Nynordiskmad.org
We´ve been having tons and tons of mackerel swim to our shores these last semesters.

Unfortunately, not alot of it has ended up on peoples plates – but that´s another story.

I haven´t seen any in the shops – except for some smoked mackerel.

Some have gone to fish the mackerel around the harbour of Reykjavik, where it basically seems to be swimming up to the shore! I´m not much of a fisherman myself, but perhaps I´ll give it a go one day:)

I found some mackerel in Kolaportið – that´s the local flee market that has been around for years.

There´s a small section with food – which could be more inviting and offer more of a variety.

Still, I often find interesting things there that I don´t necessarily find in the shops.

Like the oxtail I got there the other day.

I made a delicious oxtail soup. There was a little bit left the next day, which I used as a base for a pasta sauce. I noticed that there were´t any Icelanders shopping at that stall, but only foreigners ( which I assume live here and have kitchens).  I must admit that I didn´t really feel like buying a pigs stomach or cows stomach…but I still found it interesting. Maybe next time….for some experimentation…Although I´m pretty sure my family would´t be fighting to get their plates…

Why is it, that we have started to use so little of the animals and are letting so much go to waste?

Everybody wants the chicken breast but not the whole chicken…and their beef fillets but not the stomach… (well…)

Isn´t there something we could do about that? It does´t feel right to know that while a large population of the world is going hungry  – not to mention the environmental issues it raises.

ORÐA BETURI think that there is real potential and that is is necessary to start finding ways to reintroduce these cheap and abundant ingredients. Perhaps that is something that could be a part of the mission of Nynordisk mad.

Back to the mackerel….

The kilo was sold at about…300 kronur. That´s almost 5 times cheaper then the kilo of haddock or cod in the shops. I wonder why everyone isn´t eating mackerel?

Unfortunately it was frozen, but it is now quietly defrosting in my fridge, waiting to be part of further experiments!!