The Hangikjöt Coin
Cold-smoked Icelandic lamb on a one-inch round of flatkaka with mustard crème fraîche and chive
Hangikjöt — 'hung meat' — is the taste of an Icelandic Christmas in every household.
Why this bite? The centerpiece of an Icelandic Christmas table, sized to a diplomat's tray.
The Story
Lamb has walked Iceland's highlands for a thousand years, its diet of moss, herb, and wild grass baked into the meat. Hangikjöt — dry-cured and cold-smoked, traditionally over dried sheep dung and birch — is the country's Christmas centerpiece, folded onto laufabrauð, or served room-temperature on flatkaka rye pancakes. Cut down to a one-inch round with a crown of mustard-flecked crème fraîche and a single chive, it is the taste of an Icelandic winter kitchen — quiet, smoked, unhurried.
Read Full Story →Ingredients
- Thinly sliced hangikjöt (Icelandic cold-smoked lamb) — Nordic delis or online
- Flatkaka (soft rye flatbread), cut into 1-inch rounds
- Crème fraîche
- Coarse Dijon or Icelandic sinnep mustard
- Fresh chives, finely snipped
- Cracked black pepper
Preparation
- 1.Fold each hangikjöt slice into a small rosette that will crown a 1-inch round.
- 2.Whisk crème fraîche with a spoon of coarse mustard and a pinch of pepper.
- 3.Place a rosette on each flatkaka round; pipe a small dollop of mustard cream on top.
- 4.Finish with a single chive tip.
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