Steiktur steinbítur með brún sósa

Fried wolffish with brown sauce

The fish, which is called "steinbítur" in Iceland, is often sold here as "steinbiter", but it is actually sea wolf. The fish grow to a height of over one meter and weigh around 20 to 25 kilograms when fully grown. Admittedly, visually they take some getting used to with their very wide mouth and strong teeth, which have enormous power and can be seriously dangerous to fishermen and anglers and their fingers, even for a long time after they have been caught.

The wolffish is caught all along Iceland's coasts, but is particularly common in the Westfjords. In April, a separate trip was often made here just to catch wolffish (while otherwise the fish are often just bycatch), and the fish caught were then divided between boat owners and the ship's crew according to very specific rules. The yield from this trip could be quite generous and ensure the survival of the families for a long time.

In the Westfjords, the wolffish is traditionally breaded in flour, fried and then baked in the oven with a thick brown sauce and onions.


Ingredients

800 g skinless wolffish fillet
150 g flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 pinch of ground ginger
2 Tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion
200 ml water
1 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp roux for dark sauces


Preparation

Mix the flour with salt, pepper and a little ground ginger.

Cut the wolffish fillets into small, bite-sized pieces and roll them in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a large pan and briefly fry the breaded fish pieces on both sides.

Then place in a fireproof dish and keep warm in the oven at approx. 175 °F (80 °C) upper and lower heat.

Fry the onion rings in the oil, pour in the water and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, thicken with a little dark roux and season with salt and pepper. Then pour the brown sauce over the breaded fish pieces and bake in the oven at 175 °F (80 °C) for about 20 minutes.

Serve with potatoes and, if you like, some salad.

[Translated from here.]