Stegt flæsk med persillesovs has been crowned Denmark’s number one national dish several times, and it goes way back to 1890. The dish consists of 1 cm thick slices of pork breast seasoned with lots of salt. Accompanying the meat are boiled potatoes and parsley sauce, a milk-based sauce made with the meat juices, a little sugar, and lemon juice or zest, and lots of finely chopped parsley. Many Danes like some pickled beetroot with it, too.

The ”Stegt Flæsk med persillesovs” is a must to eat once a week dish – and especially during the cold winter season – even though the juicy porky dish can be eaten all year round. In the summertime the Danes have a regular outdoor feast grilling or barbecuing their pork belly slices.



For a very crispy crackling: at least 8 hours before cooking (ideally the night before), dry the pork rind well with paper towels. Score the rind with a sharp knife at 5mm intervals (stop before you get to meat). Sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt and place uncovered in the fridge. After 2 hours, wipe off any liquid the salt has drawn to the surface. Replace with a fresh sprinkling of salt and return to the fridge. Repeat 1-2 more times. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to bring the pork up to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 240°C. Prepare an oven tray, either with baking paper or a rack. Put the tray/rack in the middle of the oven. Runn a knife along the score lines in the rind. Dry the rind with paper towels, then rub the rind with the halved lemon and season with the sea salt.

Place the pork, rind-side up, on the rack and roast, uncovered, until the rind is blistered (about 25 minutes). Reduce the oven to 160°C and continue to roast for 1½ hours until the meat is very tender. Remove from the oven and rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into 8 thin pieces.

Towards the end of the cooking, place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold, salted water, and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender.

To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter in a pot over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk then simmer, stirring continuously, for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add the parsley, cream, and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the pork with the potatoes, steamed/roasted vegetables, and drizzle with parsley sauce.