Lemon rice

Hasselback potatoes

• 150 GRAM RICE
• 1 ONION, chopped
• 1 TSP CURRY POWDER
• 1 LEMON, juice and rind
• 1/2 TBSP MUSTARD
• HANDFUL SAGE LEAVES, cut

• 1 KG POTATOES
• 50 GRAM BUTTER or margarine for vegans
• 4 TBSP OLIVE OIL
• SALT
• HANDFUL ROSEMARY LEAVES

Stir fry the onion a few minutes. Add the rice and stir fry a few minutes more. Add the curry powder, lemon juice and rind, salt to taste and add 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the mustard and sage and decorate with some sage leaves.

Clean the potatoes and cut them in thin slices, leaving the down side in tact. Melt the butter and olive oil in a pan until hot but not brown. Put the potatoes in with the cut side down, leave them for 2 minutes, turn them around and leave them for another two minutes. Put them on a baking tray and pour the oil-butter mixture on top. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Bake them 1 hour at 200 degrees Celsius.

This is a Swedish recipe. On 25 June, Midsummarafton is celebrated in many northern countries but Sweden has probably the oldest tradition. It used to be a pagan holiday, where sacrifices were made for fertility. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and history.