Makaronilaatikko

Ingredients

Pasta

• 350 gmacaroni
• salt for the water

Meat

• 500 gminced beef, or half beef and half pork
• 1onion, chopped
• 1 tbspoil
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 1 tspground allspice

Munamaito, the egg milk

• 4eggs
• 700 mlwhole milk
• 1 tspsalt

To finish

• 100 ggrated cheese, optional
• a little butter

To serve

• ketchup
• or lingonberry jam
• and a cucumber salad

Directions

1. Whisk the eggs and milk together with salt, and whisk gently rather than beating in air. Boil the macaroni for two or three minutes less than the packet says, so it is still distinctly firm.
2. Drain it well but do not rinse it. Fry the onion until soft, then add the mince and brown it thoroughly. Break the mince up well and let it brown properly rather than just greying, since browning is most of the flavour in a dish this plain.
3. Season it firmly with salt, white pepper and allspice. White pepper rather than black is standard in Finnish cooking, and allspice is the characteristic warm note. Season it more heavily than seems right, since the bland pasta and custard around it mute everything considerably. Taste the meat now and adjust it, since nothing can be corrected after the milk goes in.
4. Butter a deep oven dish and mix the drained macaroni and browned meat together in it. Spread it out evenly so it cooks at the same rate throughout. Pour it slowly and evenly across the whole surface. The liquid should come almost level with the top of the pasta, so that everything is submerged but not floating.
5. Press the pasta down gently with a fork so nothing sits dry above the surface. Let it stand for ten minutes before baking if you have time, so the pasta begins to absorb. Now bake it at 175°C for forty-five minutes to an hour.
6. Bake it at a moderate rather than high temperature, since the custard curdles and splits if it gets too hot. It is ready when the custard is set through and the top is golden brown with crisp edges. Shake the dish gently: there should be no liquid movement under the surface. A knife pushed into the middle should come out clean.
7. Scatter cheese over for the last fifteen minutes if you want it, though it is not traditional. Now rest it for ten minutes before serving. Serve it with ketchup, which is genuinely the standard Finnish accompaniment and is not a compromise.

Technique

• Munamaito, the egg and milk custard, defines the whole laatikko family.
• The pasta is deliberately undercooked since it absorbs the custard.
• Ketchup alongside is genuinely standard in Finland.

Substitutions

• Any short pasta in place of macaroni.
• Pork and beef mixed, which is common.

Variations

• Made vegetarian, without the meat.
• With cheese on top, which many households add.
• Made with sausage in place of mince.

Frequently asked questions

What is Makaronilaatikko?

Makaronilaatikko is a main from Finland: homey macaroni-beef casserole bound with egg milk.

How long does Makaronilaatikko take to make?

Makaronilaatikko takes 20 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Makaronilaatikko?

Yes, within limits. Any short pasta in place of macaroni. Pork and beef mixed, which is common.

What is the most important thing to get right in Makaronilaatikko?

Whisk the eggs and milk together with salt, and whisk gently rather than beating in air. Boil the macaroni for two or three minutes less than the packet says, so it is still distinctly firm.