Finnbiff
Thinly shaved reindeer sautéed with mushrooms, finished with brown cheese and a splash of cream.
Cultural Context & History
Sautéed reindeer — finnbiff — is the everyday face of northern cooking, traditionally sliced from a frozen block and seared fast in a hot pan. A knob of brown cheese melted into the sauce gives it the caramel depth that defines the north.
Ingredients
- 400 g frozen shaved reindeer (reinsdyrskav)
- 150 g wild mushrooms, ideally chanterelles
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 200 g sour cream (seterrømme)
- 100 ml milk
- 4 juniper berries, crushed
- 2 slices brown goat's cheese (gjetost)
- Salt and pepper; lingonberries and fresh parsley, to serve
Recommended Tools
- Heavy frying panHolds the fierce heat that sears the shaved reindeer fast.
- Wooden spoonCoaxes the brown cheese into a smooth, even sauce.
- Mortar and pestleCrushes the juniper to release its resinous scent.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Sauté the mushrooms and onion in butter until softened and golden, then lift them out and set aside.
- 2
Working in small batches over high heat, fry the frozen shaved reindeer in butter until well browned, keeping the pieces in a single layer so they sear rather than steam.
- 3
Return the meat, mushrooms and onion to the pan and stir in the sour cream, milk, crushed juniper and brown cheese until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- 4
Cover and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 5
Season with salt and pepper, scatter with parsley and serve with a spoonful of lingonberries.
Chef's Tip
Fry the reindeer straight from the freezer — shaved this thin it sears in seconds, and letting it thaw first only makes it weep and turn grey in the pan.
Chef's Tip
Melt the brown cheese over the gentlest heat; pushed too hard it loses its caramel smoothness and turns grainy.
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