Even more so than most other people in the world with access to refined sugar, the Swedes and their fellow Scandinavians incorporate it into the most unlikely dishes. In this one, the caramel is not cooked until it becomes strongly bitter, but just slightly so. The butter then mellows it out. Not exactly health food by today’s standards, but a glorious side dish at any feast.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　24 small waxy red or white potatoes or 6 larger ones, peeled and cut into chunks

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

　　

Step 1

Put the potatoes in a pot with salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Partially cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Don’t mess with the potatoes much, but check one of them with the point of a knife after 10 minutes or so and cook until soft. Drain. (You can cook the potatoes and then cover them with plastic and refrigerate them for up to a day.)

　　

Step 2

Put the sugar in a 12-inch skillet, preferably nonstick, over low heat, along with a tablespoon of water. Cook, shaking the pan gently (but not stirring), until the sugar liquefies, bubbles, and turns light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the butter a bit at a time, stirring after each addition, until the mixture is smooth.

　　

Step 3

Turn the potatoes in the caramel, working in batches if necessary and rolling them so they become coated. When the potatoes are evenly covered and golden brown, add some pepper (and more salt if necessary), transfer to a plate, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.