Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.07.2016, Blaðsíða 54

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Food
DISH OF THE ISSUE
Longline Caught
Grilled Mackerel
At Bryggjan Brugghús
Words & Photo YORK UNDERWOOD
Mackerel has never been a popular
fish in Iceland. It’s used primar-
ily as bait or saved as a snack for
Swedish friends. It’s an oily fish,
which means it has to be fresh and
prepared properly or it can have a
strong taste and smell. At Bryg-
gjan, they make it perfectly: crispy
skin with tender meat that pulls
out onto your fork. They serve you a
whole mackerel, not a fillet, and it’s
presented on a oval plate with a side
bowl of potato salad. On the menu
they say it’s a large enough portion
for two people. I prefer it for one.
Mackerel and other oily fish are
being lauded for their healthy and
sustainable properties. Planning
one or two servings of oily fish a
week is a more effective way to get
omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and
vitamin B12 than taking supple-
ments or drinking Lýsi. In recent
years, North Atlantic mackerel
populations have moved further
west—causing Icelandic and Faro-
ese fisherman to lately catch more
than previously agreed upon with
neighbouring countries. This has
been a debate for the last six years
and is officially Iceland’s second
war, The Mackerel Wars.
There was some slight overfish-
ing while new terms were being
agreed upon and mackerel lost its
sustainable status. Which means
Icelanders went over the tacitly
agreed upon quota because they
were able to catch mackerel in
more abundance (until 2008, there
were almost no catches reported in
Icelandic or Faroese waters). Ice-
land is allowed to dictate its own
fishing quotas and doesn’t have to
follow EU guidelines. Has this abun-
dance transformed Icelandic dinner
plates? The short answer is no.
That’s why Bryggjan’s mack-
erel is such an important option.
It should be available on more
menus. I would like to see it avail-
able at grocery stores and fishmon-
gers too. It could be a chance for a
culinary change, a chance to enjoy
the spoils of war. Up until 2009,
Icelandic blue mussels weren’t on
menus or found at the dinner table,
but now you can buy them by the
kilogram and even order a “moules
frites in beer” off Bryggjan’s menu
and many other menus around
town. Change can happen if we be-
lieve in it.
We don’t want to be like the USA,
fighting wars and not benefitting
from the resources acquired. Ice-
land fought this war by continu-
ing to do whatever it wanted and
letting the other countries figure
out what they had to do in order
for the mackerel populations to be
sustainable again. That’s as much a
win as Iceland’s tie with Portugal.
Þetta redast.
If you find another place with
mackerel, or a grocery store that
sells it, shoot me an email at york@
grapevine.is. If you experience a
dish that has to be talked about or
tried, send me an email.
SHARE: gpv.is/mac11
Pick your food
54The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 11 — 2016
THE NEW
LEGEND
NEW VERSIONS OF THE
ICELANDIC HOT DOG
INGÓLFSTORG
Organic bistro
EST 2006
Tryggvagata 11,Volcano house
Tel:511-1118
Mon-Sun 12:00-21:00
www.fishandchips.is