Flying Jacob or Flygande Jakob

In Sweden this is served as a kid’s dish. But I think it is total “man food” for combining many ingredients that you wouldn’t normally expect or want to try together. Seems to remind me of something that you would be more likely to eat on a dare than on purpose. Or served when there isn’t anything left in the fridge. But most of the posts I find on this say that many first-timers eat seconds and thirds.  I did see one post where a Swede tried to set the record straight saying that the dish isn’t served as often as Americans might think based on what they read on the internet. The Swede also suggested making without the bananas. Another post suggested that you think of it as an Indian Curry style dish that would normally be served on lettuce or banana leaves.  As for me I’m just curious what it tastes like. Any takers?

I also posted a more simple version of the recipe at the bottom. Don’t ask me how I found either. I was clicking around on food blogs and the next thing I knew there was dish named Flying Jacob. Other versions I found replace the chicken with filet mignon or even the meat substitute Quorn.

BTW: It is believed this dish is named after a Swedish Air Freight worker who came up with it in the 1970s.

Serves 4-6         

4 servings of plain rice, cooked

1 grilled chicken

150 grams streaky bacon, cut in pieces and fried until crisp

300 ml whipping cream

50 ml chili sauce or ketchup

100 ml toasted and salted peanuts

2 bananas

Spread the rice in an ovenproof dish. Take off the skin from the chicken and shred all the meat. Spread it over the rice. Slice the bananas and put them on the chicken. Whip the cream and stir in the chili sauce, spread it over the chicken. Top with bacon and peanuts and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes on medium heat, 200-225 degrees. Serve immediately with a fresh salad.

Some people include a little curry powder in the cream but I don´t. You can also serve the rice on the side if you want.

Alternate Recipe:

Here’s an English recipe using metric measurements. But there’s nothing complicated about this recipe and the various proportions differ from recipe to recipe. Cook some chicken breasts, chop them up, layer in a dish with banana slices, and pour in a 1:3 mix of chili sauce (or ketchup) and cream. Top with chopped nuts and crumbled bacon, and cook at 350°F until warmed through.

Both recipes from: http://clivias.blogspot.com/2006/05/flying-jacob.html