Icelandic Food

I was reading the Wall Street Journal yesterday and there was a wonderful article showcasing upscale Icelandic dining, and due to the unfortunate way their economy is its possible for more folks to afford these restaurants. Items on their menus include puffin, moose, reindeer and of course local fish. The food sounds great on the whole, well most of it they also eat rotten sharks and whole sheeps heads. However every country has its unique tastes like the chinese and chicken feet, but don't worry no images to follow we will find the best picks!!!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123395793332358403.html

On further reading about Iceland the meat is free roaming and contains no growth hormones and the produce is organic, also the fish is often caught the same day.

Here is a list of some traditional foods

-hangikjot -smoked lamb to eat in sandwichs
- skyr – a delicious high-protein yogurt like substance
- puffin or hardfiskur protein-filled dried fish strips
- Icelandic chocolate
- licorice or the popular chocolate-licorice combo
- jolaol orange soda mixed with malt
- laufabraud, the fried flat bread of the season

It was never a country I thought of for good food but it sounds really interesting, may be hard to find Icelandic restaurants though, couldn't even find one in New York! but there is a wealth of resources on line for recipes

http://www.iceland.is/history-and-culture/Traditions/IcelandicFood/
http://www.simnet.is/gardarj/recipe.htm
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/icelandic
http://icecook.blogspot.com/

Why not try pancakes, basic recipe for crepes but they often add cardamom or vanilla to it!
Pancakes
3 cups Flour
3 Eggs
3 cups Milk
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
Essense of Cardamom
Beat eggs and milk together, add dry ingredients.
Stir until smooth. Leave to settle for 30 minutes.
Melt and add margarine.
Heat a small frying pan and grease the pan lightly.
Pour enough batter to coat the pan thinly.
When one side is done, turn the pancake
over with a palette knife and fry the other side.
Grease frying pan often.

or Herring and potato salad rich in omega 3, vitamin A and monounsaturated fats (the healthy ones!)

Silver of the Sea - Icelandic Pickled Herring and Potato Salad Recipe #328789

In Iceland herring is callled the 'Silver of the Sea'. The most likely reason for the name is that this fish was the source of great wealth during the first half of the twentieth centry. In Iceland, pickled herring is a great delicacy and is frequently served as an appetizer in a kind of salad. This recipe is from the cookbook "Delicious Iceland" by Chef Volundur Snaer Volundarson.
by Chef Regina V. Smith
40 min | 20 min prep

SERVES 4

4 plain pickled herring
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
12 small red potatoes
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped (to taste)
1 bunch watercress, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
Cut the pickled herring fillets into 1 " pieces. Set aside while you prepare the potato salad.
Boil the potatoes and then let them cool.
While the potatoes are cooling mixed the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste to make a simple vinaigrette.
Halve the cooled potatoes and mix together with watercress and dill to taste. Toss the potato salad with the vinaigrette.
Arrange the potato salad in 4 small bowls or serving plates. Top the salad with the thinly sliced onion and crown with the pickled herring slices. Garnish each plate or bowl with a whole dill sprig.
© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com



So why not try something completely different for dinner tonight and impress friends at a dinner party!