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.