With the hotly anticipated release of "Eurovision Song Contest-The Story of Fire Saga" starring Will Ferrell and Rachael McAdams as two slightly long in the tooth musicians from Iceland, we thought now a good time to revisit Iceland, and Phyl's post on traditional Icelandic food.
A while ago we posted an article about Iceland tourism and the Blue Lagoon Spa. Assigned with investigating the national cuisine of Iceland, I did a quick Google search of the country's most popular dishes. They are:
Lamb and meat soup
Sheep’s head
Dried fish jerky
Soured ram’s testicles
Imagine my glee at all these possibilities. Then imagine the sarcasm. With outside temperatures starting to rage, and very little shopping opportunities to buy animal by-products, I decided to make a nice frozen desert with SKYR instead.
Skyr, pronounced SKEERRRR, is a yogurt from Iceland and Scandinavia. This yogurt has been around since the 9th century used to preserve meats and fish and then accepted as a dish on its own. It is high in protein and contains calcium and probiotic bacteria which is soooo popular right now in foodie culture. Like Greek yogurt, it has a beautiful texture but with a milder, less sweet flavour.
To make the Skyr myself, I would need to reclaim my yogurt maker, which was now safely in the hands of Goodwill. Either that, or stand at the stove boiling milk for longer than anyone should. The third option was to forget about Iceland all together. But just as my interest in writing about Iceland was at low ebb, I came across a skyr feature in EatingWell magazine. Always one to pay attention to synchronicity, I had some fun with this recipe for Skyr Bark.
Skyr is not readily available in my area as Texans are more inclined to those ram testicles, grilled and covered in bbq sauce. But with a little perseverance, anything is achievable. Even buying Icelandic yogurt in Texas. **
Volcano Man music used without permission. Sorry! And love you Will Ferrell!
Directions for Bark:
Buy or make Skyr and spread on a rimmed cookie tin lined with parchment or a silicone about 1/2 inch deep. Start with your choice of sweetener, like honey, then top with all sorts of deliciousness. Freeze for 3 hours minimum. When frozen, break or cut into manageable pieces and you have a delicious bark.
I made my bark using a combination of blueberry and vanilla Skyr. I added a bit of stevia for extra sweetness, then fresh blueberries and crushed macadamia nuts.
Other topping ideas are:
Agave, jam, toasted coconut flakes, chocolate, cookies crumbled, strawberry slices and pistachios.
For more suggestions, please visit EatingWell, May 2020. And while there, subscribe, as this mag is always full of great ideas for healthy and satisfying food!
And for a taste of Iceland's actual entry into Eurovision Song Contest 2020
**For our European friends, and our friends that don't live in Texas, Skyr is much more available. We have been entertained for many years by the advertisements for Arla Skyr. Click Here, and Click Here to watch.
VIKINGAR RAOA !
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