North German Labskaus with Fried Eggs and Rollmops

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   Peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces about 3 cm in size, and place them in a pot with 2 l of water and 2 g of salt. Simmer for 18–22 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a knife. Set aside 120 ml of the cooking water before draining.

   
2. 2

   Fry the onion and beef

   Finely chop the onion. Heat 15 ml of oil in a wide pan and fry the onion over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, until softened and lightly golden at the edges. Add the drained beef, break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, and fry for another 6–8 minutes, until heated through and browned in places.

   
3. 3

   Make the labskaus

   Drain and mash the cooked potatoes. Finely chop 150 g of the beetroot and stir it into the potatoes along with the mustard, beetroot juice, black pepper and 80 ml of the reserved cooking water. Add the fried onion and beef, and mix into a coarse mash that is not completely smooth. If it is too thick, add the remaining reserved cooking water.

   
4. 4

   Prepare the eggs and accompaniments

   Heat the remaining 15 ml of oil in a pan. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry for 3–4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are runny to your liking. Slice the pickles into rounds and cut the remaining 30 g of beetroot into smaller pieces.

   
5. 5

   Serve

   Divide the labskaus among four plates. Top each serving with one fried egg and one rollmop; add the pickles and remaining beetroot on the side. Serve immediately while the potato mixture is hot.