ANST - Recipe for Finnish Meatloaves

Sun Feb 1 16:19:35 PST 1998

Sael og heil!

A number of people have requested the recipe for the Finnish Meatloaves
served at the Candlemas Feast yesterday in Bryn Gwlad.  Therefore I present
it here forthwith...

LIHAMMURAKIPPERAS
(Finnish Meatloaf stuffed with vegetables and cheese and wrapped in a sour
cream pastry dough shell)

Pastry-wrapped meat dishes are a staple of many cultures, for instance
Welsh pasties, shepherd's pie, the Greek spanikopita, Spanish empanadas,
etc.  Although I have been unable to find documentation for this dish prior
to the late 1600's, the widespread use of similar dishes in every culture
argues for the presence of some similar dish in the medieval period in
Finland.

Finnish meatloaf is a rich, high calorie dish suitable for feeding those
performing heavy labor in a cold and marginal environment.  It is also
extremely tasty and a fine treat even for those of us in warmer climes!

INGEDIENTS:
--------------------
MEATLOAVES
1 lb ground beef (very lean)
1 lb ground pork (Owen's Country Sausage is good)
1 lb game meat (the Finns like to use hedgehog in this dish, 
		venison or other game works well.  Alternately,
		you can just increase the beef and pork to 
		1-1/2 lbs each instead.)
4 eggs
1 c. breadcrumbs
1 c. mushrooms, chopped
1-1/2 c. leeks, chopped (onions can be substituted)
2 tbsp. garlic, crushed or finely chopped (3-4 cloves)
1 tbsp. horseradish, finely grated
spices to taste (I usually include salt, pepper, sage, dill, and rosemary)
16 to 20 oz. cooked chopped spinach, wrung dry as possible (I usually use
		two packages of frozen chopped spinach - defrost it, wring it
		out and use it as is.  Note that any vegetable can be used -
		it is more common in Finland to find chopped beets used in
		this dish.)
1-1/2 to 2 cups white cheese, grated (Havarti is best, other swisses, queso
		blanco, mozzarella, etc. will work)

CRUST:
2 c. unbleached flour (sometimes I reduce the amount of wheat 
		flour by 1/2 c. and include barley, rye, or oat flour 
		for a more medieval effect.  You have to be cautious 
		doing this as these other flours can be "heavy")
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream

DIRECTIONS
--------------------
MEATLOAVES:
1. Combine meats, eggs, breadcrumbs, mushrooms, leeks, garlic, 
   horseradish, and spices.  Mix well.
2. Make a flat rectangle of the meat about 1" thick.  (It is a good
		idea to do this on a sheet of waxed paper, so that
		it is easier to roll the meat up later.)
3. Arrange the chopped spinach in a solid layer on top of the meat.
4. Sprinkle the cheese to cover the layer of spinach completely.
5. Start from one side and roll the meatloaf up (as though you were
		making a jellyroll).  If you placed your meat on a sheet
		of waxed paper, you can use the waxed paper to help 
		control the meat and to get it to roll neatly. Be sure to 
		seal the edges and seams well to prevent the cheese
		from melting out as you cook the loaf.
6.  Place the loaf in a shallow pan and cook at 400 degrees F until the
		meat is cooked through, usually between 45 min to 1 hr.
		(Don't use a flat cookie sheet unless it has a good lip.
		Beacuse of the pork and cheese, usually a lot of fat will
		cook out and the pan needs to catch it.  Also monitor the
		cooking process closely -- the fat can and will smoke badly
		and can catch on fire.)
7. Set loaf aside to cool.

CRUST:
1. Combine flour and salt.  Cut in butter to form fine flakes.
2. Add egg and sour cream.  You may also need 1-2 tsp. water to form
		a manageable dough.
3. Turn out onto floured surface and roll into a sheet twice the width of the
		meatloaf and about 4" longer than the loaf.
4. Place the meatloaf in the center of the sheet of dough.  Wrap the dough
		around the loaf.  Dampen the edges at the seams so they 
		will seal well.
5. Place the pastry-wrapped loaf in a greased shallow pan (you may have 
		yet more fat cook out) with the seam down.
6. Brush the pastry shell with beaten egg.  (This helps the pastry brown
nicely.)
7. Take any leftover scraps of dough and form decorations for the loaf.
		I usually will make a criss-cross lattice, or else will do
		pictoral scenes using dough cutouts.  Brush the decorations
		with egg also.
8. Bake at 375 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, usually 25 to 30
min.

