This traditional Swedish dish is often referred to as leftover food, but with some really good ingredients, it can actually become quite elegant.
Photo By Mads Damgaard
Pytt i Panna, which roughly translates into “small pieces in a pan”, is a very common plate on Swedish dinner tables “the day after”. Traditionally made from whatever leftovers you have from the night before, chopped up and fried together, it can contain basically any meat from sausages and ham to beef and game.
And even if I also occasionally jump on the “leftovers” bandwagon, I actually think it is so darn good it deserves that you buy the ingredients especially for the Pytt i Panna. Served with some pickled beetroots and topped with a fried egg – I think it becomes a rather elegant dish.
Pytt i Panna – Swedish Hash
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
The classic Swedish “leftover” dish can actually be rather elegant
Ingredients
- 6 Diced potatoes
- 2 Diced onions
- 2 Diced carrots
- 2 Diced parsnips
- 2 Tablespoons of organic butter
- 1 1/2 Ib good beef
- 4 Free range eggs
- 1/3 Cup chicken stock
- Pickled beetroot
- Strong mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Cut the beef into dices of about 1/2 inch squared.
- Gently fry the onions in a little butter until golden. Set aside.
- Fry the diced potatoes carrots and parsnips in butter for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Add the chicken stock. When the stock has boiled in/evaporated completely, turn the heat up for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are golden and crispy on the outside.
- In a separate – very hot skillet – fry the beef quickly until browned but not well-done.
- Add the vegetables and onion to the beef (for an extra decadent version, also add 1/4 cup of cream) and cook together for about a minute. Season with salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve with fried eggs, beetroot and some good mustard. Garnish with chopped chives.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
This looks delicious! I need to add it to my repertoire :-)
I used to worked as a cook in Stockholms Grand Hotel in 1968 as part of my growing up into the Chefs trade. I have my fondest memories of this dish, super simple very tasty and i learned that every household has their own variety. In the Grand hotel the chefs thought me to deglace with a good dash or two of Worchestershire sauce, which gave the dish a unique and pleasant flavour.We did not put mustard in it…
Rudy
Made this recipe on a camping trip over the weekend. We’ve been exploring Swedish roots lately and this seemed like a great recipe. It was outstanding. The kids devoured it. I used a smoked beef sausage for the meat. Loved the sweetness of the parsnip. Parsnip also mushed a bit more than the potato with the addition of chicken stock and the result held everything together and fried up beautifully. Used the heavy cream. I thought it could use some fresh herbs to add some brightness, but that would be an addition not necessity. Overall an A+. I’ll do it again.
Believe it or not, but the outcome of this recipe can transform greatly with very simple variations. For example, using “yesterday’s potatoes”, or pre-boiled as it were, and frying the hash with only a bit of oil and no liquid or even cream or mustard will produce what is more towards the “more bright” you were left desiring, as the base flavours of sausage, fried potato and onion stand more pronounced and unmuddled. At this point it can be made much brighter with herbs, aromatic vegetables, butter and spices without much difficulty.
Crushed allspice, cayenne and parsley are frequent favourites.
My mother is an “off the boat” Swede who married an American. She made this often when I was growing up here in Massachusetts. I had forgotten about it until I stumbled across it here. As kids we always love it, and I look forward to making it!
Thank you, thank you! I really didn’t think I would find a Pitt I panna recipe on the internet! Yours sounds perfect and I am going to use it shortly. In the past I copy-catted a delicious dish in an old restaurant in old town in Stockholm. They included eggplant and zucchini and it was good, but my grandsons will prefer yours, I’m sure. I look forward to your emails that I just signed up for. By the way, my husband’s name is Carl Larson, but he doesn’t paint!
You can buy the product in stores in Sweden and you can add your items of food to suit your taste.
I ate this as a little girl in Northern Germany ??. It was a signature dish in a restaurant in Flensburg.
Lots of good memories!
Looks fabulous and just in time for parsnip season.
How awesome is this!! Thanks so much for this fantastic reciipe.