Skånska plättar
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Last night, we had rökta räkor [smoked prawns] for dinner, with plenty of aioli and sourdough bread, and a bottle of pinot grigio whe&#;d kept on our veranda to chill. By the time we&#;d fallen asleep, the clocks had been set backwards and a thin layer of fresh snow had covered the roofs we see through our bedroom windows.
Coffee, fleece blanket, and Sunday morning plättar [Swedish pancakes].
Swedish plättar
Adapted from Kungsörnen&#;s recipe.
In Sweden, pancakes can have many forms. There are the larger ones, not unlike crêpes, although somewhat thicker: plättar. There are the small ones, cooked in a special pan: småplättar. And there are the ones cooked in the oven: pannkaka or perhaps more likely, ugnspannkaka.
These names are, however, subject of a debate; one that has been dividing the country. Yes, what I&#;ve just told you is only valid in Skellefteå (where we live, and where K. grew up) and above. South of us, even as close as Umeå, which stands just a short km drive away, what I&#;ve come to know as plättar is called pannkakor. And plättar really means the small ones. Rather confusing, no?
In an insightful episode of Språket, the terminol
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Plättar — Swedish mini-pancakes
What’s perfect to eat on a nice picnic? I’m sure many Swedes would nominate plättar, or Swedish mini-pancakes. Somehow, they are even more delicious than their famous larger sibling, the thin pancake.
However, there are different ways of picnicking, as this story from Svenska Dagbladet shows.
In May , a family went on a picnic together with a guest. The mother in the family had promised everyone a delicious meal, but the guest was slightly concerned as he couldn’t see any food baskets.
As they were walking towards the right spot, the guest noticed the eighteen-year-old daughter, Louise. She looked particularly lovely that day, with a narrow, corseted waist and a bustle so enormous that her skirt looked like a hot air balloon.
But, the guest wasn’t the only person who took an interest in her skirt. Her brothers gather around her, whispering until one exclaimed: “plättar, plättar, it smells like plättar!” Their sister blushed and shooed them off.
When they arrived at the picnic spot, the mother opened a slit in the skirt… and took out a ham, two loaves of bread, a dozen b
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Plättar are little pancakes. In Sweden, these mini pancakes are eaten as a dessert, but they man a brilliant brunch too, especially for a special day like Mother’s Day.
Because they have no raising agent, they are flat like French crêpes, rather than fluffy like American-style pancakes. Some people fry their plättar in a special pan (like the one pictured) with large blini-sized shallow round indents of around 8 cm/3 inches across. You can, of course, make them freestyle on a normal pan/skillet too, but they will not be as uniform.
g/11⁄3 cups plain/all-purpose flour
pinch of ground cardamom
1 tablespoon icing/confectioners’ sugar
pinch of salt
3 eggs
ml/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
25 g/13⁄4 tablespoons butter, melted
50 ml/31⁄2 tablespoons beer (lager) (You can leave this out and replace with a little more milk or a dash of sparkling vatten instead, if you prefer.)
extra butter and olive oil, for frying
Cold Stirred Lingonberries or lingonberry jam/jelly, to serve (optional)
Serves 3–4
In a large blandning bowl, stir together the flour with the cardamom, icing/confectioners’ sugar and krydda. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. Whisk in the milk, bit by