When it comes to Estonian folk traditions, vastlapäev can be celebrated by sledding down snowy hills on a linen sack or sled, combing or cutting one’s hair, and spinning tops made of pig hooves. At this time, there’s also a superstition against spinning wool, lighting a fire, or cleaning grease off of one’s face. And when it comes to food, consider eating hernesupp (split pea soup), kartulipannkoogid (potato pancakes), and vastlakuklid (whipped cream buns). Here’s a simple variation of the first two items on the menu:
Pea soup (serves 4)
Ingredients:
-Approximately 2 kilogrammes / 4 pounds of bone-in pork shoulder OR for faster preparation, .5 kilogrammes / 1 pound of pork tenderloin
-olive oil
-onion powder
-salt and pepper
-4 cups of water if you’re using pork shoulder OR 4 cups of chicken broth if you’re using pork tenderloin
-3 cloves of garlic
-You can achieve similar flavours with cans of whole peas (4 cans in this case), rather than the dry split peas typically used.
-4 bay leaves
Method:
1) You’ll first need to decide whether you want to follow the slow, multi-meal method (you’ll be eating pork for at least one meal in addition to the soup) or the fast method.
Slow method: Apply a sprinkling of olive oil, a few dashes of onion powder, and a few cracks of salt and pepper to the pork shoulder. Cook the pork in a baking dish, uncovered for 20 minutes at 450°F (232°C), and then covered for about 5 hours at 250°F (121°C). The cooked pork should be at 82°C (180°F). Eat as much of this meat as you’d like for one meal and then put aside the rest of the meat (cut into bite-sized pieces) and the bone for the soup the next day.
Fast method: Cut the pork tenderloin into bite-sized pieces and cook it in a big pot on the stovetop, with a sprinkling of olive oil, a few dashes of onion powder, and a few cracks of salt and pepper. Cook the pork until it’s at 82°C (180°F).
2) If you followed the slower pork shoulder method, place the bone in a big pot along with 4 cups of water, and get the water to boil with the lid on top of the pot. Let the bone sit in the boiling water for about 30 minutes before discarding the bone.
If you followed the fast method, simply combine the cooked pork and 4 cups of chicken broth into the big, covered pot and keep it on medium heat.
3) Here’s where the two different methods come together. Thinly slice three cloves of garlic and sautée this in a pan with olive oil. Add the 4 cans of peas to this pan, stir it all around, and then transfer it to the big pot of broth and pork. You can keep the pan around for the potato pancakes.
4) Let the peas get soft in the hot broth and begin mashing them roughly with the bottom of a ladle.
5) Add 4 bay leaves for flavour, and potentially more water—the nicest consistency is somewhere between a liquidy soup and mushy peas that you’d eat alongside fish and chips.
6) Let the soup simmer slowly with the lid on the pot while you get the potato pancakes ready.
Potato pancakes (a side dish for 4, one per person)
Ingredients:
-8 small potatoes
-salt and pepper
-1 teaspoon of paprika
-1 teaspoon of garlic powder
-1 teaspoon of onion powder
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon of flour
-olive oil
-(optional) sour cream
Method:
1) Wash and dry your potatoes and use a cheese grater to grate them into a mixing bowl.
2) Add a dash of salt and pepper, a teaspoon each of paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to the grated potatoes.
3) Crack an egg over the grated, seasoned potatoes and sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix it all up with a fork.
4) Pour a layer of olive oil onto a pan (such as the one you sautéed the garlic on) and start heating up the oil.
5) Shape the potato pancakes with your hands so you have one per person. When the oil is hot, place each pancake into the oil to fry. After about 10 minutes, flatten each pancake with a spatula and flip it. Turn the heat down lower and continue to cook each pancake for about 15 to 20 minutes so that the potato is fully cooked. The potato pancakes will darken a bit as a result of this.
6) When these are all cooked, serve them on a plate with a dollop of sour cream on top, alongside a bowl of the pea soup.
Head vastlapäeva ja head isu! We hope you had a pleasant Shrove Tuesday, and enjoy making this meal!
