Finnish Fish Pot Pies

Fish Pot Pies is a traditional food made from fish baked inside a loaf of bread.

(2 servings)

Ingredients

For the crust:

100 ml cold water

1 tbsp oil

Salt

110 g rye flour

For the filling:

700 g small perch or vendace

Approx. 250 g sliced bacon or pork belly

1 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

First prepare the dough for the crust. Mix together the water, oil and a dash of salt, then gradually add in the rye flour. Knead the dough on a wooden board until firm and elastic. Roll out the dough to a square about 1 cm thick, using the flour to prevent sticking.

Cut the dough into rounds. These will be the lids for the pot pies. The lid can be a bit larger than the circumference of the casserole dishes.

Clean the fish by removing the head and the insides. Place the fish in the mini casserole dishes snugly, layering it with the bacon and sprinkling salt between each layer. Finish with a top layer of bacon.

Place the lids on top of the dishes and press tightly around the rims. Brush the tops with water and sprinkle over some rye flour.

Bake for 30 minutes first, then lower the oven to 125 °C and continue baking for about 2 hours more, depending on the size of the fish (it will take longer for the perch). This long baking will soften the bones. After taking the pot pies out of the oven, you can brush the tops with melted butter if you like.