Photo: Danish Agriculture & Food Council

News article, 23. April 2024

Hearts in a creamy sauce – a classic!

Pig hearts that have simmered over a low heat. So tender that they melt in the mouth.

Served in a classic creamy sauce. Food the old-fashioned way and Danish comfort food at its best.

by Anne Skovgaard-Petersen

Ingredients

for 4

3 pig hearts
salt and pepper
1 bunch parsley
Meat skewers
1 onion
15 g butter or margarine
1 bay leaf
1½ dl water
1 dl cream 13%
1½-2 tbsp cornflour
Colouring if needed

Thick vegetable purée

1 kg floury potatoes
¼ celeriac, ca. 300 g
2 carrots, approx. 200 g
1 parsley root or parsnip, approx. 150 g
2 medium-sized onions
20 g butter
salt and pepper

Approx. 1½ time

Method:

Open the hearts and trim away the veins. Give the hearts a rinse and pat dry with kitchen towel. Season the insides with salt and pepper and stuff with parsley. Set aside the rest of the parsley. Secure with a skewer. Chop the onion. Heat the fat under a moderately high heat in a saucepan until golden brown. Brown the hearts on all sides – 4-5 minutes in total.
Add salt, pepper, onion, bay leaf and water. Cover. Simmer the hearts for 50-60 mins. until tender. Turn occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and hearts and keep warm. Whisk the cream and cornflour into the sauce and cook through. Season with salt and pepper. Add colour if needed.

Cut the onions into slices and the vegetables into small pieces and boil until tender for approx. 40 mins. Save approx. 3 dl water and pour away the rest. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher and stir in the water until a suitable consistency is reached. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Chop the rest of the parsley and sprinkle over the hearts.