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Hangikjöt
Smoked lamb with white sauce
Hangikjöt: Icelandic smoked lamb with white sauce and peas for Christmas
Hangikjöt, 'hung meat', is the Icelandic Christmas Day dinner: lamb or mutton smoked over birch or dried sheep dung, then simmered slowly and served hot or cold with potatoes in white sauce (uppstúfur), green peas, red cabbage and laufabrauð or flatkökur. Icelanders buy it ready-smoked in December; it is cooked at home. A common mistake is boiling it hard, which toughens the meat and makes it too salty. Chef's tip: let it cool in its cooking water; the meat stays juicy and absorbs back some of the flavour.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 4 ⅜ lb hangikjöt (smoked lamb leg)
- 16 ¾ cups water
For the sauce
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ lb potatoesboiled and peeled
To serve
- 10 ½ oz green peas
- 7 oz pickled red cabbage
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 4 ⅜ lb hangikjöt (smoked lamb leg) in a large pot, cover with 16 ¾ cups water and bring slowly to a simmer. Simmer gently for 1½–2 hours, about 45 minutes per kilo. Common mistake: boiling hard; it toughens.
120 minStep 2: Leave the lamb to cool in its water for 30 minutes if serving hot, or overnight if serving cold.
Step 3: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter, stir in 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, then whisk in 2 ½ cups whole milk and simmer 5 minutes until thick. Add 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt and fold in 2 ¼ lb potatoes.
6 minStep 4: Slice the lamb and serve with the potatoes in white sauce, 10 ½ oz green peas and 7 oz pickled red cabbage.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hangikjöt take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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