Falu sausage should unofficially be called Swedish national dish, because we consume 30,000 tons of falu sausage each year, which in round numbers means 3 kilos (6 pounds) of falu sausage per person and year. It all started by German guest workers at Falu Copper Mine. They started producing smoked sausage of beef that was left over after slaughter sometime in the 16th century. These were sold on to Stockholm and became very popular. The name falu sausage is something that people living in Stockholm invented. (source)
I remember when we lived in England for a few years and how we once in a while had a craving for falu sausage! I brought lots and lots of falu sausage from Sweden in my luggage. We ate falu sausage in the oven as Sunday dinner and sometimes sausage stroganoff (korvstroganoff) in the middle of the week.
According to my research, the most similar to falu sausage in the US is SPAM but since it is high in sodium, I recommend that you take the hotdog of your choice instead.
This dish is a wonderful everyday food that is easy to make. My sister-in-law made it once a long time ago using cream and crème fraiche. I make a slightly healthier variation of the same dish. 😊
You make a traditional white sauce with lots of dried dill and horseradish, salt and pepper. Layer the falu sausage (or the hotdog of your choice) slices of tomatoes and dill in an oven-safe dish, pour over the sauce – sprinkle parmesan on top and directly in the oven, it can’t be easier than this. In the recipe below, I use ideal flour (like Wondra in the US) that makes life much easier! Taste the sauce and correct seasoning to suit you and your family before pouring it over sausages and tomatoes.
Don’t take too much horseradish – you can always serve more horseradish on the side.
You can, of course, have several layers of sausage and tomatoes – but make sure that you make enough sauce to cover it all.
The neat thing about it all is that it the dish is done meanwhile you boil the potatoes. We like to enjoy this dish with pressed potatoes but it is probably just as good to serve mashed potatoes with it.
This time I used half cream and half milk for the sauce but it works just as well with only milk. You can also use concentrated broth or bullion to add flavor
3 portions
305 grams of falu sausage or the hotdog of your choice
300 grams of tomatoes in slices
1 tbsp dill to put between fallow sausage and tomatoes
Sauce
2 tablespoons dried dill
3 tbsp horseradish in tube
6 dl milk (or half milk and half cream)
2 tablespoons butter (20 grams)
1 bullion of your choice (optional)
3 tablespoons ideal flour (Wondra flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 of a tsp pepper
1 – 2 dl parmesan
200 degrees about 30 – 40 minutes
Method:
- Set the oven to 200 degrees (Celsius) (392 Fahrenheit).
- Wash and slice the tomatoes.
- Slice the falu sausage (1 cm thick slices).
- Lubricate an ovenproof mold. Add a layer of falu sausage, sprinkle with 0,5 tbsp dried dill, cover with tomato slices, sprinkle 0,5 tbsp dried dill on top. Set aside.
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan, heat it up, remove from the stove as it starts to thicken. We like horseradish but be careful about it, taste before you add too much!
- Pour the sauce over the falu sausage and the tomatoes, sprinkle with coarsely grated parmesan and place it directly in the oven. It takes about 30 – 40 minutes or until it gets a little darker crust. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes that you either press or mash.
Enjoy!
