Plokkfiskur (Flaked Fish and Potato Gratin)
A creamy gratin of flaked white fish and potatoes, bound with a milk béchamel, flavored with onion, and served piping hot with buttered rye bread.
A creamy gratin of flaked white fish and potatoes, bound with a milk béchamel, flavored with onion, and served piping hot with buttered rye bread.
In our home, nothing was wasted, and it was precisely from that frugality that the tenderness of this dish was born. I would take yesterday's boiled fish, flake it with my fingertips, removing every bone, then marry it to the potatoes in a warm milk sauce. Always serve it steaming, with a thick slice of rúgbrauð and a good pat of butter — that, believe me, is all the comfort of an Icelandic winter evening.
- •Leftover boiled cod or haddock — whatever remains (protein base)
- •Cooked potatoes — as much as fish (nourishing binder)
- •Milk — one bowl (sauce)
- •Flour and butter — a knob and a spoonful (roux)
- •Onion — one small (flavor)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Plokkfiskur (Flaked Fish and Potato Gratin)
A creamy gratin of flaked white fish and potatoes, bound with a milk béchamel, flavored with onion, and served piping hot with buttered rye bread.
Why this dish? In Reykjavik, fish was the heart of every kvöldmatur. Plokkfiskur, born from the desire not to waste leftover boiled cod or haddock, is the ultimate comfort food of Vigdís's Iceland: simple, nourishing, democratic like the nation she presided over.
In our home, nothing was wasted, and it was precisely from that frugality that the tenderness of this dish was born. I would take yesterday's boiled fish, flake it with my fingertips, removing every bone, then marry it to the potatoes in a warm milk sauce. Always serve it steaming, with a thick slice of rúgbrauð and a good pat of butter — that, believe me, is all the comfort of an Icelandic winter evening.
Ingredients (period version)
- Leftover boiled cod or haddock — whatever remains (protein base)
- Cooked potatoes — as much as fish (nourishing binder)
- Milk — one bowl (sauce)
- Flour and butter — a knob and a spoonful (roux)
- Onion — one small (flavor)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Cod or haddock fillet — 500 g (protein base)
- Potatoes — 500 g (nourishing binder)
- Whole milk — 400 ml (sauce)
- Butter — 40 g (roux)
- Flour — 40 g (roux)
- Onion — 1 small, finely chopped (flavor)
- Salt and white pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Boil the potatoes, peel them, and cut into large dice.
- Poach the fish for 6 to 8 minutes in lightly salted water, drain, and flake, removing all bones.
- Melt the butter, sweat the onion, add the flour, then gradually pour in the milk to make a smooth béchamel.
- Gently fold in the fish and potatoes, season with salt and pepper.
- Reheat for 5 minutes over low heat and serve piping hot with buttered rye bread.
How it was made : A dish of domestic economy, plokkfiskur was made with leftover boiled fish from the midday meal. Before milk béchamel, it was sometimes bound simply with fat and cooking water. It was found in every Icelandic home in the 20th century.
The contemporary twist : A touch of fresh chives and a rye breadcrumb topping browned in the oven for a crispy gratin.
Sources : Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir, Icelandic Food and Cookery (2002)
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir · Charactorium
