A traditional birthday meal : Reindeer stew!
This weekend, for my darling’s birthday, I decided to concoct a typical Norwegian dish: ”A Reindeer stew with a creamy sauce!”
As we explained in the article “Sami’s National Day: Reindeer race!“, and the previous article about the “Sámi people” the reindeer are only raised by them. Production and marketing of the reindeer meat is reserved.
Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find this essential ingredient. Almost all supermarkets sell it.
Let’s check it is the good one:
Obviously, my Norwegian is still very limited. But I know enough to see that the ingredients are made of reindeer meat (Reinkjøtt, kjøtt = meat), water and salt.
It’s OK, I can put this bag in my basket, I have my 400g of reindeer meat, enough to cook a good dish!
After an internet research (thank you Google Translate!), I discover what is written above the ingredients… :
“Reindeer meat into slices.
reindeer meat is cut into thin slices.
Sápmi - Lapland: Here is the reindeer grazing.
The murmur of the plateau, with breathtaking scenery, the smell of fresh and wild vegetation.
Reindeer meat carries the flavor of the trays. ”
Yum, a little introduction that makes me dreaming and makes me hungry …
Back at home, I discover the contents of my bag. Indeed, it is meat cut into thin slices. That’s why the name of this dish is Finnbiff. This comes from the use of cutting thin slices of meat and grill them or eat them raw.
The recipe
It’s a very popular Norwegian recipe and very easy to do. You must cook the meat with mushrooms, cream and eat the meal with potatoes, vegetables and specially not forget the cowberry jam, essential to a number of Norwegian meals!
This jam, rather sour, is better with this dish than bread and butter. Indeed, reindeer meat is rather strong, it tastes like wild game and cowberry jam goes wonderfully with that, this is delicious!
Norwegian name of the jam: ”Tyttebærsyltetøy” (Baer = bay = Tyttebær = cowberry, syltetøy = jam).
Another typically Norwegian ingredient that we must add (but I forgot it, oops …) is the “brunost” (brown cheese). I have not yet had the opportunity to taste some, but on my next Finnbiff I will not forget to add it!
It bears the name of cheese (Ost) but it doest not taste like cheese, it is rather sweet and very soft. Norwegians use it in this kind of dish or on sweet dishes such as waffles.
I gathered all my ingredients, now I’m going to make the recipe…
Reindeer stew with cream sauce:
- 500g of reindeer meat finely cut,
- butter,
- 300g of mushrooms,
- 1 onion,
- 4 or 5 juniper berries (cut into half to bring out the taste).
Sauce:
- 5 spoons of sour cream,
- 2 dl of cream,
- 1 spoon of flour to thicken the sauce.
Preparation:
Cook reindeer meat in a large stove with the mushrooms, onion and butter.
When the meat is cooked, pour the sour cream and liquid cream, salt, pepper, juniper berries and cook for a while.
Add a tablespoon of flour if the sauce is too thin.
Serve with potatoes, broccoli, … and especially don’t forget the cowberry jam!
Here is the result!
Served with a glass of good wine, this dish is delicious! The taste of reindeer meat is hard enough and is pretty similar to game meat. If you do not have reindeer meat available, you can try to do the same with game or beef.
Enjoy your meal ! ;)
-Céline
Mack or PC? …
First, I’d like to apology for this pathetic joke … but I could not resist. I’m really sorry. Let’s forget it and start the post.
During those rainy days (yes, it’s raining in Tromsø …) and snowy days (whew! Snow is finally here!), it’s hard to find the envy to get out. Fortunately, here in Tromsø, cafes, bars and pubs are very warm and welcoming. So let’s have a drink this afternoon! This is an opportunity to practice a bit and get our order in Norwegian: “Hmm … well… En Mack Haakon” (which is supposed to mean “A Mack Haakon please”, we usually don’t use the word ‘please’ in Norwegian). Despite the obvious simplicity of my sentence, the eyes of the waitress made me quickly realize she did not understand a word about what I was saying … T_T
Finally, after a few more trials, we successfully got our order: a Mack and my strawberry milk (just kiddin’! :P). But now you’re probably wondering “What is a Mack Haakon?” ……
…
…
… Don’t you? … I’ll tell you anyway, I did not typed this whole introdution for nothing!
In Tromsø, Mack is an institution. More than that, the entire population dedicates a cult to Mack. Morning, noon and night we bow and pray before it’s image by quoting its name. It is even part of the culinary specialty of Tromsø: seagull eggs & Mack (We will write a post about it once we have tasted!). This is of course, and you probably guessed, the local beer!
Let’s go back a few decades ago. Ludwig Markus Mack, born in 1842, is the son of a German immigrant. He is trained as a baker, just as his father before him. But numerous visits to his uncle, Bavarian brewer, gives him the envy to start his own brewery. And that’s how, after a very consistent investment for the time, in 1877, the Mack brewery was born in Tromsø. It then became the northernmost brewery in the world!
135 years later, Mack brewery is still there and work not only for the well being of the population of Tromsø, but for all northern Norway. And to be honest, once you have tasted a Mack you understand why so many people here speak about it! This beer, in my humble opinion, has its own character. I like to describe it as a taste between a German beer (logical, given its origin) and an English local ale (my favorite beers). A real treat!
Anyway, if you ever come over here one day, do not miss to taste a Mack! A brewery tour is even possible if you feel interested to see how thay make it (weekdays only, I think).
-julien
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