Icelandic cooking, recipes and food

This is an old family favourite. Some variation of this dish can be had in many roadside diners thay serve more than the traditional hamburgers, sandwiches and hot dogs. 2 kg fish (cod, haddock, sole, flounder or any other white fish) – skin and bones removed 3/4 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg or egg white a splash milk (optional) 250 g margarine/butter 1 tsp salt 1 tsp fish spice mix (use your favourite mix or substitute with Season-All) a dash of pepper 1/2 medium onion, sliced Break the egg and beat to break the yolk, add a splash of milk (if using) and mix well. Mix salt and spice with breadcrumbs. Cut the fish into pieces, across the fillet. Width of pieces can range from 2 1/2 to 5 cm (1-2 inches), depending on appetite. (Just make the pieces uniform in size.) Set up your workplace: First, a plate with the fish pieces, then a bowl with beaten egg, then a bowl with breadcrumbs, then the heated frying pan on the stove. Instructions: Melt half the margarine/butter (or use equivalent i...

It's called a snake cake because the slices look like stylised coiled-up snakes. 4 eggs 150-200 g sugar 50 g flour 50 g potato starch or cornstarch Cream the eggs and sugar together. Add the flour and potato/corn starch, little by little. Prepare a temporary baking container by putting baking paper on a baking sheet and folding in the corners to make a shallow "box". Pour in the dough and smooth with a spatula. Bake at 250°C for about 10 minutes. Set the oven to heat from below. Test for doneness by gently pressing the top of the cake with your finger - if the cake feels firm and the fingerprint quickly disappears, the cake is done. When done, turn the cake over onto a sheet of baking paper sprinkled with sugar. Put baking paper and a roasting pan or cutting board on top of the cake while it cools, to keep it smooth and prevent it from hardening. Possible fillings: Chocolate butter cream : 50-73 g margarine or butter, soft 50 g brown sugar 1 egg yolk 2 tbs dark cocoa 1 ...

Because it’s warm(-ish) and sunny outside, here is a lovely and fattening recipe for home-made ice-cream. My mother makes this for special occasions, like Christmas and easter. It is very rich and creamy, and absolutely delicious! 1/2 litre heavy cream or whipping cream 5 egg yolks (use the whites to make meringue drops 75 g sugar vanilla essence to taste Mix egg yolks, sugar and vanilla essence* and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Whip the cream until it is quite stiff and fold into yolk/sugar mixture. Pour into a mould and freeze, or use an ice-cream maker. Use the egg whites to make meringue tops to serve with the ice-cream. *Note on vanilla use: A little goes a long way. The vanilla taste is stronger once the custard has been frozen. You can also use vanilla sugar or a vanilla bean (soak it in the milk). Variations: Experiment with different flavourings and extras: chocolate chips, small pieces of preserved fruit, liqueurs, flavour essences. Goes well with Crème de Menthe ...

Fish balls are one of the many ways in which Icelanders like to cook fish, and the recipes are numerous. When I was little I loved to eat fish-balls in pink sauce (see recipe below), mostly because of the colour of the sauce. 1 large fillet white fish (cod, haddock and saithe are traditional), skinned and boneless 1 medium onion 2/3 cup flour 1/5 cup potato starch (use cornstarch if potato starch is not available) 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs milk, as needed Finely chop or grind the fish fillet and onion. Mix together in a bowl (or just throw both ingredients into a food processor and let it do the work). Add the dry ingredients, mixing well. Add the eggs and then the milk. The fish-dough should be just thick enough to stick together when you form it into balls. Form small balls with two tablespoons or use your hands. Fry in oil or butter over medium heat, until browned and cooked through. Serve with fresh salad and potatoes. Ketchup also goes well with fish-balls. -If you must have some sauc...

It seems the world is finally to taste this unique Icelandic dairy product outside Iceland. Skyr and some other Icelandic products will soon be available from the chain store Whole Foods Market in the United States. A Danish dairy factory has started making skyr for local distribution, and skyr will soon be available in several other European countries. If you see skyr on sale anywhere outside Iceland, please let me know. Edit: See Rebecca's Comment for a heads up on the Whole Foods Market situation.

This is one of my father's favourite dishes. He likes it best with heaps of sugar and cream. It can be served hot or cold, as a meal in itself or as a dessert. 150 g. mixed dried fruit – the usual Icelandic combination is prunes, apples, apricots, pears and peaches. Or you can use one type of dried fruit. 100 g. sugar 900 ml. water 30 g. potato flour (or cornstarch) mixed with 100 ml. cold water Cook the fruit in the water until soft. Press through a sieve or process in a blender if you desire a finer texture. Add sugar and thicken with potato flour mix. Serve hot or cold, with cream or half & half.

I recently got this request (through my book blog): “I read the recipes from Iceland. I was wondering if you have recipes for the hot dog toppings for a hot dog with the works? We visited there last June and loved them, but couldn't figure out how to make them ourselves!?” A hot dog with the works includes ketchup, remoulade, French fried onions and mustard, sometimes also raw onions. Here is part of an essay I wrote about hot dogs: “ The basics of an Icelandic hot dog : Icelandic hot dog sausages are made from a mixture of pork, lamb and beef. The fat content is quite high, as you can see if you grill or fry one. They are flavourful and I like them better than any other hot dog sausages. Having run an Icelandic food website in English for several years, I can attest that they are the subject I get the biggest number of e-mails about from abroad, all of them positive, and most of them asking where they can order some. The bun is a regular hot dog bun: sweet, soft, lig...