That’s a wrap! Lompe on the grill

Homemade lompe adds a Norwegian touch to summer meals on the grill

Photo: Mari Svenningsen / www.matprat.no
Homemade lompe makes for a delicious wrap for savory and sweet fillings. Try it on the grill for your next gathering.

Christy Olsen Field
Taste of Norway Editor

With a few more weeks of summer on the calendar, I am crossing things off the summer bucket list with my kids before school starts again. Dinner plans, especially when we have friends or family over, are often centered around the grill.

Hot dogs are often the protein of choice for the younger generation. The only problem: the hot dog bun is usually disappointing. The ratio of bread to meat is too much, and the bun rarely tastes good on its own. Most of the time, it ends up going in the compost bin.

So I present to you an alternative: Lompe, the versatile Norwegian soft flatbread.

I was introduced to pølse med lompe on my first day in Norway: a delicious hot dog wrapped in a soft flatbread. I’ve enjoyed many pølser med lompe since then, and it’s a delicious way to have a meal or snack on the go in Norway, available at kiosks and gas stations.

Lompe is also popular for Norwegian gatherings: kids’ birthday parties, Syttende Mai and Sankt Hans, or any grilling party with friends.

Lompe is made of mashed potatoes with flour and a little salt, and griddled to brown perfection. It works well with savory and sweet fillings.

If this sounds a lot like potato lefse, you’re right. Lompe is smaller in diameter and typically little thicker than lefse. Whereas making lefse is an all-day affair, I rolled a full batch of lompe in about 30 minutes for a weeknight dinner.

Norwegian lomper make for a superior hot dog or sausage experience, but they are versatile! You can use it as a wrap for sandwich fillings, or lathered with butter and cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat.

As it turns out, homemade lomper are a cinch to make, with no baking experience required. My young taste testers gave these grilled lomper rave reviews with requests for more, and I was glad to assure them that I’ll be making these again and again.

Though I only tested this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour with a little rye, I read several variations with barley, spelt, buckwheat, gluten-free flour blends, and more.

How do you like to use lompe? I’d love to hear from you! Write to me at food@na-weekly.com.

Photo: Mari Svenningsen / www.matprat.no

Homemade Potato Lompe
Hjemmelaget potetlomper

2 lbs. russet potatoes

2 ¾ tsps. table salt, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

½ cup rye flour

equipment:

rolling pin

Scrub potatoes clean, but do not peel or cut. Place in them in a large pot and cover with cold water by an inch, and add 2 teaspoons table salt. Bring to boil, and cook until tender (about 30 minutes, longer for bigger potatoes). Drain and let cool for 20 minutes or so, until you can easily slip off the skins.

In a large bowl, mash the potatoes. Push the mashed potatoes through a ricer or a food mill for smooth texture. Add remaining salt, flour, and rye flour, and mix together by hand. If the dough feels too sticky to roll out, add another 2 tablespoons of flour. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured counter, and shape into a long log. Divide into 12-14 pieces with a knife or bench scraper. If not using right away or if your kitchen is too warm, place in the fridge.

Before you roll out the dough, preheat a 12-inch skillet on the grill or the stove over medium high heat. Do not add oil or butter. Layer two kitchen towels for your finished lomper.

When you’re ready to roll, lightly flour a rolling area and rolling pin. Gently pat out a round of dough, and roll into an 8-inch circle. It doesn’t need to be perfectly round—it’s okay if these look rustic! Bake in the hot skillet until browned, about 20-30 seconds on each side. Place between the towels in a stack to steam as you bake the next. This will help keep the texture pliable.

If you have leftovers, lomper keep in the fridge in a ziplock for up to five days.

Christy Olsen Field became the Taste of Norway Editor in April 2019. An enthusiastic home cook and baker, she lives north of Seattle with her husband and two young sons. She is a grantwriter for small nonprofits in the Seattle area. Write to her at food@na-weekly.com.

This article originally appeared in the August 9, 2019, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.