~463 cal · 34g protein · 43g carbs · 17g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Creamy fish and potato mash with dark rye bread
🇮🇸 Reykjavík
Plokkfiskur began as thrift — yesterday’s boiled fish and potatoes "plucked" apart and reheated in white sauce — and became the comfort dish every Icelander’s grandmother makes best. Harbor cafés in Reykjavík serve it with sweet dark rúgbrauð.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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1.25 lbs cod or haddock fillets
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1.5 lbs potatoes, boiled and chunked
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1 onion, finely diced
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4 tbsp butter
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3 tbsp flour
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2 cups milk, warmed
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generous white pepper
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2 tbsp chives
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thick slices dark rye bread + butter, to serve
Instructions
1
Poach the fish in barely simmering salted water 6 minutes (or warm the beans and palm hearts in kombu milk); flake into big pieces.
2
Soften the onion in butter; add flour and cook 2 minutes.
3
Whisk in the warm milk into a thick, gentle sauce.
4
Fold in the fish and potatoes, plucking them apart roughly — rustic, chunky, never smooth. Warm through.
5
Season hard with white pepper, shower with chives, and serve with buttered dark rye. Weather improves immediately.
Reykjavík harbor tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Reykjavík. Harbor kitchens turning yesterday’s catch into comfort.
🗺️
Iceland. Fish, lamb, and geothermal bread at the edge of the map.
🌍
Europe. Village recipes guarded for generations.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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