Simply Scandinavian: Travelling Through Time with Finnish Cuisine and Nature
The only double edged sword of this book is that several of the recipes include ingredients that are truly local to the area. On the one side, it leaves many cooks, such as myself, unable to complete the dishes in the original way the authors intended them to be eaten. But with that being said, the recipes are just that, local Finnish cuisine, and are a true representation of the delicious edible fare Finland has to offer. As such, it would be remiss to not include them in the roundup.
In choosing which recipe to cook, I decided upon a main course from the Autumn section of the book; loin of pork with cauliflower puree and dark beer gravy. The recipe was straight forward and the results were satisfyingly delicious.
Start out by heating up a frying pan on medium high heat and searing your pork loin on both sides until it turns a beautiful shade of caramel brown.
Remove it from the pan and toss it in the oven to finish cooking. Using the same pan you seared the meat in; add a little beef broth, some veggies, and a couple herbs and spices.
Pour in some beer and add a swirl or two of molasses to the pot.
Cover that beautiful mixture and let it simmer at a gentle boil for about an hour. When the hour’s up you’ll strain all the bits and pieces out of the gravy, return the liquid to the pan and thicken it with a little cornstarch.
Last up, the cauliflower mash. Grab a pot and add in some chopped potatoes and cauliflower. Let it boil until soft.
Once they’ve cooked through, give them a rough mash with a potato masher and then add in a little butter, milk and Parmesan cheese. Finish it off with a quick whirl of the emulsifier and add a little salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the meat and cauliflower mash with a heaping spoonful of the beer gravy over the top and enjoy.
For anyone interested in learning more about Finnish ingredients and cuisine, this cookbook is a perfect addition to their recipe collection. I’m excited to have had the opportunity to review it. Now if I can just get my hands on a little rheindeer….
Loin of Pork with Cauliflower Puree and Dark Beer Gravy
Total Time: 1 hour 30 min
Adapted from Simply Scandinavian: Travelling Through Time with Finnish Cuisine and Nature
Ingredients:
For the Pork:
1 Two Pound Pork Loin
Salt and Pepper to Taste
For the Beer Gravy:
11 Fl. Oz. Dark Beer
10 Fl. Oz. Beef Stock
3.4 Fl. Oz. Treacle ( I used Molasses; about 1/3 cup Converted)
2 Carrots, Chopped
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Bay Leaf
3 Dried Allspice Berries (I subbed 1/8 tsp ground Allspice)
1 Bunch Fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
Salt to Taste
For the Cauliflower Puree:
1 Head Cauliflower, Roughly Chopped
2 Floury Potatoes Peeled and Roughly Chopped (I used Russet)
1.8 Oz. Parmesan Cheese, Grated
7 Fl. Oz. Milk (about 3/4 Cup)
1 Tbsp Butter
Directions:
Heat up a frying pan on medium high heat and sear the loin on both sides.
Remove the meat from the pan, season with salt and pepper, and place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees until the internal temperature of the loin reaches 170 degrees. Tent with aluminum foil and set to the side.
To the same pan, add in the beef stock and heat on medium.
Add in the carrots, onions and spices to the stock.
Pour in the beer and the treacle.
Cover and let boil gently for one hour.
Strain out the veggies, return the broth to the pan, add the cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp cold water) and boil gently until thickened.
For the cauliflower puree, boil a pot of water and add in the potatoes and cauliflower. Cook until soft.
Strain and return to the pan. Adjust the heat to low.
Roughly mash the veggies with a potato masher and then add in the milk, butter, and Parmesan cheese.
Smooth out with a emulsifier.
Add salt to taste.
Serve the meat and cauliflower mash with a heaping spoonful of gravy poured over the top.
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That looks really tasty, and I’m not even a big meat lover! I love the look of the cauliflower!
Wow this looks good. I am definitely going to have to try this recipe!
Wow Julie. I’ve never had this before but it looks really good. Love the combination of all flavours. I should buy this book since I am not familiar with Scandinavian food.
Hope you have a great weekend.
looks yummy and the book looks great, too! anne
I have tried or made very little Scandenavian cuisine, but now I’m curious! Thank you for sharing this review. The food looks yummy and your words always make me smile. I hope you have a wonderful Saturday, my sweet friend.
This pork tenderlion sure looks amazing; one of favourite cuts. I have always had the impression Scandanavian cooking was fresh and healthy. It is a bit disappointing when you can’t find the proper ingredients; it has happened to me with other books i have ordered; thank you for sharing this one with us.
Rita
I’ll have to check out that cookbook, considering I have Scandinavian roots (which show mainly in my pale, pale Scandinavian skin =). The pork tenderloin recipe sounds delicious and is putting me in the mood for fall!! Yipee for cardigans and boots and hot tea and stews!
This looks like a wonderful recipe, I will definitely be thumbing through this one very soon.
What a unique cookbook, and a gorgeous dish. Those vegetables look amazing!
oh, my, that looks good! thanks for sharing!
I just tried this recipe after sampling the same cookbook. Loved the recipe — the gravy is sweeter than what we’d normally like, but it was quite tasty. We loved the mash!
This is awesome! I have a friend who LOVES Finland! What a great gift this would make. Especially since she just got married last month. Thanks for sharing! And that meal looks freaking amazing!
looks like a fun book and love the gravy Scandinavian and Nordic cuisine is getting so popular