I think my lockdown quarantine feral eating period is almost over. My panic buying of store cupboard staples seems to have abated and the compulsion to eat salad cream directly from the jar on a spoon seems to be slowing down too.

But here is something I made when I needed comfort food of the highest order and had secured these via an Ocado flash sales impulse buy.

I just love David’s fishy dish and will happily eat two portions by myself if nobody is looking, which nobody was. Hurrah!

The self-care advice that singletons should eat their meals at a dining table rather than standing up leaning over the sink has not yet taken effect here at Silver Screen Suppers Towers, but I might try to do better next week.

This was eaten straight out of the tin, perched on a high stool watching Mad Men on a teeny-tiny kitchen DVD player. Mindful eating it wasn’t. But it really did the trick in making me feel better for an hour or two. Cream, potatoes, anchovies, onions, butter. Mind soothing food.

Cheers!

David Niven’s Jansson’s Temptation

6 large peeled potatoes

2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced

8 to 10 anchovy fillets

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 and half cups light cream (or milk)

softened butter

Cut potatoes in thin slices.  Place layer of potato slices in well-greased, ovenproof baking dish.  Top with anchovies, sliced onion; end with layer of sliced potatoes.  Season to taste but use salt sparingly as anchovies are quite salty.  Pour cream, or milk, over all, mixing with a fork; dot with bits of softened butter.  Put casserole in pre-heated 350 degrees F oven (175 degrees C, gas mark 4).  Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes (or until potatoes are tender).  Add more cream (or milk) if potatoes get dry.  Serve as luncheon or midnight supper snack with Knackerbrod (Swedish rye crisp), sweet butter, hunks of dark rye bread, herring salad (available in Swedish delicatessans) and Vasterbotten (pungent semi-hard cheese) with steaming goblets of Glogg or Julol (special Christmas beer).

Cor! That reminds me of a little adventure I had with Mr Rathbone back in the days when I was allowed out. Drinking David Niven’s Julglogg on East Finchley tube station platform!

PS – next time I make this I will put all the onions in the middle of the dish rather than some in the middle and some on the top. It was fine as it was but I think it would be better to have them all cream infused. Oh man, now I am writing about this, I want to make it again! I might do too, who is going to stop me?!

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