Stegt flæsk med persillesovs
Photo: XYZA-2400 · CC0

History

Stegt flæsk traces to 17th-century Danish farmhouses, where pork belly was the everyday cured-and-fried staple for evening dinner. The dish moved into restaurant menus in the 1880s, especially at smørrebrød-adjacent rooms like Restaurant Sankt Annæ. Today most lunch counters serve a single-piece version on rye for under DKK 145; the canonical full plate sits at Schønnemann and Aamanns 1921.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 800g pork belly, sliced into 5mm pieces (ask the butcher to slice)
  • Sea salt, black pepper
  • 800g small new potatoes, scrubbed
  • For the parsley sauce: 60g butter, 60g plain flour, 600ml whole milk, large handful flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, salt and white pepper, freshly grated nutmeg

Method

  1. Boil the new potatoes in salted water for 18 to 22 minutes until tender; drain and keep warm.
  2. Heat a large heavy frying pan dry over medium-high. Season the pork belly slices with salt and pepper.
  3. Fry the pork belly in a single layer, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep brown, the fat rendered and the edges crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
  4. For the sauce: melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute. Pour in milk slowly, whisking, until smooth and thick (6 to 8 minutes).
  5. Stir in the chopped parsley off the heat, season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
  6. Plate the pork belly with the potatoes and pour the sauce over the potatoes generously.

Tip from the editors. The pork belly must crisp at the edges; if it steams instead, the pan is too cool or too crowded. Cook in batches.

Where to eat stegt flæsk med persillesovs

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs in Copenhagen

Schønnemann ★ 4.8

$$$ SmørrebrødIndre By

Schønnemann on Hauser Plads in Copenhagen has served smørrebrød since 1877, with house-baked rye, a 140-bottle snaps cabinet and lunch-only service.

OrderMarinated herring with raw onion, capers and rye, plus a glass of cold akvavit.

TipLunch only, closed Sunday and books a week ahead. Walk in at 14:30 for the best chance of a counter seat.

Directions Book

Aamanns 1921 ★ 4.6

$$$ SmørrebrødIndre By

Aamanns 1921 on Niels Hemmingsens Gade in Copenhagen serves Adam Aamann's modern smørrebrød at lunch and a Nordic dinner menu, with a silver organic dining.

OrderThe four-piece smørrebrød lunch with a glass of snaps and a beer chaser.

TipOpen seven days for lunch and dinner; book dinner on the website.

Directions Book

Restaurant Sankt Annæ ★ 4.3

$$ Nordic

Restaurant Sankt Annæ in Copenhagen: nordic room. Open since 1894 a stone's throw from the Royal Palace, Sankt Annæ remains a working-Danes.

Why locals goOpen since 1894 a stone's throw from the Royal Palace, Sankt Annæ remains a working-Danes smørrebrød lunch spot rather than a tourist set piece.

TipTuesday to Saturday lunch only. Walk-ins easier after 14:00.

Directions

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