Finnish Karjalan Paisti (Karelian Stew)

Burr! It was bitter chilly across the state of Minnesota today. The perfect day to make something really hearty.  This is a very simple stew attributed to the region of Karelia, a historic province in the most eastern part of Finland. I’ve adapted and scaled down a recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas’ cookbook Scandinavian Cooking. She lives in Duluth, MN and has written many cookbooks sharing her passion for Finnish cooking with the world. What a state treasure! She is definitely someone I would love to ask a gazillion cooking questions. Anyway, here is the recipe:

Karjalan Paisti

½ lb. lean beef stewing meat

½ lb. lean, boneless lamb

½ lb. lean boneless pork shoulder

1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rings

3 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced thin

1 bay leaf

4 allspice berries, or ¼ tsp. allspice

Salt

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Grease the insides and edges of a 1.5 qt cast iron or glass casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. This will make for a little easier clean-up later.

Trim the excess fat off of your meat and cube into 1 inch pieces. Combine the three meats together. Layer 1/3 of the sliced onions, 1/3 of the combined meat and so on salting each meat layer a bit. Lay a bay leaf and the 4 allspice berries over the top.

Place the lid on top. It is important that the lid fits tightly so that the meat will not dry out. You will also notice there is no broth or water to add. You will not need it—trust me! There are plenty of juices in the onion and meat pieces. If you are concerned about the tight-fitted-ness of your lid, cover your dish with aluminum foil and then place the lid on top.

Bake for 3 hours. Then stir the meat around and bake for another 3 hours. 6 hours is a long time, but this is worth the wait! Check to see that the meat is tender. Mix in your mushrooms and return to the oven, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Serve atop cooked wild rice, or boiled potatoes. We had boiled yukon golds with steamed, fresh kale.

Boiled Potatoes with Kale

4 similarly sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

5 stalks of your favorite fresh kale, chopped

Salt

In a large saucepan, place peeled potatoes in salted water. Boil until just fork tender (about 20 minutes for larger potatoes and 15 for smaller). Add kale and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Check that the kale stalk is not crunchy. The vegetable should be firm, but not raw. Drain and serve.

I hope this stew warms up your body and soul.

(If it doesn’t quite do the trick, crack open some ruby port. Mmm…)

-Nikki

Bacon Potato Cauliflower Soup

There is nothing like a cup of soup on a cold, winter’s day –although I can barely say that Minnesota is having anything like a winter this year. (There is no snow on the ground, and 50 degree temperatures!) I suppose comfort food is still in order—comfort food for the winter-lover’s soul.

I’ve invented a ramped-up version of a traditional Finnish potato soup recipe combining some of my favorite ingredients into one big ol’ pot of tasty. With only Kent and me in the house, we often have a lot of remnant ingredients I’ve purchased for other recipes. (These were from a weekend egg bake.) This week I used whole potatoes, but traditionally Finlanders use leftover mashed –if you have about two cups, feel free to substitute.

Bacon Potato Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

5 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

¾ cup celery, chopped

6 cups of chicken broth

1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or two cloves minced

1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut-up

½ a head or 1 14oz bag of frozen cauliflower (I got a bag at Target.)

Salt and pepper, a dash to taste

Green onions, chopped and cheddar cheese to garnish

Preparation:

Fry the bacon in your soup pot until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel and set aside.

In the reserved drippings, cook the onion and celery over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Drop in the potatoes, cauliflower, and pour in the broth. Turn up the heat until it begins to boil, then reduce and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Depending on the smoothness you desire, purée part or all of the soup in a blender or food processor. Or better yet, use your immersion blender right in the pot. (This is an item worth purchasing. They are an amazing tool for soups and sauces.) You could also carefully mash with a potato masher. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, chopped green onions and the bacon pieces. The recipe serves about 6 for dinner, or 8 for lunch. It makes great leftovers, too.

I hope you enjoy this recipe,

Nikki