Serve hot or at room temperature.  Cut slices across the loaf to show the
swirled layers.  Serve with a hearty dollop of sour cream mixed with
chopped fresh dill.  Since this meatloaf is very rich, an average serving
is based on slices 1" to 2" thick, yielding 18 to 36 servings per meatloaf.

SUGGESTIONS:
The meatloaves freeze well (prior to adding the crust)-- it is often a good
idea to make a few and freeze them, then on the day you want to serve the
meatloaf, defrost the meat, add the crust, cook and serve.  This is good
for a quick dinner - set the meatloaf out to defrost in the morning and all
you have to do is prepare and cook the crust.

Finnish meatloaf is an outstanding tourney food, as it is good cold.  I
often make many small loaves, 4"x2" or 6"x3" and then the day before the
event add the crusts.  They keep in the icechest and can be eaten "on the
go" during the event without further preparation, with or without the
sourcream and dill sauce.

A variant on this dish can be made using leftovers, including leftover
meats.  Chop the meat very fine and add extra eggs to bind the loaf.  Any
leftover veggies can be added in the center of the loaf.  This makes
leftovers seem very special!

If I am pressed for time, lacking ingredients, or for whatever reason don't
want to make the sour cream crust, I have successfully substituted Bisquick
dough for the shell.  It is not as rich or tasty, but still quite good.
------------------------------
At this year's Candlemas Feast in Bryn Gwlad, each course was heralded by a
special performance presentation as the head table was served the dish.
Mistress Mari graciously agreed to make the presentation of the Finnish
meatloaves, performing the following poem to drum accompanyment by Master
Cynric of Bedwyn.

BEOLOAF
A presentation poem for the Candlemas Feast in Saxon style
composed and performed by Chieftess Mari ferch Rathyen

"Bring meat to us!" the baron bade,
"Our guests to feast with noble fare!"
Like grim Skadi, skillful huntress,
Gunnora dressed and gathered hard weapons,
Hunting the woods for horned stag.
Cruel barbs flew straight and bright blood burst.
Crimson haunches she hauled to larder.
Then flashed the cleaver, cutting and hacking,
Grinding the flesh of the forest king.
Cream from the cow with a look she curdled,
Then finest flour she flung to breadboard,
Punching and pounding the proud dough down.
With cross curses and cookpots flying
At quivering thralls, her quest she completed.
Now find fare from Karelian forests.
We serve before you meatloaves fashioned 
In sour cream crust, crowned with gold,
Burnished by fire, food of Finland.

------------------------------
I received the following poem about the Finnish meatloaves from Master
Godwin Alfricsson while I was in the process of preparing Finnish
meatloaves to feed 300.  I laughed so hard I cried.

SIXTEEN LOAVES
by Master Godwin Alfricsson
Sing to the tune of "SIXTEEN TONS"

Some people say the SCA's nothin' but fun,
But Gunnora's thinking, "Now WHAT have I DONE!?!"
Candlemas wants her to cook up some food-
SIXTEEN meat loaves, well that ought to do!

REFRAIN:
She's baking Sixteen Loaves, an what'll she get?
    Hands all greasy, and a kitchen that's messed.
Featocrat don't bug her or else she won't go...
	she owes her soul to the wood burning stove.

When she took up the challenge, she thought three loaves would be fine.
Now they expect her to change water to wine!
Sixteen Loaves, or Water to Wine?
It makes no difference, cause they BOTH suck up time...

(refrain) 

She awoke one morning, near Candlemas eve,
this task that they gave her made her want to heave.
Making Sixteen Loaves is a lot to do-
But they're FINNISH meat loaves
Now she's gotta make the dough too.

(refrain) 

On Candlemas morning (never going to bed),
She picked up the meat loaves (although feeling "dead")
She put them on the wagon and she drove away-
The Feastocrat, wisely, just stayed out of her way.

(refrain- revised)
She brought 'em Sixteen Meat Loaves,
What'll she get? Probably an invitation to help clean up the event.
"Fellows don't you call me, because I've got to go-
I'm using my mace to break up that DAMN stove!

----------------------

Enjoy, all!

Wæs Þu Hæl (Waes Thu Hael)

::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Ek eigi visa þik hversu oðlask Lofstirrlauf-Kruna heldr hversu na Hersis-Aðal
(Ek eigi thik hversu odhlask Lofstirrlauf-Kruna heldr hversu na Hersis-Adhal)

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