In Finnish Lapland, where reindeer outnumber the cars on many roads, poronkäristys is the dish every visitor is served and every local grew up on. Frozen reindeer meat is shaved into thin curls, fried in butter with a little onion, then simmered with water until it softens into a tender, savory tangle. It arrives with buttery mashed potatoes, a spoonful of lingonberries and a pickled cucumber, and it tastes of the north: rich, gently gamey and deeply comforting.

Reindeer can be ordered from Nordic specialty shops, but venison or a lean beef cut, shaved thin, makes an excellent stand in. The home trick is to partly freeze the meat so it slices almost as thinly as the Lapland original. It is a sturdy, warming plate for a cold race morning, the sort Finland has in good supply.

The sautéed reindeer

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) reindeer meat
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water

Mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) floury potatoes such as russets
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

To serve

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (150 g) lingonberry relish
• 4 small pickled cucumbers

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