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Kalakukko

Name: Kalakukko
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 420 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 600 g rye flour; 100 g plain flour; 450 ml warm water; 2 tsp salt; 30 g butter; 800 g vendace, smelt or small perch; 300 g pork belly; 1.5 tsp salt; 30 g butter

Kalakukko: Savonian rye loaf baked for hours around small fish and pork

Cuisine:Scandinavian

Kalakukko is the travelling food of Savonia in eastern Finland, a speciality of Kuopio's market square: a thick rye crust packed with small whole fish, usually vendace (muikku) or perch, and slices of fatty pork belly, sealed and baked for five or six hours, until the fish bones soften completely and the juices soak the inside of the crust. This dish contains pork. It is cut open like a lid and eaten in slices, crust and all, hot or cold. A common mistake is a crack in the crust, which lets the juices escape and dries out the fish. Chef's tip: patch any cracks with a little rye dough during baking, and wrap the loaf in foil and a towel after baking to rest.

Total time: 420 min
Difficulty: hard
Serves: 10

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Ingredients

Serves10

For the crust

1 ⅓ lb rye flour
3 ½ oz plain flour
2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
1 oz buttermelted

For the filling

1 ¾ lb vendace, smelt or small perchcleaned, heads removed
10 ½ oz pork bellythinly sliced
1 ½ tsp salt

For baking

1 oz buttermelted

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Method

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Step 1: Mix 1 ⅓ lb rye flour, 3 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tsp salt, 2 cups warm water and 1 oz butter into a firm dough. Keep a handful aside for patching.
Step 2: Roll the dough into an oval about 2 cm thick. Lay half of 10 ½ oz pork belly in the middle, then pack in 1 ¾ lb vendace, smelt or small perch, sprinkling with 1 ½ tsp salt, and finish with the rest of the pork.
Step 3: Fold the dough up and over the filling, sealing the edges tightly with wet fingers into a loaf shape.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 475°F (fan 450°F). Bake for 30 minutes to set the crust, then brush with water and reduce to 300°F (fan 275°F).
30 min
Step 5: Bake for 5 hours more, checking for cracks and patching with the reserved dough. Common mistake: ignoring a crack; the juices escape.
300 min
Step 6: Brush with 1 oz butter, wrap in foil and a towel and rest for 1 hour. Cut a lid from the top and serve in slices.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 480 kcal
Protein: 30 g
Carbs: 48 g
Fat: 18 g
Fibre: 7 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does kalakukko take?: About 420 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 360 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of plain flour?: Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
What can I use instead of butter?: The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).

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