Kalakukko
- 2 pounds fish small
- 1 1/2 pounds pork sliced into strips like bacon but about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 1 x allspice optional
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 1/4 cups rye flour sifted
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (sifted)
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 ounce yeast, active dry
- Clean the fish, removing fins, large scales and entrails.
- You may leave the heads if you dare to eat them.
- Mix the flours and salt.
- Add the yeast to the water.
- When the yeast is fully dissolved, make a thick dough by pouring flour mixture into water and blending well.
- The ratio of flour to water depends on the nature of the flours.
- This ratio of 1:2 by volume works well in Finland with Finnish flours.
- Where flours contain more gluten you should use slightly less water.
- Set aside about 4 tablespoon of dough to be used later.
- Roll out the remaining dough into a circular shape about 3/4 inch thick.
- Assemble the meats into the dough: cover the inner half of the dough circle with half of the pork (the pork should cover a circle whose diameter is half the diameter of the rolled dough).
- Then put all of the fish over top of the pork, and add allspice and extra salt if you are using them.
- Finish with the second half of the pork.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Lift the edges of the dough all around the filling and glue together with a little water so that you have the filling surrounded from all directions with about 3/4 inch-thick dough.
- Put upside down (the seam downwards) on a baking sheet and let it rise about half an hour at room temperature.
- Put the kalakukko in a 500 degree F. oven for long enough to brown the dough, which will seal it against moisture.
- Then lower the temperature to about 250 degrees F. and let it bake for 4 to 7 hours depending on the size of the fish (bigger fish need more cooking time).
- You can brush some melted butter over the top of the dough just after lowering the temperature; this will give it a prettier appearance.
- If it starts to leak while baking, fill holes with the dough which was set aside.
- Serve hot or cold.
fish small, pork, salt, water, flour, whole wheat flour, salt, yeast
Taken from recipeland.com/recipe/v/kalakukko-47079 (may not work)