Sautéed reindeer with mashed potatoes (Poronkäristys)

1. Put the meat in the freezer for about 1 hour to firm up, then shave it into very thin slivers with a sharp knife.

2. Heat the butter in a wide pan and fry the meat in batches over high heat for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the finely chopped onion and fry together for 3-4 minutes, then pour in the water, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the meat is tender and juicy.

4. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, boil them in salted water for 20 minutes until tender, drain and mash with the hot milk to a creamy purée; season with salt.

5. Finally taste the meat juices and add more salt if needed; there should be enough juice to spoon over the mash.

6. Serve the meat with the mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, and pickled gherkins if you like.

Tip: Poronkäristys is the iconic dish of Finnish Lapland, made by the Sámi since time immemorial; the reindeer meat is shaved frozen into thin slivers and sautéed in butter. Instead of reindeer use beef sirloin - with the freezer trick you can slice it paper-thin too. It's not the real thing without tangy-sweet lingonberries and creamy mash.