A favourite in the school canteen
Mention Lapskojs to any Swede born before 1990 and their eyes glaze over with memories of childhood. It’s basically shredded beef brisket mixed into mashed potatoes and served with pickled beetroot. Simple, cheap and so filling. The ultimate comfort food.
This dish is old, probably from the time when potatoes became commonly eaten in Sweden, but sometime during the early part of the 20th century they started producing a meat preserve called “Salta biten” and suddenly it became a great meal to serve as dinner for families in towns with two parents working. Unfortunately this particular preserve is no longer produced, so if you want proper Lapskojs you’ve got to make your own salt beef, or corned beef or salt brisket as it’s known in some parts. Fortunately that’s easy, though it takes a while. I’ve got a recipe for you here.
Lapskojs is not a Swedish phenomenon, this dish is eaten in one way or another all over northern Europe. In Norway it’s known as Lapskaus, in Denmark Skipperlabskovs, in Germany Labskaus, in Finland Lapskoussi and in England they call it Lobscouse. All these are variants of the same – mashed potato and beef you’ve boiled the living daylight out of.
Lapskojs
Ingredients
- 10 floury potatoes cubed
- 600 g salt beef shredded (you may know it as salt brisket or corned beef)
- 5 corns white pepper
- 3 corns allspice
- 1 bayleaf
- beef stock to just cover
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Put potatoes and shredded salt beef in a saucepan. Pour in beefstock to just cover. Add the pepper corns, allspice and bayleaf.
- Bring to the boil and let simmer until the potatoes are soft.
- Remove the spices.
- With a potato masher, or fork, mash the potatoes in the stock. Add the butter and blend it all together.