Jansson's temptation
Janssons frestelse
Swedish potato gratin with onions, spiced sprats and cream, baked until the top is brown and the inside is rich.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Janssons frestelse.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Jansson's temptation is a gratin of matchstick potatoes layered with softened onion and Swedish ansjovis, baked in cream until the potatoes are tender and the top has gone crisp. The fish dissolves into the cream and seasons the whole dish; you do not taste individual fillets. The catch for cooks outside Sweden is that ansjovis are not anchovies. They are sprats cured with sugar, salt, allspice, cinnamon and sandalwood. Mediterranean anchovy fillets are saltier and sharper, so this version uses fewer and adds a pinch of allspice and sugar to get back towards the Swedish taste.
What you'll need
10 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Potato, waxy, peeled, cut into 5 mm matchsticks1 kg
- Onion, thinly sliced2 medium
- Anchovy fillet, drained, roughly chopped; see authenticity note for Swedish ansjovis60 g
- Allspice, ground1.2 ml
- Sugar4.9 ml
- Cream300 ml
- Milk100 ml
- Butter50 g
- Breadcrumbs, dried40 g
- Black pepper, white pepper if you have it2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 200°C. Soften the onion in half the butter over low heat for 10 minutes without colouring it.
12 min200°C
Step 2
Do not rinse the cut potatoes; their starch thickens the cream. Butter a 25 cm gratin dish.
3 min
Step 3
Layer a third of the potatoes, half the onion and half the fish. Season with pepper, a little allspice and sugar. Repeat, then finish with potatoes. Anchovies are salty, so add no salt yet.
8 min
Step 4
Mix cream and milk and pour over until it comes two thirds of the way up. Scatter breadcrumbs and dot with the rest of the butter.
3 min
Step 5
Bake 50 to 60 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced and the top is deep brown. If it browns early, cover loosely with foil.
55 min200°C
Step 6
Rest 10 minutes before serving so the cream settles. Taste and only then add salt if needed.
Tip: It reheats well and is arguably better the next day.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 8.3 g
- Carbs
- 40.2 g
- Fat
- 26.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 16.3 g
- Fibre
- 4.6 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 47 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Fish
- Milk
- Wheat
- Pescatarian
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Anchovy fillets → Pickled or marinated herring, drained and chopped
Closer to the sweet-salt balance of ansjovis. Use about 100 g.
Tips
- Matchsticks, not slices. The thin sticks cook evenly and hold the cream between them.
- If the top is brown but the middle is still firm, it needs more time at a lower heat, not less time.
- Swedish grocers abroad and IKEA food halls sell the proper ansjovis tins around Christmas.
History & culture
A fixed part of the Swedish Christmas table and the Easter buffet, and a late-night dish after a party. It is eaten in small portions beside ham, meatballs and herring, never as a main. Many Swedes make it only twice a year and feel strongly about the brand of tinned fish.
Probably named after a 19th-century opera singer, Pelle Janzon, who was known for his appetite, though a 1929 film with the title also has a claim. The dish itself grows out of older Swedish potato-and-fish bakes once potatoes became a staple in the 1800s.
Modern adaptation — Written for Mediterranean anchovy fillets because Swedish ansjovis (spice-cured sprats) are hard to buy elsewhere. If you have a tin of Swedish ansjovis, use 125 g fish plus 3 tablespoons of the brine, skip the allspice and sugar, and you are back to the traditional dish.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Jansson's temptation take?
1 hr 25 min all in — 25 min prep, 1 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 portions. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Fish, Milk, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Oven, Frying pan, Chef's knife.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much sugar?
1 tsp of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Anchovy fillets → Pickled or marinated herring, drained and chopped. Closer to the sweet-salt balance of ansjovis. Use about 100 g.
Any tips from this recipe?
Matchsticks, not slices. The thin sticks cook evenly and hold the cream between them. If the top is brown but the middle is still firm, it needs more time at a lower heat, not less time. Swedish grocers abroad and IKEA food halls sell the proper ansjovis tins around Christmas.
Can I prepare this ahead?
It reheats well and is arguably better the next day.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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