No offense to anyone tending to their sourdough starters, but right now, all I want to eat is something that’s comforting, filling and easy to make. And if I can whip it up without having to make a trip to the grocery store, even better. Enter the deliciousness that is pytt i panna, aka Swedish hash.
In Swedish, this dish translates to “small pieces in a pan,” which is exactly what it is—leftover bits and pieces from the fridge, fried to a mouthwatering crisp in a pan. It’s a staple in Swedish households (including mine) and a great way to use up last night’s scraps.
There are countless variations of pytt i panna, but most versions use leftover meat, cooked potatoes and onion. Adding bacon, pickled beetroot or a fried egg is highly encouraged (but not necessary if you don’t have them on hand). The result is a warming dish that’s mostly savory (from the meat), a little bit sweet (thanks to the fried onions) and delightfully crispy. The addition of something pickled gives it a nice hit of acidity, while an over-easy egg oozing over the plate creates a sauce that’s begging to be mopped up by the pan-fried spuds. In other words, tucking into this hearty dish is the culinary equivalent of being enveloped in a warm hug.
For all these reasons and more, Swedish hash has been a regular in my social distancing repertoire and once you make it, I think it will be in yours too.
