flipSkyr með bláberjum (Skyr with Blueberries)
Skyr með bláberjum (Skyr with Blueberries)
Why this dish? Skyr, this thick fermented milk from the Viking age, is Iceland's health treasure. It was given to children and convalescents to strengthen them. Crowned with wild blueberries picked at the end of summer, it is the tangy sweetness that Vigdís, champion of Iceland's nature and youth, would have served with pride.
A dense, silky fermented fresh cheese, slightly tangy, sweetened with a splash of milk or cream and topped with wild blueberries and a dusting of sugar.
Skyr has been with us since the time of the first settlers, and no Icelandic table can do without it. I would thin it with a little milk to soften it, then drop in the blueberries the children had picked on the moor at the end of summer. A pinch of sugar, and its acidity became a caress. Light and strengthening, it is the dish you offer to those you wish to see grow and heal.
- •Skyr (strained fermented skim milk) — one bowl (fermented base)
- •Milk or cream — a splash (to soften)
- •Wild blueberries (bláber) — a handful (tangy garnish)
- •Sugar — a pinch (to sweeten)
Skyr með bláberjum (Skyr with Blueberries)
A dense, silky fermented fresh cheese, slightly tangy, sweetened with a splash of milk or cream and topped with wild blueberries and a dusting of sugar.
Why this dish? Skyr, this thick fermented milk from the Viking age, is Iceland's health treasure. It was given to children and convalescents to strengthen them. Crowned with wild blueberries picked at the end of summer, it is the tangy sweetness that Vigdís, champion of Iceland's nature and youth, would have served with pride.
Skyr has been with us since the time of the first settlers, and no Icelandic table can do without it. I would thin it with a little milk to soften it, then drop in the blueberries the children had picked on the moor at the end of summer. A pinch of sugar, and its acidity became a caress. Light and strengthening, it is the dish you offer to those you wish to see grow and heal.
Ingredients (period version)
- Skyr (strained fermented skim milk) — one bowl (fermented base)
- Milk or cream — a splash (to soften)
- Wild blueberries (bláber) — a handful (tangy garnish)
- Sugar — a pinch (to sweeten)
Ingredients
- Plain skyr — 400 g (fermented base)
- Milk or heavy cream — 4 tablespoons (to soften)
- Blueberries — 150 g (tangy garnish)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 tablespoons (to sweeten)
Method
- Loosen the skyr by incorporating the milk or cream until creamy.
- Sweeten lightly and mix.
- Divide into bowls.
- Top with fresh blueberries and serve immediately, well chilled.
How it was made : Skyr was made on the farm by curdling skim milk with rennet and a bit of the previous day's skyr as starter, then draining it. Very low in fat and high in protein, it was sweetened with cream or milk (since sugar was scarce) and topped with wild berries in season.
The contemporary twist : In layered parfaits with skyr, blueberries, and oat granola for a Nordic Sunday breakfast.
Sources : Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir, Icelandic Food and Cookery (2002)
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir · Charactorium
