Soðit sauðakjöt — boiled mutton with herbs and barley
A shoulder of mutton slow-simmered with barley, wild leeks, and northern herbs until the meat falls from the bone. A rich, comforting broth, heart of the great feasts in the long hall.
A shoulder of mutton slow-simmered with barley, wild leeks, and northern herbs until the meat falls from the bone. A rich, comforting broth, heart of the great feasts in the long hall.
The great cauldron is on the fire: tonight we celebrate the return of light at the table of the Æsir! I plunge the meat into the simmering water with barley and leeks, and let the hearth do its slow work all day. The foam that rises, I skim; the bitter meadow herbs, I scent the broth with them. When the flesh falls apart under the carving horn, then fill your bowl, friend—a shared feast is worth all the youth in the world.
- •Mutton shoulder or neck, bone-in — a fine piece (meat)
- •Hulled barley — two handfuls (broth thickener)
- •Wild leeks / onions — a few (aromatic)
- •Turnips — a handful (vegetable)
- •Meadow herbs (lovage, angelica, wild thyme) — a bunch (flavor)
- •Salt — by hand (seasoning)
Soðit sauðakjöt — boiled mutton with herbs and barley
A shoulder of mutton slow-simmered with barley, wild leeks, and northern herbs until the meat falls from the bone. A rich, comforting broth, heart of the great feasts in the long hall.
Why this dish? When Idunn was abducted by the giant Þjazi, the Æsir deprived of her apples aged; her return is, in the Norse imagination, a celebratory banquet in Asgard's hall. Boiled mutton, the queen of meat at great northern tables, is the dish of this reunion where the gods regain their vigor.
The great cauldron is on the fire: tonight we celebrate the return of light at the table of the Æsir! I plunge the meat into the simmering water with barley and leeks, and let the hearth do its slow work all day. The foam that rises, I skim; the bitter meadow herbs, I scent the broth with them. When the flesh falls apart under the carving horn, then fill your bowl, friend—a shared feast is worth all the youth in the world.
Ingredients (period version)
- Mutton shoulder or neck, bone-in — a fine piece (meat)
- Hulled barley — two handfuls (broth thickener)
- Wild leeks / onions — a few (aromatic)
- Turnips — a handful (vegetable)
- Meadow herbs (lovage, angelica, wild thyme) — a bunch (flavor)
- Salt — by hand (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Mutton (or lamb) shoulder, bone-in — 1.2 kg (meat)
- Pearl barley — 150 g (broth thickener)
- Leeks — 2 (aromatic)
- Onion — 1 large (aromatic)
- Turnips — 3 (vegetable)
- Lovage or celery, thyme, a few juniper berries — 1 bouquet (flavor)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Place the mutton in a large pot, cover generously with cold water, and bring gently to a simmer.
- Skim off the grey foam that rises in the first minutes.
- Add the onion, juniper berries, and herb bouquet; season moderately with salt; let simmer on low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Add the rinsed pearl barley and continue for 30 minutes.
- Add the leeks and turnips in large chunks; cook for another 30–40 minutes, until the meat falls from the bone.
- Adjust salt, remove the herb bouquet. Serve the shredded meat with the vegetables and a little broth in bowls.
How it was made : Boiling in a large suspended cauldron was the festive method par excellence: it fed the whole household and guests at a blót or veizla. Mutton and lamb dominated Scandinavian livestock; barley, turnips, leeks, and cabbages were added, and local herbs—juniper, lovage, angelica—provided flavor since pepper and Eastern spices remained rare and precious.
The contemporary twist : Plate the shredded meat on a board with the broth served separately in a horn, and scatter crushed juniper berries for the woody scent of the North.
Sources : Daniel Serra & Hanna Tunberg, An Early Meal: A Viking Age Cookbook & Culinary Odyssey, 2013 · Snorri Sturluson, Edda, Skáldskaparmál (abduction and return of Idunn)
Idunn · Charactorium