Ingrediënten
Serves two:
- unpeeled small potatoes,
- as needed
- knob of butter, salt
- 20 g concentrated butter
- 2 level tbsp plain flour
- 200 ml milk
- 75 ml Madeira
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 x 100 g ham in slices
Side dish:
- knob of butter
- 2 coarsely cut scallions
- 200 g frozen peas,
- thawed under hot water
- 1 little gem, finely cut
Skinke med madeira from Denmark. There you can find several traditional dishes with Madeira, dated from the time that the country ruled the Danish West Indies. Sold in 1816 and now known as the American Virgin Islands. In those days there was always a Danish war frigate posted in the Caribbean Sea, which was relieved every six months. On its voyage home it stopped off at the harbour of Madeira, where a considerable cargo of this sea proof wine was loaded.
The predilection for pork is older. According to myth, warriors cut down in battle were every evening treated in the Walhalla by the god Odin to a roast of Saerimmer, a magic swine. It grew always fresh meat for the next evening.
Now that the Danes have become the most important exporters of pork in the world, everybody fortunate enough to buy their product can image himself gorging Saerimmer in the Walhalla.
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400F/Gas 6.
- Wash the potatoes and cook them in boiling water until tender (15-20 minutes). Drain well and shake with a knob of butter and some salt. Put into in a large ovenproof dish and place in the middle of the preheated oven. The potatoes wil be nicely browned after a quarter of an hour.
- Brown the butter in a small pan. Add the flour and brown it too. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk gradually, stirring all the time. Stir on sturdy until all lumps are gone. Add some salt and leave to simmer gently for a moment, still stirring. Remove from the heat. Add Madeira and parsley.
- Fold the two ham piles in two. Place them in the middle of the potato dish, cover with the sauce. Put back into the oven for 5 minutes.
- For the side dish: melt some butter in a pan. Sauté the scallions softly, heat up peas and salad.
Wine: red Côtes du Rhône.
Menu suggestion
- Starter: Cucumber salad (agurkesalat) with shrimps. Peel a whole cucumber. Slice finely. Mix in a bowl with (walnut) vinager, pepper, salt and finely chopped dill to taste. Leave to soak in for a moment. Squeeze out the liquid. Form a cucumber garland onto two dishes, Scandiavian shrimps in the middle, a dollop of crème fraîche on top with some freshly ground black pepper. Wine: Pinot Gris.
- Dessert: Sinful Dutch rusk (zwieback). On a dish sprinkle a rusk with a shot of Madeira. Garnish with a spoonful of Dutch ‘advocaat’ (egg nogg).
