done the day before, so it cools down overnight.

Take the ham out of the water and remove the skin. Keep the water. We’ll need that later.

Make a criss-cross pattern in the fat and stick cloves in the ham to match the diamond pattern.

Place the ham in an ovenproof dish. Pour half the honey over the ham and brush it so you have an even layer.

Bake the ham in a medium oven (180 degrees) for 25 minutes.

Remove the ham, pour the rest of the honey over it and bake for another 5 minutes.

Jansson’s temptation 

Cut the potatoes into ‘fries’. Put the potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Drain well.

Grease an ovenproof dish with half of the butter.

Finely chop the onions and place them in the bottom of the dish.

Cut the anchovies with scissors and sprinkle over the onions.

Put the potatoes in the dish and press gently.

Pour the cream over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the potatoes and put the rest of the butter in small dollops around the potatoes.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the cream bubbles at the edges and the surface is golden and delicious.

Lingonberry sauce 

Reduce the boiled water by half. Add the cream and let it cook until you have a nice creamy consistency. Add a little browning sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add your pickled lingonberries.

Braised kale 

Blanch the kale in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to drain.

Put the kale in a bowl and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

  • 1 salted ham
  • 2 tbsp of honey
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Cloves

Jansson’s temptation 

  • 6 medium firm potatoes, preferably red-skinned like Desiree
  • 2 onions
  • 2 x 125 g of Swedish anchovies
  • 400 ml of whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp of fresh breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 50 g of butter
  • Set the oven to 190 degrees.

Lingonberry sauce 

  • 2 dl of boiling water from the ham
  • 3 dl of whipping cream
  • Browning sauce
  • 3 tbsp of pickled lingonberries
  • Salt and pepper

Braised kale 

  • 4 stalks of kale
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper