1 2 Cook like my Icelandic Grandma Elda eins og amma mín íslensk
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5 6 From Grandmothers’ Kitchens In Iceland Grandmothers do not follow recipes. They cook by memory, by smell, by the weight of a handful of rye flour or the colour of a broth beginning to turn gold. They learned from watching their own grandmothers, and they will teach whoever pulls up a stool beside them in the kitchen. This is a book about those kitchens. We travel the world documenting grandmothers in their own homes, sitting at worn tables and watching hands that have made these dishes thousands of times, so that their stories are told before they are forgotten. It is a cultural archive built one kitchen at a time, and a way of putting the women who raised us in the spotlight, for once, instead of behind it. Iceland was one of our most memorable journeys. In farmhouses along the fjords, in city kitchens in Reykjavík, in homes where the smell of hangikjöt or fresh rúgbrauð fills every room, grandmothers are making food shaped by centuries of long winters, short summers, and a landscape that gives generously to those who know how to ask. None of the grandmothers in this book consider themselves cooks in any formal sense. They would laugh if you called them that. They are just feeding their families, the way their mothers fed them, the way they hope their daughters will one day feed theirs. These are not restaurant recipes. They are not fancy. They are the food that fills a house with smell on a Sunday morning, the dish that appears at every family gathering, the thing everyone asks for and nobody quite manages to replicate. Until now. When you buy this book, you support the next journey. Every purchase helps us travel to another grandmother’s house, in another country, and record those recipes and stories before they are lost. There are so many kitchens left to visit. We cannot wait to show you what we find
7 8 Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur (Bread, Fish & Potatoes) Rúgbrauð (Hot Spring Rye Bread) 8 Flatkökur (Icelandic Flatbread) 9 Soðnar Kartoflur í Uppstúfi (Potatoes in White Sauce) 10 Plokkfiskur (Fish & Potato Mash) 11 Saltfiskur með Kartoflum (Salted Cod with Potatoes) 12 Harðfiskur með Smjöri (Dried Fish with Butter) 13 Soðin Ýsa með Kartoflum (Poached Haddock with Potatoes) 14 Kartoflumús (Icelandic Mashed Potatoes) 15 Sígildir Réttir (Classics) Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Lamb Soup) 18 Saltkjöt og Baunir (Salted Lamb & Split Pea Soup) 19 Hangikjöt með Uppstúfi (Smoked Lamb with White Sauce) 20 Rúllupylsa (Lamb Roulade) 21 Steiktur Fiskur með Remúlaði (Pan-Fried Fish with Remoulade) 22 Lambalæri í Ofni (Roast Leg of Lamb) 23 Kjöt í Karrý (Icelandic Curried Lamb) 24 Kjötbollur í Brúnni Sósu (Meatballs in Brown Sauce) 25 Grafinn Lax (Cured Salmon with Dill) 26 Að Deila er að Elska (Sharing is Caring) Kartoflusalat (Icelandic Potato Salad) 29 Rækjusalat á Brauði (Prawn Salad Open Sandwich) 30 Síldarsalat (Herring Salad) 31 Snittur (Festive Canapés) 32 Ýsa í Raspi (Breaded Haddock) 33 Bleikja á Brauði (Smoked Arctic Char Open Sandwich) 34 Eggjasalat á Brauði (Egg Salad Open Sandwich) 35 Kartoflukokur (Icelandic Potato Pancakes) 36 Sósur & Meðlæti (Dips & Condiments) Uppstúfur (Classic White Sauce) 39 Piparrótarsósa (Horseradish Sauce) 40 Rabarbarasulta (Rhubarb Jam) 41 Sinnepssósa (Sweet Mustard Sauce) 42 Rifsberjahlaup (Redcurrant Jelly) 43 Brún Sósa (Classic Brown Gravy) 44 Bláberjasulta (Icelandic Blueberry Jam) 45 Sætindi (Sweet Tooth) Kleinur (Twisted Doughnuts) 48 Ástarpungar (Love Balls) 49 Vínarterta (Layered Prune Cake) 50 Skyrterta (No-Bake Skyr Cake) 51 Hjónabandssæla (Marital Bliss Cake) 52 Jólakaka (Icelandic Christmas Bread) 53 Pönnukökur (Icelandic Pancakes) 54 Piparkokur (Icelandic Gingerbread Cookies) 55 TABLE OF CONTENTS
9 10 Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
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13 14 500g rye flour 200g plain flour 150g sugar or golden syrup 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt 700ml buttermilk or whole milk 1. Mix the rye flour, plain flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. 2. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until you have a thick, smooth batter with no dry pockets. 3. Pour into a well-greased loaf tin or sealed pot and cover tightly with foil or a lid. 4. Traditionally buried in a wooden box near a geothermal hot spring for 24 hours; at home, steam gently in a low oven (100°C) for 12 hours, or until deeply set and moist Rúgbrauð (Hverabrauð) Hot Spring Rye Bread In parts of Iceland, this bread is still baked in the ground, buried beside a hot spring where the earth itself does the work. Every grandmother we met had her own story about whose spring was best, and none of them agreed. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
15 16 300g rye flour 150g plain flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 250ml warm water 1. Mix the flours, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add warm water gradually and knead to a firm, smooth dough. 2. Rest the dough for 15 minutes under a cloth. 3. Divide into 10–12 pieces and roll each out thinly into a round about 18cm across. 4. Cook on a dry, hot griddle or heavy pan for 1–2 minutes per side, pricking with a fork to stop it puffing too much. Flatkökur Icelandic Flatbread Flatkökur are folded around butter and smoked lamb at every family gathering. Every grandmother we visited rolled hers a little differently, but all of them insisted the pan must be dry — never oiled. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
17 18 800g small potatoes, scrubbed 40g butter 40g plain flour 500ml whole milk Salt and white pepper Small bunch chopped chives 1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15–18 minutes. Drain and peel while warm if preferred. 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. 3. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth, thick white sauce. Simmer 5 minutes. 4. Season with salt and white pepper, pour over the potatoes and scatter with chives. Soðnar Kartoflur í Uppstúfi Potatoes in White Sauce This white sauce, uppstúfur, sits alongside almost every savoury dish in this book. Grandmothers make a batch without measuring, judging the thickness purely by the sound of the spoon against the pan. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
