Pyttipanna

My version of pyttipanna (pytt i panna - small pieces in pan) is very simple, but also very good in my opinion. Pyttipanna is considered as Swedish home cooking and basically consists of diced potatoes, onions and meat that are fried in a frying pan. It is not uncommon for the ingredients to be leftovers from previous meals (Sunday roasts, for example). Common accessories are fried eggs and pickled beetroot.

So there it was - autumn was here, the beets were cheap so of course I felt like making pickled beets. At the same time as I started with the beets, I almost felt compelled to make a pyttipanna pan as I also had leftovers of a pork butt in the freezer. There are few things that fit so well together and here I think that Swedish home cooking hits the mark.

The dish is popular in Sweden (pytt i panna), Norway (pytt i panne), Finland (pyttipannu) and Denmark (biksemad). Frozen pyttipanna of many varieties can be bought in almost every Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Danish supermarket.

There are many variations on this dish and really it is only the imagination and available ingredients that set the limit. You can have lentils, beans, peppers, corn, zuccini, leeks, cheese, cabbage or whatever you think would suit. The choice of meat can be anything from spicy sausage to the leftovers of Sundays roast lamb. This recipe is just what I think is a good base for a pyttipanna and that actually includes some carrot.

• Replace the pork or parts of it with sausage, beef, meatballs, pork or quorn.
• Add the creme fraiche towards the end of cooking for a creamy variation.
• Add parsnips, mushrooms, celeriac, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage, lentils, corn, peppers, zucchini, leeks or beans.
• Use pre-cooked potatoes, e.g. leftovers from the previous meal.
• Add cream towards the end of cooking and bring to the boil ("gräddstuva").
• You can also cook a pyttipanna in the oven - perfect if you need to make a larger amount.