Book of Days Tales

Today is National Sleepy Head Day (Unikeonpäivä) in Finland, and the existence of this celebration in no way softens my general opinion, based on experience, that the Finns are a loony people. So . . . on this date annually Finnish towns select a suitable victim (often a celebrity or someone who has helped the town) whom they throw into a lake, river or the ocean in the early morning with much merriment. A lot of rubbish is talked about the supposed “origins” of this custom because people like to be fanciful, but the simplest one to my mind is that at one time a person in a household who slept late was dowsed with water or tossed into a lake or river. Dunno.

Here is a recipe for lohikeitto, Finnish salmon soup.  Finnish recipes frequently feature seafood, and reminders of deep waters are suitable for the day. 

Ingredients

    500 gm fresh salmon, cut in chunks

    400 gm potatoes, peeled and diced

    3 leeks, washed and sliced

    3 carrots, peeled and sliced

    1.2 liters fish broth

    200 ml heavy cream

    1 bunch of fresh dill

    1 lemon

    salt and pepper

    olive oil or butter for frying

Sauté the leeks and carrots in butter or olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan until they are soft but have not taken on any color. 

Add the potatoes and fish stock, and season to taste with salt and black pepper, as well as a small amount of chopped dill. Simmer for 15 minutes at medium heat or until the potatoes are cooked.

Add the salmon and cream and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through.  Add more chopped dill to taste, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve in heated bowls with a garnish of dill and lemon wedges on the side for diners to add as they choose.