culinary divider of a people
If you ask a Stockholmer what a “parisare” – Parisian – is they will tell you it’s a fried beef patty and egg between two slices of bread, often with the addition of finely chopped beetroot and capers mixed with the mince. Tell that to a Northerner and they’ll have your guts for garters. To them, a “parisare” is a slice of thick sausage in a hamburger bun without sesame seeds.
I have seen discussions about what a proper “parisare” turn into virtual wars in various cooking related fora on the net, equally heated to those about whether it is jam on top of cream or cream on top of jam on your scones.
If you consider the southern version the correct one the dish has it’s roots in the early 20th century when taverns and eateries around Stockholm served this sandwich. However, if you’re inclined to agree with the Northerners the dish was invented by Tore Strand, who worked for a food whole seller in Umeå, in 1950.
I’m a Southerner, despite having moved to the north a few years back, so I’m firmly planted in the beef patty camp and since this is my recipe site and I call the shots I will give you my version!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 400 g ground beef
- 1 egg for the mince
- 100 ml pickled beetroots chopped
- 4 tbsp capers chopped
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 eggs fried
- 8 large slices of toasted bread
Instructions
- Mix mince, egg, beetroots and capers in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Make four equally sized patties.400 g ground beef, 1 egg, 100 ml pickled beetroots, 4 tbsp capers, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper
- Fry the beef patties until cooked through and set aside whilst you fry your eggs.4 eggs
- Assemble the sandwiches and serve. I usually offer cucumber relish, mustard and ketchup on the side.8 large slices of toasted bread