The dish to eat in Aarhus · Denmark

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs

Name: Stegt flæsk med persillesovs (crispy pork belly with parsley sauce)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Denmark
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) fresh pork belly, skin off, cut in 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices; 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt; 2 lb (900 g) small waxy potatoes; For the parsley sauce: 3 tbsp (45 g) butter, 3 tbsp (25 g) flour, 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (40 g) finely chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, a grating of nutmeg, white pepper; Pickled beets and Dijon or Danish mustard, to serve

Photo: Nillerdk, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Crisp fried slices of pork belly with boiled potatoes and a creamy parsley sauce.

In 2014 Danes voted stegt flæsk their national dish. Every old inn in Aarhus serves it, often all you can eat, with a pickled beet on the side and a cold beer.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Aarhus

Raadhuus Kafeen
Sønder Allé, Midtbyen
Order: Stegt flæsk med persillesovs, all you can eat
Aarhus's classic Danish lunch restaurant since 1924, across from City Hall.
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Teater Bodega
Skolegade, Midtbyen
Order: Stegt flæsk with parsley sauce and pickled beets
An old theater bar from 1914 that keeps the traditional Danish dishes going.
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Restaurant Kohalen
Frederiksbjerg
Order: Stegt flæsk, then the daily smørrebrød
A neighborhood Danish kitchen in Frederiksbjerg known for doing the classics well.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best stegt flæsk med persillesovs in Aarhus, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Stegt flæsk med persillesovs (crispy pork belly with parsley sauce)

Serves 4Time 1 hr

Thin slices of pork belly fried slowly until they are crisp all the way through, served with new potatoes and a white sauce packed with parsley. Simple, and it's all about getting the pork properly crisp.

Pans and tools

Sheet pan and wire rack, or a large skillet
Pot for potatoes
Saucepan and whisk

You’ll need

2 lb (900 g) fresh pork belly, skin off, cut in 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 lb (900 g) small waxy potatoes
For the parsley sauce: 3 tbsp (45 g) butter, 3 tbsp (25 g) flour, 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (40 g) finely chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, a grating of nutmeg, white pepper
Pickled beets and Dijon or Danish mustard, to serve

Steps

Lay the pork slices on a tray, sprinkle with the salt on both sides and leave 20 minutes. Pat dry.
Heat the oven to 400F (200C). Lay the slices on a rack over a sheet pan in one layer. Roast 30 to 40 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp all through. (Or fry in a dry skillet over medium heat in batches, 6 to 8 minutes per side, pouring off the fat.)
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
Make the sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute without browning. Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking, and simmer 5 minutes until thick and smooth.
Take off the heat and stir in the parsley, salt, nutmeg and white pepper. It should be bright green and generous.
Serve the pork piled on a plate, potatoes alongside, the sauce in a jug for pouring over the potatoes, plus pickled beets and mustard.

Chef’s tips

Ask the butcher to slice the belly for you; even slices crisp evenly.

The pork must crackle when you bite it. If it's chewy, give it more time.

Be generous with the parsley: Danes like the sauce more green than white.

Contains: Wheat (gluten), milk, mustard.

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