Apple and pork

The Vikings only had wild apples, which were nowhere near as large or sweet as the apples we enjoy today.

In the Oseberg burial in Norway (from 834 AD) a wooden bucket containing apples was found. So even though the apples were probably small and tart, people still harvested and ate them. In Norse mythology the goddess Idun has a basket of magical apples that keep the other gods young and full of life.

Apple and pork

The combination of apples, pork and onions goes far back in Danish food history and appears, among other places, in the first printed Danish cookbook from 1616. We do not know whether the Vikings ate pork with apples, but there is no doubt that they had access to both and were fond of pork in general. Excavations have revealed numerous pig bones.

Most people associate apple and bacon with the Christmas table, but it tastes wonderful all year round and is an excellent dish to prepare over a fire.

Procedure

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the bacon slices until golden. Sprinkle with salt and remove the bacon from the pan.

Add thyme to the fat in the pan and sauté the onions for a couple of minutes. Then add the apple wedges and stir occasionally. Let the apples cook until they reach the desired consistency, about 10–15 minutes.

Add honey and salt and glaze the onions and apples while stirring, taking care that the honey does not burn.

Serve the apples and bacon at once, preferably with rye bread.

Ingredients

2 persons
  • 4 tart apples, cut into eight wedges
  • 2 onions, coarsely chopped
  • 8 slices smoked bacon
  • Butter
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 generous tbsp honey
  • Salt