Note that Finnish eggs are among the safest in the world to be eaten uncooked. To find out why, read here.

As a young girl, my grandmother Maila used to enjoy these canapés, eating them with her father, who also had a schnaps to accompany them.

thin slices of dark rye bread (or white wheat bread)
butter
ground beef of tartare quality *)
chopped onion or shallot
raw egg yolk
salt
black pepper or allspice

In this dish the delicious taste of raw beef should not be concealed. If you cannot abide the thought of swallowing uncooked meat without first drenching it in Worcestershire or Tabasco sauce, cognac, olive oil, Dijon mustard or something even more horrible, then you should avoid this dish altogether.

Cut off the crusts from the bread slices if you like, then spread the slices liberally with butter. With clean hands, take some ground beef and press it flat onto the bread slices to cover them.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the meat. Top with thinly sliced onion rings or chopped onion. This is the best, unadulterated way to enjoy a beef tartare canapé, which I prefer (see the picture on right).

Raw egg yolk may be served in addition: place a piece of egg shell, shaped like a small cup, on top of the beef, on the centre of the bread. Place a whole egg yolk in the "cup". Alternatively, serve the yolk in a separate dish.

The egg yolk may also be broken and just a part of it poured in the "cup", or you may just smear the beef with some egg yolk before topping it with the spices and onion. Serve immediately.

These canapés may be served with beer and schnaps, mineral water or tea.

*) Use very freshly ground lean beef of highest quality. Usually top round is used, but you may have a deluxe version of this dish by using sirloin or even tenderloin. You may also buy a whole piece of beef and either grind it yourself or scrape the piece, little by little, with a sharp knife to get very finely minced meat.

Recipe source: family recipe/traditional Nordic recipe.