“Piirakka” is Finnish for comfortably delicious
Each month we cover a Leasider’s special dish with a hearty side order of narrative.
Quick, name four things for which Finland is renowned: sauna, Marimekko clothing, architectural design (think Viljo Revell, architect behind Toronto City Hall), and … piirakka? I know; until recently I was asking the same thing. But that was before I was invited to Suomi-Koti (or Finnish House) at 795 Eglinton Ave. East to attend a piirakka-making class. Now I know what Finns have been savvy to all along: piirakka, also known as Karelian Pies, is a popular, tasty rice cake you can make at home.
I attended the Saturday workshop as the guest of resident Eila Fowler. The story of Eila’s parents’ coming to Canada is unique among the Finns.
Instead of heading to Sudbury or Thunder Bay to the Finnish-like mines and forests, her mom and dad landed jobs in Montreal in 1926, where her father chauffeured for a wealthy Westmount family. Missing Finland, they sailed back in 1936 only to turn around a few years later to escape war. This time they settled in Bourlamaque, Quebec, where Eila was born.
“Dad worked in the gold mines – there were seven in full operation there at the time,” explained Eila. But her parents had a taste for city life. In 1952 her father saw an ad for employment in Toronto. “The TTC was building Canada’s first subway and needed men with mining experience. That’s what brought us here. We settled on Soudan Avenue, just a stone’s throw from Bayview,” said Eila. She remembers her mom Lyyli making piirakka on the kitchen table and packing them in her dad’s lunch box before he headed off to Yonge Street and the seven kilometres of tunnels that would be serviced by 12 stations, from Union to Eglinton. “It was hard work and the flavourful, comforting piirakka sustained him.”
The day we made piirakka we were situated around a large table in the sleek, wood-panelled multi-purpose hall at Suomi-Koti, the Finnish seniors’ residence and long-term care facility opened in 1987 and designed by architect Seppo Kanerva. Our volunteer teacher was Tina Hamalainen, an engaging and energetic “chef” whose parents came from Finland. Tina explained that like many Finnish dishes, piirakka is made up of basic ingredients – rice, rye flour and egg.
“It is simple and delicious; it originates in a region next to Russia called Karelia, much of whose land was taken by Russia in the 1600s. The people are resilient and practical or ‘sisu’ as we say in Finnish,” explained Tina. And that sentiment is reflected in the dish. Tina also told us that while the ingredients are simple, the preparation is time consuming. “The people of Karelia are methodical and patient and so have the right temperament to make piirakka!” Tina jested.
The trick is to have the dough not too wet, not too dry. It is then rolled out in a circle, the rice mixture is dropped in the middle and then the sides are brought into the centre and pinched, making the end product resemble a moccasin.
Eila had also invited her granddaughter, Lily; their piirakka ended up looking store-quality. Must be in the blood. Mine looked malformed but still ended up tasting great, if I do say so myself. The added touch is a mixture of butter and chopped boiled egg that is dolloped on top while the piirakka are still warm.
Try making them around your kitchen table with family; you won’t be disappointed.
Hyvää ruokahalua!
Ingredients
For brushing:
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons hot milk
Filling:
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups milk
Salt, to taste
Crust/Pastry:
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup rye flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Egg Butter:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 Pinch of fresh ground white pepper (optional)
1 Pinch of ground ginger (optional)
Directions
For the Filling:
In a saucepan, combine the water and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the milk, cover, and continue cooking until the milk is completely absorbed and the rice is soft and creamy.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the Crust/Pastry:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the water, salt, rye flour, and all-purpose flour to make a stiff dough. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 16 portions. Shape each portion into a round. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each round into a 6-inch circle. Spread about 3 tablespoons of filling evenly over each round.
Fold two opposite edges of the pastry over the filling and crimp the edges of the dough toward the center to form an oval-shaped pastry. Allow about 1/2 inch of the crust to overlap the filling, leaving the center exposed. Place the formed pastries on the prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and hot milk. Brush the mixture over the pastries.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, brushing once during baking, until the edges of the pastries are golden. Remove from the oven and brush again while hot.
For the Egg Butter:
In a small bowl, cream the butter. Stir in the chopped hard-boiled eggs. Season with white pepper and ground ginger, if desired.
Yield: 1 cup.
To serve:
Cool the pastries and serve at room temperature with the egg butter.
