Rotten rays with kneaded fat
The typical food in Iceland for December 23rd, Saint Þorlákur's Day, eaten at the Þorláksmessa is kæst skata, i.e. rotten rays with kneaded fat. It's the smelliest food I've ever personally encountered, and even some Icelanders say that it's specially served on the 23rd, so that everything the housewife serves you at Christmas seems great, no matter how it tastes. But you can probably get used to the taste of rotten rays over time.
Star rays are usually used for the kæst skata. Since the ray does not have a urinary bladder but - like all plate gills - accumulates its urea in the blood, the star ray is only suitable for human consumption if it has been fermented for at least 4 weeks. Even then, the smell is still overwhelming
With the rotten ray you traditionally eat boiled potatoes, freshly baked Icelandic rye bread, called Rúgbrauð, and - and this is where it gets critical again - kneaded fat or visceral fat. This fat, called "hnoðmör" or "mörflot", is a very typically Icelandic specialty that originally comes from the Westfjords, but has now spread throughout Iceland.
For the "hnoðmör" the fat is separated from the stomach of the freshly slaughtered sheep as intact as possible. The fat is then kneaded and formed into "dumplings", which are left to firm up a little overnight. The next day, the "dumplings" are individually wrapped in pieces of linen or gauze and hung outside in a place that is as windy as possible but at the same time somewhat sheltered from the rain. The whole thing is then left hanging in the bags for 6 to 8 weeks until the fat has turned blue-green and hairy. If it's too cold outside and the fat isn't furry enough, bring it back into the kitchen for 2 or 3 days to let it "ripen". The blue-green, furry-hairy fat is then chopped into small pieces, kneaded well, formed into cubes in portions and then stored in a cool place.
In the Westfjords, a St. Andrew's cross was carved into one side of the finished pieces of plasticine, probably a religious, magical custom, a kind of "protective symbol" against evil spirits. They say this is to prevent the devil from getting into the kneaded fat...
By the way, the kneaded fat has a very intense smell when cold; you could also say that it stinks, even if it is kept frozen. When warmed up, it doesn't smell nearly as bad and, even for inexperienced palates, it may not be particularly enjoyable, but at least it's not actively bad. The smell of the rotten ray, on the other hand, is much, much worse...
When preparing this dish, you should also think about those around you - if possible, you shouldn't necessarily cook it in a small kitchen in a large apartment building without any real ventilation options and you should definitely pay attention to draft when cooking. Some recommend cooking it on the camp stove behind the garage... And if you prefer to use salted water instead of unsalted water to cook the stingray, the salt will probably temper the impact of the smell and taste somewhat.
Traditionally, kæst skata is served with boiled potatoes and fresh rye bread.
Preparation
Place the rotten ray in boiling, unsalted water and simmer until the meat separates from the cartilage.
Bon appetit - at least it's a very special pre-Christmas experience!
PS: Leftover food
If there is any leftover food from the evening of December 23rd, you can use it to prepare a typical Icelandic breakfast for the next morning, namely "skötustappa":
After eating, mash the fish meat with the cooked potatoes, the melted kneaded fat and a little salt into a thick paste, let the paste cool down well and store it in the refrigerator overnight (be sure to store it in an airtight container or something similar!).
The next morning, cut the rye bread into nice thick slices, spread with butter and spread the "skötostappa" on the bread - the perfect breakfast for a Christmas in the Icelandic Westfjords!
[Translated from here.]
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