Finnish Beef Ragout Palapaisti Finland Recipes

FINNISH BEEF RAGOUT (PALAPAISTI - FINLAND)

Steps:

• Brown beef cubes on all sides, a few at a time, in the mixture of butter and oil. Don't try to do all at once. It will lower the temperature too much and not be able to brown properly. When done, transfer into a casserole or dutch oven.
• Lightly brown the onions and vegetables in the same skillet; then put them in the casserole. Rinse the skillet with the 2 cups of water and add it to the casserole. Add salt and spices. Cover and let cook over low heat or in a 325 oven for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
• Mix flour with the 1/3 cup cold water and stir into the casserole along with the cream. Simmer 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

FINNISH MEATBALLS (LIHAPYORYKOITA)

Steps:

• Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, cream, salt, and allspice in a bowl with your hands until evenly mixed. Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized spheres.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook about half the meatballs in the melted butter until evenly browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes; remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs, keeping the liquid in the skillet when finished.
• Sift the flour into the skillet drippings; cook the flour in the skillet drippings until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stream the milk into the skillet while whisking vigorously; pour the cream into the mixture and stir until smooth. If you aren't good at making gravy and end up with some lumps you can pour the gravy through a strainer. Return all the meatballs to the skillet; stir to coat with the gravy. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

TRADITIONAL FINNISH PASTIES

Steps:

• With a wire whisk, mix together flour and salt in a large bowl.
• Cut in shortening.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture and quickly stir in the ice cold water.
• Form dough into a ball; Set aside.
• Dissolve the bouillon cube or beef base in the hot water.
• Combine potatoes, carrots, onion, rutabaga, ground beef,pork, salt, pepper,and bouillon.
• Roll out pastry dough into 6 x 8 inch rectangles.
• Place about 1 1/2 cups of filling in the center of each rectangle.
• Bring 6 inch sides together, and seal.
• Cut a slit in the top of each pasty to vent. Place on dull, not black, cokkie sheet.
• Bake in 425 degree oven for 45 minutes.

FINNISH BEEF AND DUMPLING SOUP (KLIMPPISOPPA FROM FINLAND)

Steps:

• Place meat in pot with cold water. Bring to a boil. Skim off froth as it rises to the surface. Add salt, onion, carrot, allspice, marjoram, bay leaf and rutabaga. Cover and simmer 1.5 hours.
• Add the whole peeled potatoes. Simmer until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove them from the broth with a slotted spon to a small bowl. Let them cool.
• Mash the potatoes with a fork. Add 1/4 of the cooking broth, egg, flour and salt. Mix well.
• When the meat is tender, remove it from the broth and let it cool.
• With a soup spoon dipped in the broth, take a rounded tablespoon of the dough and release it into the broth. If it breaks up, add some more flour to the dough. When the dumpling remains in one piece, drop them all into the broth, dipping the spoon in the broth between dropping each dumpling. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.
• Remove the fat and bones from the meat. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add to the soup. Salt to taste.
• Add some chopped parsley for color. Serve hot in deep soup bowls with bread.