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    Raggmunk with fried pork and lingonberries – over an open fire

    Crispy edges, salty pork and tart lingonberries

    • 4 servings
    • Time: 20 min + 30 min frying
    • Difficulty: Medium
    • 8 ingredients
    • 8 steps
    To the recipe
    A pile of golden-brown fried potato pancakes in a bowl, with visible strands of grated potato.
    Photo: Daniel Spils, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

    Raggmunk is one of the great classics of Swedish home cooking: grated raw potato in a thin pancake batter, fried in plenty of fat until the edges become crispy and "ragged". Served with salty fried pork and raw-stirred lingonberries, it's hard to beat. Over an open fire in a cast-iron pan or on a muurikka it gets even better, because the cooking surface gets really hot.

    Two things decide the result: grate the potatoes last, just before you fry, so they don't have time to darken, and fry in plenty of fat. Raggmunk is a close relative of kolbullar – the same pork, the same lingonberries, but with potato in the batter.

    Method

    1. At home: whisk the flour and half the milk into a smooth batter. Whisk in the rest of the milk, the eggs and the salt. Pour the batter into a tub.
    2. Let the fire burn down to an even bed of embers and heat the pan thoroughly.
    3. Fry the pork until crispy on both sides. Lift it out and keep it warm in foil. Keep the fat in the pan.
    4. Peel the potatoes and grate them coarsely just before you are going to fry. Fold them straight into the batter.
    5. Add a knob of fat to the pan and spoon out the batter into small, thin pancakes – about 50 ml per raggmunk.
    6. Fry for 3–4 minutes until the underside is golden brown and the edges crispy.
    7. Turn and fry for another 3 minutes. Add more fat between batches.
    8. Serve the raggmunk straight away with the pork and raw-stirred lingonberries.

    9. Stir the batter between each batch – the potato sinks to the bottom.

    Tips for crispy raggmunk

    • Grate the potatoes last. Grated potato darkens quickly and releases water. The fresher it is, the crispier the raggmunk.
    • Plenty of fat. Raggmunk should almost deep-fry at the edges – don't skimp. The pork fat gives the most flavour.
    • Thin pancakes. Thick raggmunk turns doughy in the middle.
    • The kids can help whisk the batter and serve the lingonberries – but the frying fat gets very hot, so an adult handles the pan. Read more in cooking with children over a fire.
    • A hot pan. Let the pan get really hot before the first batch. More about controlling the heat can be found in cooking in the wild.

    Vary the raggmunk

    • Rårakor: skip the batter – just grated potato, salt and a little flour, fried in butter. Crispier and more potatoey.
    • With bacon: swap the pork belly for thick bacon.
    • Vegetarian: serve with fried mushrooms and lingonberries instead of pork – or with creamed chanterelles in autumn.
    • With grated carrot: swap a third of the potato for carrot for a little sweetness and colour.

    Common mistakes

    • The potatoes are grated in advance – they darken and the batter turns grey and watery.
    • Too little fat – the raggmunk sticks and stays pale.
    • Pancakes too thick – the middle stays raw.
    • The batter isn't stirred – the last raggmunk get only potato and the first only batter.

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    Frequently asked questions

    What is the difference between raggmunk and rårakor?

    Raggmunk is made with grated potato in a pancake batter. Rårakor are made with grated potato without batter, usually with just a little flour and salt, and turn out crispier and thinner.

    Why does raggmunk turn grey?

    Grated potato darkens when it comes into contact with air. Grate the potatoes just before you fry and fold them straight into the batter, and they keep their colour.

    Should you use salted or fresh pork?

    Both work. Salted pork belly is saltier and more classic. Fresh pork needs salting when it is fried. Fry the pork until cooked through and crispy.

    Can you make the batter the day before?

    Yes, the batter without potato can be made the day before and kept cold. The potatoes are grated and folded in just before frying.

    More Swedish home cooking over the fire? Read about Swedish outdoor food and history, try pyttipanna over an open fire or make your own lingonberry jam to go with it.

    More guides and recipes to read

    More home cooking over the fire

    Kolbullar – raggmunk's cousin

    Pork, batter and embers – the complete guide to northern Sweden's classic kolbulle.

    To the kolbulle guide

    Lingonberries with your raggmunk

    Make your own lingonberry jam – cooked or raw-stirred – from wild lingonberries.

    To the lingonberry jam

    Swedish outdoor food

    The history behind kolbullar, pork and lingonberries – the food forest workers cooked over the fire.

    Read the history