What started as an emergency procedure during my student years has become a more common practice, and every once in a while I like combining Finnish ingredients with Mexican spices to produce something unique.  Two of my more celebrated recipes are below, I hope you like them.

Some of the spices needed can be bought in Meksikolainen.fi or Mexgrocer.co.uk.  I just bring them from Mexico when I’m there

Salmón Pibil

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

• 1/2 bar of achiote paste
• 250 ml orange juice (pressed or otherwise)
• 1 small (100 g) tin of chipotle chillies
• 1/2 small pineapple or 1 orange
• 1/2 red onion
• 500g of salmon fillet

Grate the achiote and dissolve in orange juice until you get a bright orange liquid.  Put salmon in a flat oven-safe recipient and add achiote marinade.  Add the chillies (be sure to rub them with the salmon).  Cut the onion in half rings and add.  Cut the pineapple/orange in slices and decorate salmon with it.Leave in oven at 170 °C for 1-1.5 hour until ready.  It should be crisp but with enough liquid.

Mole nórdico con reno / Manchamanteles negro con reno

(we’re still debating the name of this one)

Ingredients (serves 3)

• 2 morita chillies
• 2 pasilla chillies
• 2 dried chiles de árbol
• 2 guajillo chillies
• 2 ancho chillies
• 4 spoons of cranberry juice
• 125 ml cloudberry juice
• 450g of reindeer or elk meat in small pieces (if using elk, it’s not “reno” but “alce”).

Blend everything but the meat together.  Cook sauce and elk together slowly with a little of added water to give even more time for the flavours to ripen in the fire.  Should be ready in 45 minutes to an hour.

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