Swedish brown gravy (Brunsås)

1. If you have fried meatballs or meat, make the gravy in the same pan: pour off the frying fat but leave the browned bits.

2. Melt the butter over medium heat, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is nut-brown.

3. Gradually whisk in the hot stock until smooth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you go.

4. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat until creamy.

5. Stir in the soy sauce and lingonberry jam and season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve hot with Swedish meatballs (köttbullar), mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Tip: Brunsås is the all-purpose sauce of Swedish home cooking, and köttbullar are unthinkable without it. Soy sauce is the Swedish grandmothers' secret ingredient: it adds colour and a deep, savoury flavour. The lingonberry jam makes it pleasantly round and slightly sweet - don't skip it, it gives the real Swedish character.