Kalakukko is a traditional Finnish dish from the Savonia region, made with fish, pork, and bacon baked in a rye crust. It is similar to a quiche, but with a completely wrapped crust. The filling is layered with pork, bacon, and fish, and can include potatoes or rutabagas. It is cooked for 4-7 hours and can be eaten hot or cold, traditionally served with buttermilk. Kalakukko has protected geographical status and falls under the category of traditional specialties guaranteed.
Kalakukko is a traditional Finnish dish from the eastern Savonia region. It consists of a filling of fish, pork and bacon baked in a rye crust. When cooked, it resembles a loaf of rye bread until opened to reveal the filling. It is similar to a quiche, except that the dough is wrapped completely around the filling rather than adding a top crust.
The filling of kalakukko is usually made from vendace, a freshwater white fish native to Finland or from European perch. Salmon is also sometimes used. Some recipes may include potatoes or rutabagas. Modern chefs add allspice or other spices to the stuffing, although the traditional recipe calls for salt only, relying on the cooking juices within the stuffing to bring out the flavor of the meat. The filling is layered, with pork and bacon lined inside the pastry and the fish in the centre.
Cooking kalakukko is a time consuming process. Depending on the size of the fish, it needs to be cooked for 4-7 hours to cook through. It is cooked in two stages, first at a high temperature to brown the crust, then at a lower temperature to cook the filling.
In some ways, Kalakukko resembles Cornish pie, a British delicacy that consists of a filling of minced meat and vegetables inside a pastry. The two dishes originally served the same purpose of combining the meat and bread portions of a meal into one easily portable package. They packed lunches for workers who were away from home. An added bonus is that Kalakukko will keep a long time after being cooked.
Kalakukko can be eaten hot or cold. It is traditionally served with buttermilk. The traditional method of eating it is to cut off the top of the crust, butter it up and eat it, then cut the slices so you get some dough and some filling in each slice.
The European Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development granted Kalakukko protected geographical status in July 2002. It now falls under the category of traditional specialties guaranteed, which means that the use of the term “Kalakukko” is limited to products which meet the traditional Finnish definition. Similar restrictions apply to food items such as Pizza Napoletana from Italy and Bramley apple pie fillings from the UK.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
