Icelandic Plokkfiskur (Cod and Potato Mash)

About This Recipe

Plokkfiskur — literally 'plucked fish' — is the most quietly beloved comfort food in Iceland, the kind of homely, perfect mid-week dinner that every Icelandic grandmother makes the same and yet slightly differently. The origins are pure pragmatism: it was invented as a way to use leftover boiled cod or haddock and leftover boiled potatoes from the night before, fork-mashed together with sweated onions and bound in a simple butter-flour-milk béchamel into a soft, savoury hash. In its modern form (which is essentially how Reykjavík restaurants serve it), the dish has been elevated slightly: the fish is poached gently from raw, the potatoes are peeled and boiled fresh, and the assembled mash is sometimes scattered with grated cheese and baked under a hot grill until burnished and bubbling at the edges. The defining accompaniment is rugbrauð — Iceland's astonishing dense dark rye bread, traditionally baked underground in geothermal hot springs for 24 hours — generously buttered, and a dollop of mustardy hangikjöt mayonnaise or a green salad on the side. The combination is so deeply comforting on a dark Icelandic winter evening that it has been adopted across all economic strata, from fishermen's homes to fine dining rooms, and it remains one of the cheapest and most satisfying things you can put on a table.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gcod or haddock fillets, skinless and pin-boned
• 600 gfloury potatoes (Maris Piper or Russet), peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
• 1 largeonion, finely chopped
• 60 gunsalted butter, divided
• 3 tbspplain flour
• 350 mlwhole milk, warmed
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt, plus more to taste; freshly ground black pepper; pinch of ground nutmeg
• 60 gmature cheddar or Icelandic óðalsostur, grated (optional, modern addition)
• 1 loafrugbrauð or dense dark rye bread, sliced thin and well-buttered, to serve
• 1 small bunchfresh chives or parsley, finely chopped, for finishing

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   Place the peeled potato chunks in a large pot with cold water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes until completely soft when pierced. Drain well and let steam-dry in the colander for 2 minutes (dry potatoes mash better than wet).

2. 2

   Poach the fish gently

   Place the cod fillets in a wide pan and cover with cold water by 2 cm. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring slowly to a bare simmer (about 8 minutes) — never let it boil. Once the fish is opaque and flakes easily (about 4 minutes at simmer), lift out with a slotted spatula and reserve. Discard the water.

3. 3

   Sweat the onion

   Melt 30 g of the butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft, sweet and translucent — not browned. Onion in plokkfiskur should melt into the dish, not dominate it.

4. 4

   Make the béchamel

   Add the remaining 30 g butter to the onion pan. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly 90 seconds to cook the raw flour taste out (don't let it brown). Slowly whisk in the warm milk in 4 additions, whisking continuously after each, until you have a smooth, thick white sauce. Season with the salt, pepper and a tiny pinch of nutmeg.

5. 5

   Mash the potatoes coarsely

   Return the drained potatoes to the empty pot. With a hand masher or fork, mash them coarsely — this dish wants texture, not silk. Leave some lumps. Do not use a ricer, blender or whisk: plokkfiskur is a rustic hash, not a pommes purée.

6. 6

   Flake the fish and combine

   Pull the cooked cod apart into chunks with two forks — biggish flakes of 2–3 cm, not crumbly. Tip the flaked fish into the pot of mashed potatoes. Pour over the onion béchamel and fold everything together gently with a spatula. The mixture should be soft, lumpy in places, well-coated — but the fish chunks should still be visible.

   Don't over-mix. Plokkfiskur should have visible flakes of fish and lumps of potato; if it turns to baby food you've over-stirred.

7. 7

   Bake (optional but classic modern)

   Tip the mixture into a buttered baking dish, smooth the top, and scatter with the grated cheese if using. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes until the top is golden-bubbly and the edges crisp. (For the more traditional, non-baked version, simply serve straight from the pan.)

8. 8

   Serve with rugbrauð and butter

   Scoop generous spoons of plokkfiskur onto warm plates. Scatter with chopped chives or parsley. Serve with thick slices of dense dark rye bread (rugbrauð), well buttered — the Icelandic ritual is to scoop the plokkfiskur onto the buttered rye like an open-faced sandwich and eat with a knife and fork.

Variations

• •

  With curry powder — a modern Icelandic twist that adds 1 tsp mild curry powder to the béchamel for a warmly spiced version popular in 1970s-style cafés.

• •

  Smoked fish version — use a mix of smoked haddock and fresh cod for a more pronounced flavour; common in Faroese cooking.

• •

  Crispy top — top with breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter for a more gratin-like finish instead of cheese.

• •

  Salmon plokkfiskur — entirely modern but increasingly popular; use fresh salmon and a squeeze of lemon for a more elegant version.

Storage

Plokkfiskur keeps 3 days refrigerated and is widely held to be better on day 2 — make ahead and reheat in a buttered baking dish at 180°C for 20 minutes until heated through. Freezes acceptably but the potato texture changes slightly on thawing; 2 months max.

Frequently Asked Questions