Sjömans Hustrun, Frihetsgudinnan och Janssons Frestelse.

        The Seafarer's Wife, The Statue of Liberty & Jansson's Temptation.

If one had to name a favorite Swedish dish that most Swedes love and take for granted; always there as an integral part of any smörgåsbord, commonly served as a late-night snack, the perfect meal at an informal get-together, it would be, without a shadow of a doubt, Jansson's Temptation. A gratin of potatoes, onions, Swedish anchovies, and heavy cream, and, according to Kurt Lundskov, a Dane who gives tips and advice to fellow citizens traveling abroad and who has written many insightful articles on Sweden, Jansson's Temptation is as close as it gets to being acclaimed as the national dish of Sweden.

This easy-to-make-and-serve dish has a fun history, spiced up by a heated debate amongst stubborn literary and non-literary types on the etymology of the appellation, 'Jansson's Temptation'.

Convinced by the arguments of brilliant writers such as Per Erik Wahlund, Gunnar Stigmark, and Mats Rehnberg, I am fully confident that Mrs. Elvira Stigmark coined the name of this dish one evening when serving the then so-called 'anchovy gratin' to some lady friends of hers, and decided to call it 'Jansson's Temptation' as she had just been to see the eponymously named new movie that featured her favorite actor.
This way too, when offering the dish, she could say with a flourish: 'Would you care for a little Temptation' rather than the vapid 'How about some potato and anchovy gratin'…

It might be the case that many Swedes are under the impression that this is an internationally recognized dish -on the same level as Swedish Meatballs, for instance, and while I do not think that is the case today, it was probably true in the late nineteen twenties through the sixties, especially so in America.

As the wave of Swedes emigrating to America slowed and eventually died down, shipping companies and people in that trade had to be innovative and find new uses for their boats. Ships that had once served as a mode of transport for many Swedes with limited means seeking a new life in the Americas were no longer in demand. So, instead, one company, Broströmska Rederiet, set about converting its fleet of ships to accommodate luxury trans-Atlantic travels, soon to be known to Americans as the 'White Viking Fleet.'

The new motto was large luxurious interiors staffed with a clean, knowledgeable, and educated Swedish crew. Famous Swedish castles inspired much of the decoration. And some boats were as close as humanly possible to a 'Floating Castle'; there were libraries, smoking rooms, horse racing games with life-size wooden horses, swimming pools, bars, and restaurants. Elaborate menus served only the best of the best, the crème de la crème, featuring a lot of table side flambéing, illuminated ice sculptures, singing waiters, and miniature fireworks.

Upon entering New York's harbor, the grand dame of the Statue of Liberty was there to greet the ships' guests. And so, as a gesture of reciprocity, the Danish people erected a sculpture in Gothenburgs' harbor. The sixteen-foot high bronze statue atop a sixty-foot tower is the Sjömans Hustrun (Seafarers Wife) and greets passengers as they arrive after their Atlantic crossing.

And, as you would expect by now, the dish always served late at night on these fancy transatlantic liners was Jansson's Temptation.

Returning to the movie mentioned earlier, featuring the famed and handsome actor Edvin Adolphson so loved by Mrs. Elvira Stigmark, it had its premiere on one of these ships, Kungsholm M/S, a floating castle which had set sail from a snowy Gothenburg, on the twenty-eighth of November,  nineteen twenty-eight, heading for New York.

The movie's plot, such as it is,  revolves around a well-to-do farmer and a steamy love triangle.

After complaints from the censors, the producers binned over two hundred meters of film, and the scenes that lead up to the 'Temptation' teased in the title were cut. What's left on celluloid is primarily a lot of stunning scenery of Sweden's countryside and profane and risque lines by seemingly confused actors. In the end, the movie was a bomb.

However, not so the dish.
Much consumed on both continents, we know through David Niven's Memoirs, that the very famous, successful, and arrogant movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn was furious with Greta Garbo for her refusing to act in his productions.
He, therefore, devised a scheme to lure her into agreeing to a contract to star in a movie he was planning to make. He invited her to a carefully planned dinner; herring, meatballs, and Jansson's Temptation were on the menu.
He would thus induce her to sign on the dotted line by satisfying her Nordic tastes. After enjoying her dinner, Ms. Garbo was delighted and in high spirits when she left her table and went into the kitchens to chat with the  Swedish lady cook who had been specially sought out and hired for the occasion. Their conversation lasted two hours, after which Ms. Garbo snuck out the kitchen back door and disappeared. Greta never made a film with Samuel Goldwyn, and to  Mr. Goldwyn's everlasting exasperation, rival movie honcho Louis B Mayer produced all of her American movies.

So, you will have a fun story to report after trying this dish out. I suggest serving it at home after a long night of pub crawling, but that's just me. Recipe to follow.

Enjoy,

Annika
June 12, 2014.


JANSSON'S FRESTELSE

Generously butter a baking dish.

Layer finely julienned potatoes, sliced onions, and chopped Swedish Anchovies until desired height. Sprinkle a little pepper in between the layers. Add some heavy cream, evenly distributed, and top with whole Swedish Anchovies. Last, crush some good knäckebröd between your hands and sprinkle on top. In the oven, medium heat, about 45 minutes.

The best potato to use is something like an Idaho.