Fish pie
Description
The baking is simple and quick. "Kalakukko" is a Finnish national pie with an interesting, unusual, but very delicious filling. Essentially, kalakukko resembles a loaf of rye bread with a fish filling. Making this pie is not difficult at all, but it requires a long baking time—about 4 to 5 hours. The cooking time depends on the type of fish you use. If the fish is small and bony, the pie should bake for 4 hours or slightly longer. During this time, the bones will soften and become tender. But believe me, you won't regret making this incredibly tasty pie at least once. Serve it cooled down or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Knead the dough from sifted flour, salt, water, and oil. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough into an oval shape, 0.5 cm thick. Place it on parchment paper, then put the parchment onto a sheet of foil.
- 2
Step 2
Place half of the rice in the center of the dough. Then add the cleaned fish (I used perch fillet). Cover the fish with the remaining rice. Each layer of fish should be salted.
- 3
Step 3
Then we lay thin strips of bacon.
- 4
Step 4
Cover the entire fish completely with bacon. Sprinkle the top layer of bacon with salt and pepper to taste.
- 5
Step 5
Tightly cover the filling with the free edges of the dough and pinch them together. To make the pie seamless, moisten your hands with water and smooth out the dough at the seam. Place the pie onto a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 30–40 minutes.
- 6
Step 6
Then remove the pie from the oven, wrap it first in a layer of paper and then in a layer of foil, and return it to the oven for 3-4 hours, reducing the temperature to 125 degrees. If using small fish with bones, bake for 4 hours.