19 20 500g cooked white fish (haddock or cod), flaked 500g potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed 1 onion, finely diced 40g butter 40g plain flour 400ml whole milk Salt and white pepper Rúgbrauð and butter, to serve 1. Fry the onion gently in half the butter until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. 2. In a separate pan melt the remaining butter, stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk gradually to make a smooth white sauce. 3. Fold the mashed potato, flaked fish and fried onion into the white sauce. Season generously. 4. Warm through gently, being careful not to break up the fish too much. Serve hot with rye bread and butter. Plokkfiskur Fish & Potato Mash Plokkfiskur is Monday’s dinner made from Sunday’s leftovers, and nobody in Iceland considers that a compromise. Every grandmother we met had a version, and every version tasted like something worth repeating. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
21 22 800g salted cod, soaked in cold water 24–36 hours, water changed twice 800g potatoes, peeled 3 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed Salt and pepper Chopped parsley, to serve 1. Drain the soaked cod and place in a pan of cold water. Bring gently to a simmer and poach for 8–10 minutes until just flaking. Drain. 2. Boil the potatoes separately until tender, about 18 minutes. 3. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and golden. 4. Serve the cod and potatoes together, spooning over the onion and oil, finished with black pepper and parsley. Saltfiskur með Kartoflum Salted Cod with Potatoes Salted cod was once Iceland’s most important export, and grandmothers still know exactly how long a piece needs to soak before it loses its harshness and keeps only its depth. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
23 24 300g dried wolffish or haddock (harðfiskur), torn into pieces 100g salted butter, softened 1. Tear the dried fish into bite-sized strips along the grain. 2. Beat the strips gently with the back of a knife or against the edge of a table to soften the fibres and loosen any bones. 3. Spread each piece generously with salted butter. 4. Eat immediately, standing at the counter — no cooking required. Harðfiskur með Smjöri Dried Fish with Butter Harðfiskur is the snack every Icelandic child grows up on, torn straight from the bag and buttered without a second thought. It smells stronger than it tastes, and once you get past the smell, it is impossible to stop eating. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
25 26 4 haddock fillets 1 litre water 1 tsp salt 800g potatoes, peeled 60g butter, melted Chopped parsley, to serve 1. Bring salted water to a gentle simmer in a wide pan. 2. Slide in the haddock fillets and poach for 6–8 minutes until just opaque and flaking. 3. Meanwhile boil the potatoes until tender, about 18 minutes. 4. Drain both, plate together, and pour over melted butter. Scatter with parsley. Soðin Ýsa með Kartoflum Poached Haddock with Potatoes Soðin ýsa is the dish nobody boasts about and everybody eats at least once a week. Plain poached fish, plain boiled potatoes, a puddle of melted butter — it is the quiet backbone of the Icelandic table. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
27 28 1kg floury potatoes, peeled and quartered 100g butter 150ml hot whole milk Salt and white pepper Pinch of nutmeg 1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until completely tender, about 20 minutes. 2. Drain well and return to the hot pan for a minute to dry out. 3. Mash thoroughly, then beat in the butter followed by the hot milk until smooth and light. 4. Season with salt, white pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Kartoflumús Icelandic Mashed Potatoes Every grandmother has an opinion about whether kartoflumús should be silky or a little rustic, but none of them ever skip the nutmeg. It is a small addition that nobody would admit to leaving out. Bráuð, Fiskur & Kartoflur Bread, Fish & Potatoes
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31 32 Sígildir Réttir Classics
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35 36 1kg lamb shoulder or shank, bone- in, cut into pieces 2.5 litres water 2 tsp salt 3 medium potatoes, cubed 3 carrots, sliced 1 swede or turnip, cubed 1 onion, diced 150g cabbage, shredded 100g rice or pearl barley Small bunch fresh thyme Black pepper 1. Place the lamb in a large pot with cold water and salt. Bring to the boil, skimming off any foam. 2. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour until the meat is nearly tender. 3. Add the potatoes, carrots, swede and onion. Simmer a further 20 minutes. 4. Add the cabbage and rice or barley, and cook a final 15–20 minutes until everything is soft. Season with thyme and black pepper before serving. Kjötsúpa Icelandic Lamb Soup Kjötsúpa is the soup every Icelander says tastes like home. It goes on early, simmers for hours, and by dinner the whole house smells like the kind of Sunday nothing can rush. Sígildir Réttir Classics
37 38 1kg salted lamb (shoulder or leg), soaked overnight and drained 300g dried split peas, soaked overnight 2 litres water 1 onion, halved 3 carrots, sliced 3 potatoes, cubed 1 tsp dried thyme Black pepper 1. Drain the soaked lamb and place in a large pot with fresh water and the onion. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer 1 hour. 2. Drain the split peas and add to the pot. Simmer a further 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas begin to break down and thicken the broth. 3. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook a further 20 minutes until tender. 4. Remove the lamb, shred or slice, and return to the pot. Season with thyme and pepper, and serve hot. Saltkjöt og Baunir Salted Lamb & Split Pea Soup This is a February dish, made when the split peas from autumn are running low and the salted lamb barrel in the pantry needs using. It is thick enough to stand a spoon in, and every grandmother agreed that was the whole point. Sígildir Réttir Classics