Icelandic Plokkfiskur

Ingredients

• 600 g cod fillet, skinned
• 800 g potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 50 g butter
• 40 g wheat flour
• 5 dl milk
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
• 200 g rye bread, sliced

Method

1. 1.

   Par-boil the potatoes — Boil the potatoes in a large pot of well-salted water for about 15 minutes, until almost tender but still holding their shape.

2. 2.

   Poach the cod on top — Lay the cod on top of the potatoes, put the lid on and poach for 5-6 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes at the touch of a fork. Lift the fish out, drain the potatoes and set both aside.

3. 3.

   Sweat the onion and make a roux — Dry out the pot, melt the butter in it and soften the onion over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until translucent and sweet with no colour. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.

4. 4.

   Build the white sauce — Whisk in the milk a little at a time, keeping the sauce smooth, then simmer for 5 minutes until it is thick enough to hold a channel when you draw a spoon across the base.

5. 5.

   Crush it all together — Return the potatoes and fish to the pot and crush them into the sauce with a wooden spoon. Plokkfiskur should keep visible flakes of cod and lumps of potato — stop well before it becomes a purée. Season with the salt and white pepper.

6. 6.

   Warm through and top with chives — Warm through over low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring, then scatter with the chives and serve straight from the pot with buttered rye bread.