Raggmunk med Stekt Fläsk
Raggmunk med Stekt Fläsk·(rahg-muhnk mehd stekt flesk)
Husmanskost: The Honest Weeknight Skillet
If there is a dish that defines the thrifty, fat-slicked soul of Swedish husmanskost, it is the raggmunk. This isn't a delicate European crepe or a dense latke; it is a bristly, lacy-edged potato pancake bound with a whisper of dairy and fried hard in the rendered fat of salted pork. For the first-generation kid, the smell of thick-cut bacon crisping in a cast-iron pan is an instant ticket back to the old country. It demands nothing more than a cheap bag of waxy potatoes, a hot skillet, and a mandatory smear of sharp, bright lingonberries to cut the glorious, heavy richness of the pork.
Before you start
Make the batter before grating the potatoes.
Potatoes oxidize and turn grey rapidly once exposed to air. Have the batter waiting so you can fold the shreds in immediately after squeezing them.
Ingredients
- thick-cut bacon1 lb
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- whole milk1 1/2 cup
- large egg1 large
- kosher salt1 tsp
- Yukon Gold potatoes1 3/4 lb
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- lingonberry jam1 cup
Method
- 01
Render the bacon fat in a hot cast-iron skillet.
Fry the thick-cut bacon over medium heat until crispy and golden brown, then transfer the meat to a warm oven and reserve the liquid fat in a small bowl, leaving just a sheen in the pan.
- 02
Whisk the flour, salt, milk, and egg into a smooth batter.
Start with half the milk to prevent lumps, forming a thick paste before whisking in the rest of the liquid and the egg.
- 03
Coarsely grate the potatoes and wring them completely dry.
Working in handfuls over the sink, aggressively squeeze out as much cellular water as physically possible so the pancakes crisp in the pan instead of steaming.
- 04
Fold the dry, grated potatoes directly into the batter.
The batter coats the shreds instantly, cutting off oxygen and preventing the potatoes from oxidizing into a dismal grey.
- 05
Fry the batter in a sizzling mixture of reserved bacon fat and fresh butter.
Add a spoonful of bacon fat, a pat of butter, and a splash of neutral oil to the skillet over medium heat. Ladle in a quarter-cup of batter, spreading it as thinly as possible with a spatula.
- 06
Sear until the edges are lacy, bristly, and deep golden brown.
Give them two to three minutes on the first side, flip, and fry for another two minutes. Work in batches, replenishing the fat as needed.
- 07
Serve piping hot with the crispy bacon and a heavy spoonful of lingonberry jam.
The sharp, acidic tang of the berries is strictly non-negotiable against the rich, salty pork.
Notes
Guard the fat.
The rendered pork fat is culinary gold. Frying the pancakes in a mixture of bacon grease and butter is the absolute secret to reproducing the authentic flavor of the homeland.
Upgrade to raw-stirred lingonberries.
If you can find frozen whole lingonberries, skip the jarred jam. Vigorously stir 2 cups of frozen berries with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar at room temperature until the sugar dissolves into a tart, bright relish.