Or in Icelandic: Þorskur, Langa & Keila. Just a few of the cod-family fish I ate in Iceland. But there are more similar fish with Icelandic names: Blálanga, Kolmunni, Lýsa, Snarphali, Spærlingur, Ufsi, Ýsa. Point is, white fish is very popular in Iceland and is eaten very fresh. It is also the ingredient of Plokkfiskur, somewhat of a national dish consisting of cod, potatoes and onion.

Catch of the day from Grindavík

Below is the catch of the day from the harbour in Grindavík with potatoes, langoustine sauce, kale and almonds (ISK 4900). This dish was served in the Lava Restaurant of the Blue Lagoon. The photo is not so crisp because I only had my iPhone with me in the restaurant. But this lunch - the catch of the day was Keila - was just perfect. Below the kale you can see some apple cubes marinated in I assume a vinegar mixture; the langoustine sauce looks like mayonnaise in the photo, in reality the sauce was so light it was about to fly away. The fish was so fresh it didn't taste like any white fish I have eaten in The Netherlands. Just wow! The view was not too shabby either.

Plokkfiskur

The national dish of Iceland is mostly eaten at home, but also served in restaurants. It uses left over bits of cod (or similar fish), potatoes and onions. The sauce is made with butter, milk and flower. It is an ancient dish. Magnus Nilsson assumes in The Nordic Cook Book that plokkfiskur used to be made with salted or dried fish. Today fresh fish is used. In the most basic form the only seasoning is white pepper and salt.

It is an easy dish. Melt butter in a pan and fry onion translucent but not brown. Sift flower over the onions and stir to make a roux, add milk and stir until the sauce has thickened. Add the precooked fish and add pre-cooked potatoes. Mash and stir until you are happy with the consistency. Season with white pepper and salt - Magnus Nilsson, The Nordic Cook Book, page 238.

It should be served with Icelandic Rye Bread (Rugbrauð) and butter. You can make this bread by burying the dough in the hot soil near a hot spring. Rye bread is baked at much lower temperatures than wheat bread.

Fish and Chips

Fish and chips are very popular. This dish has a long history. The English tradition of fish battered and fried in oil may have come from Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal as early as the 16th century. Trawl fishing innovations in the 19th century made plenty of fish available and around the same time fried ‘chips’ of potato were introduced, the railroads brought the ingredients to the British people. The Icelandic fish and chips is most likely a British influence. Despite the Cod Wars the two countries (specially Scotland) have a long relation.