The typical dish of Savo in Eastern Finland, kalakukko (Finnish fish pie) is made of local small fishes (usually vendace or perch) baked for hours inside a dark rye bread.
Dough:
1 ⅔ cups (4 dl) water
3 cups (7 dl) rye flour
1 ¼ cups (3 dl) all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (50 gr) butter
2 teaspoons salt
Filling:
1 ¾ pounds (800 gr) small fish (vendace, perch)
7 ounces (200 gr) side pork or bacon
1 tablespoon salt
“The unopened kalakukko will keep for a long time and it can be eaten either warm or cold, which in the olden days made it a perfect dish for long trips.” Kaisa Poutanen
Note: the photo above is not of kalakukko, but of various rye-dough pastries, some containing fish, at the Market Hall in Helsinki.
Recipe courtesy of Kaisa Poutanen. Oldways photo from Cynthia Harriman.