Twelfth Night, Winter Sculptures And Teriyaki Deer Steak

The Twelfth Night or Epiphany holiday, last Wednesday, marked the end of the holiday season and the xmas trees all came down. Last year the holiday was sunny and the frozen bay was filled with ice skaters, hikers, skiers and ice fishermen. But this year it was a grim, grey and very cold day and fewer people about, so we went and had open shrimp sandwiches at Café Ursula on the shorefront by Kaivopuisto Park.

The Sibelius monument is, for obvious reasons, one of the most visited tourist spots in Helsinki. Which is why it took us so long to get there. In summer, tourists flock to the monument, making photography difficult. In addition, you always see pictures of this particular monument taken in summer. Well, Sibelius really loved the Finnish landscape, as is evident from his music and the landscape here is covered in snow for a large part of the season. So I went back there this week to take my pictures during, what is in my opinion, the most suitable time to view the monument and reflect on the man and his music. I was not alone in my way of thinking, because as I walked away, two tour buses arrived putting an end to a quiet photo session.

It led me to look at my photos of other sculptures and structures during wintertime. Across the road from our apartment is a large centre that not only houses some cafes, interesting home and art shops, a public library and the Arabia Ceramics outlet, but also Helsinki University’s department of Art and Design. Apart from some interesting facades and wall paintings, there is a large sculpture outside which I caught on camera just after the first light snows of the season last November.

And, continuing on the automotive theme, these large calves, made from old car parts, stand next to the ramp that leads onto a major road around the city. Having taken a picture during late summer, I went back and took its winter twin and put the two together.

I am currently very much into cooking game. Previously I had some fun with pheasant and just recently, good quality Deer Steaks has been on sale at very tempting prices. So I stocked the freezer with a few portions. Surprisingly enough, these steaks are imported from New Zealand and, sometimes seem to be more easily available as well as cheaper than New Zealand lamb?! I made Teriyaki Deer Steak, sort of. Purists may not recognise my recipe as an authentic Teriyaki sauce, but it tastes delicious.

Trying To Be Teriyaki - Deer Steak

Firstly, marinate the game meat in buttermilk or yoghurt overnight. It will tenderise the meat and improve its taste.

The next day, take the meat out of the buttermilk and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels and prick all over with a fork.

Make a teriyaki sauce as follows (enough for 250g steak).

Mix together the following:

½ Cup of Light Soy Sauce

¼ Cup of Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar

Juice of a Small Can of Pineapple Rings

Then coarsely grate 50g of Fresh Ginger Root. Pack the ginger in a garlic press and squeeze the juice into the sauce mix.

Cover the meat with half the sauce and marinate for at least 1 hour.

(And the very long word just below the picture simply means Deer Steak)

Mix 5ml of cornstarch with 10ml cold water and add to the remaining teriyaki sauce.

Boil the sauce for a few minutes and set aside.

In the meantime, prepare the garnish:
Toast some sesame seeds in a dry pan and chop some chives.

When you are ready to cook the meat, heat a little sesame or olive oil in a pan.

Take the meat out of the marinade and pat dry. Discard the marinade.

Sear and fry the meat till done.

Once cooked, add a few teaspoons of the teriyaki sauce to glaze the meat in the pan.

Let the meat rest a few minutes (while frying the pineapple rings).
Slice the meat and put on a plate.

Spoon over some sauce and garnish with chopped chives and some sesame seeds.

Enjoy, then hit the ski trails.