In 2014 Denmark's food ministry asked the public to choose a national dish, and tens of thousands of Danes voted. The winner was not a refined creation from Copenhagen's celebrated kitchens but stegt flæsk med persillesovs: thick slices of pork belly fried until crisp, boiled potatoes and a white sauce packed with parsley. It is farmhouse food through and through, the kind of dinner grandparents made on a weekday, and its victory was greeted less as a surprise than as a confirmation.

The pleasure lies in contrast: salty, crunchy pork against soft potatoes and a mild, creamy sauce that freshens everything with green. We bake the pork on a rack in the oven, which crisps it evenly and saves the stovetop from spatter. It is a hearty, uncomplicated plate for an autumn race, one that a Danish driver's fans could reasonably call home cooking.

The crisp pork

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) fresh pork belly
• 2 teaspoons flaky or coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Boiled potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) small waxy or new potatoes
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

The parsley sauce

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 3 tablespoons (25 g) all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (about 1 large bunch) fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

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