In Danish, these yummy little caramelized potatoes are called Brunede Kartofler, which simply means brown potatoes. They are a little on the fiddly side but very much worth the effort for a special occasion.
Papa has a motto: "I never met a potato that I didn't like," and these tasty little spuds did not disappoint my potato-loving guy.
Oh, how my Danish daddy loved this special treat! Brown caramelized potatoes are typically served on Christmas Eve in Denmark, along with crispy roast pork or duck, plenty of rich brown gravy (Sovs,) plain white boiled potatoes, and red cabbage (Rødkål) on the side.
Roast duck is often stuffed with apples and prunes to add a sweet element to the savory bird! Surprisingly, cucumber salad is often on the menu. The crunchy salt and vinegar cucumbers are a great accompaniment to the other rich foods!
Danish Christmas Eve dinners are very festive and can last all evening!! They are often accompanied by singing, storytelling, and candle lighting to create a "hygge" (cozy) atmosphere.
After the meal, many families gather around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts. Some of the magic was lost on me when I was little. As a little girl, it seemed like forever until we finally got to my favorite part of the evening: opening presents!
Select small, firm potatoes. Ideally, tiny red or gold potatoes no larger than a golf ball are best for this dish because they retain their shape, and the caramel/potato ratio is the best! You will achieve the best results when you use potatoes that are as uniform in size as possible.
Cook the potatoes in the jacket in salted water until you can easily pierce them with a toothpick or cake tester, but don't overcook them. They need to remain fairly firm. No mushy, overcooked spuds here, please.
Drain and cool the potatoes until you can handle them, then peel them. I know. This part is fiddly and a little slow. Please keep in mind they are, after all, a special, occasional treat.
I chilled mine in the refrigerator overnight, then breezed through the peeling process while having a lively conversation with our daughter on speakerphone!
If possible, chill the peeled potatoes overnight or at least long enough to make them cold and firm. Ideally, they should have very little moisture on them.
If you plan to make these for a special Danish brown caramelized potatoes for Christmas dinner, you can cook, peel, and refrigerate the potatoes until you are ready to quickly add the sugar coating on the day you serve them.
Put 1/4 cup of sugar into a heavy skillet for two pounds of tiny potatoes. A stainless steel or cast iron skillet is ideal for this process, but if all you have is a non-stick skillet, you can make it work.
Put the pan on medium heat and let the sugar melt. This process is fun to watch, but it requires focus and patience. It's not the time to chase kids, text, or change loads in the washer. Stick with it and stir as little as possible. It will take a little less than ten minutes, give or take!
The sugar will melt and turn from clear to amber to caramel brown. You can stir it a little, but keep it minimal. If the sugar crystallizes a bit, it will melt again.
If it burns, it cannot be rescued. You will need to wash and dry the pan and start over. I know because it happened to me. Don't be Betty.
When the sugar has caramelized to a lovely shade of golden brown, add two tablespoons of butter and keep stirring until it becomes a beautiful caramel-colored syrup.
Now, add the little potatoes to the syrup and stir them gently with a rubber spatula until they are evenly coated with the yummy caramel glaze. Let them cook a bit until they are the shade of brown you love!
You can use canned whole potatoes, but the best, most authentic flavor is attained by cooking and peeling small, firm, waxy potatoes. This recipe does not work well at all using sliced or diced potatoes, whether fresh or canned.
This is a recipe for Danish brown potatoes, a traditional Christmas Eve dinner accompaniment. They go especially well with roast pork or duck and red cabbage!
Papa LOVES potatoes! In fact, since he has never met a potato he didn't like, I have LOTS of ways to make potatoes. Here are some of our favorites! Easy Hasselback Potatoes, Cheese Potato Casserole, and Perfect Crispy Oven-Baked Potatoes.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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