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Kæst skata
Fermented skate
Kæst skata: Iceland's fermented skate for St Thorlak's Day, 23 December
St Thorlak's Day (Þorláksmessa), 23 December, honours Iceland's patron saint, and in the Westfjords and now across the country it is the day for kæst skata: fermented skate, boiled and eaten with potatoes and melted, salty sheep's tallow (hamsatólg) or butter. Its ammonia smell is famous, which is why many families cook it in the garage or eat at a restaurant, then have it the next day as a bracing start to Christmas. Buy skate already fermented from an Icelandic fishmonger; don't try to ferment it at home. Chef's tip: cook it in a lidded pot with a window open, and boil the potatoes in a separate pot.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 1 ¾ lb small waxy potatoes
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ¾ lb small waxy potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes, until tender. Peel them if you like.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile bring 8 ¼ cups water to the boil in a large lidded pot (no salt: the skate is salty), add 1 ¾ lb fermented skate (kæst skata), in pieces, lower the heat and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and comes away from the cartilage in strands.
15 minStep 3: A common mistake is boiling hard, which spreads the smell even further and makes the fish mushy.
Step 4: Warm 2 ⅞ oz hamsatólg (melted sheep's tallow) or butter until melted.
Step 5: Lift the skate out, drain and serve at once with the potatoes and the melted fat poured over; Icelanders often add buttered rye bread (not gluten free).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kæst skata take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of small waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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