Stegt Flæsk med Persillesovs (Danish Crispy Pork Belly with Parsley Sauce)

About This Recipe

Stegt Flæsk med Persillesovs is a real, traditional Danish dish, known as Danish Crispy Pork Belly with Parsley Sauce. Thick slices of pork belly fried until deeply crisp, served with boiled potatoes and a creamy white parsley sauce.\n\nStegt flæsk med persillesovs is widely regarded as Denmark's national dish, voted so in a 2014 nationwide poll, reflecting the country's long tradition of pork as a dietary staple.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Danish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gpork belly(sliced into 1 cm thick strips)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 tspblack pepper
• 3 tbspbutter(for the sauce)
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour(for the sauce)
• 600 mlwhole milk(for the sauce)
• 1 cupchopped fresh parsley(for the sauce)
• 800 gpotatoes(boiled, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the pork

   Season the pork belly slices generously with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Fry the pork

   Fry the pork belly slices in a dry skillet over medium heat, starting fat-side down, for about 20 minutes total, turning occasionally, until deeply crisp and golden, rendering out plenty of fat.

3. 3

   Drain

   Transfer the crisp pork to a paper-towel-lined tray to drain.

4. 4

   Make the roux

   In a separate pot, melt butter, whisk in flour, and cook for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Build the sauce

   Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly, and simmer for 8 minutes until thickened into a smooth white sauce.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Stir the chopped parsley into the sauce just before serving. Plate the crispy pork with boiled potatoes, spooning the parsley sauce generously over the potatoes.

Variations

• •

  Some households add a pinch of nutmeg to the parsley sauce for extra warmth.

• •

  Serve with pickled beets alongside for a traditional, tangy contrast to the rich pork.

• •

  A leaner cut of pork can be used, though the belly's fat is essential to achieving the classic crisp texture.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions