Pekka Terävä’s Christmas table always has fish and game. He has fried the ham in a surprising Finnish way.
Pekka Terävä states that Christmas traditions are allowed to change over the years. Rosa Bröijer
Kala is one chef and restaurateur Pekka Terävän Christmas table favorites. He prepares the Christmas meal in plate portions, which results in less waste.
Even though at Terävä’s Christmas table one eats more wonderful dishes than the other, the most important are the people sitting at the table.
– The big thing is that the family gets together, Terävä states.
For many years, the family has spent Christmas elsewhere than in Finland, but the loved ones have always sat at the same table – be it in Thailand, Spain or Finland.
– Last year we were in Finland for the first time in 15 years. We are here this year as well, Terävä says in the kitchen of restaurant Emo, while he arranges scallops on a plate.
Also on Christmas Eve, Terävä prepares a dinner served in plates. The chef has promised to tell Iltalehte about his own food philosophy and at the same time prepare delicacies that they will eat on the eve.
Traditions change
It depends on the situation, whether Terävä prepares the entire menu himself or not Leena-wife, adult sons and their spouses for help. One of the boys in particular is a keen cook.
Whether the evening meal was eaten in a restaurant or at home, over the years, what is served has become fish-oriented. Game can also be included, but mainly fish and shelled shrimp.
According to Teräva, there are no absolute food requirements. The only exceptions to this are mullet and shelled shrimp. There always are.
Terävä has noticed that over the years, he has started to want to eat a little lighter at Christmas as well, since traditional Christmas food is quite heavy.
However, Terävä doesn’t want to go there to define whether something is right or wrong Christmas food. The main thing is that everyone sitting at the same table is satisfied.
Terävä states that they also ate Karelian roast when his father was alive, and if someone wants a lantu box, Terävä will fry it.
– It doesn’t always have to be the same as before, tradition can change, Terävä states.
Ham in a surprising way
However, Terävä has one Christmas tradition with his sons that he will not give up. They watch over the ham as it roasts and taste it in the morning with crisp bread and mustard.
– Last year I roasted a small ham in a charcoal grill, Terävä says.
On Christmas Day, more species are brought to the table. Ham is also available then. Teräva always buys a small ham, because it is important to him that everything gets eaten.
Sugar-salted trout
1 trout fillet (approx. 400 g)
Sugar-salting:
50 g fine sea salt
50 g of sugar
Umami soy sauce:
50 g sake
100 g mirin
150 g of soy sauce
25 g of rice vinegar
2 g katsuobushi (dried, smoked and fermented tuna-like bonito).
(1 piece of about 5 × 5 cm kombu, i.e. edible algae)
In addition:
50 g of roe
edible flowers for decoration
1. Mix sugar and salt. Spread the mixture evenly over the fish. Let it season in the cold for three hours. Rinse and dry the fillet lightly.
2. Boil sake and mirin, cool. Add soy, rice wine vinegar, kombu and katsuobushi. Let it season in the fridge for a couple of days. Strain.
3. Prepare the dose. Slice the seasoned trout into thin slices or into single portions.
4. Quickly paint a little color on the surface of the trout.
5. Place on a plate and pour a little umami soy sauce on top and add the roe.
6. Decorate with edible flowers.
Fried scallops and chanterelles
8 fresh scallops
100 g chanterelles
100 g of butter
1 shallot
Madeira
salt
black pepper
edible flowers for decoration
1. Prepare chanterelle puree. Chop half of the chanterelles and the shallot. Sauté them in butter, season with salt and pepper, add a dash of Madeira. Simmer until soft and puree with butter.
2. Fry the remaining chanterelles in butter until nicely brown. Taste.
3. Dry the scallops. Fry in a hot pan in butter for 30-45 seconds per side. At the end, add butter and a little melted butter so that the mussels get a golden brown surface and remain slightly translucent inside.
4. Put a dollop of chanterelle puree on a plate, on top of it the scallops and fried mushrooms. Decorate with edible flowers.
Recipes: Pekka Terävä