Atlantica - 01.10.2006, Qupperneq 71

AT L A N T I CA 69
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The idea for Delicious Iceland was born in
the late ´90s when Völli Snaer was working at
the restaurant of famed American chef Charlie
Trotter. “That really made me decide I wanted
to do a book. And there was no one doing this
idea,” he explains. Bringing his photographer
and writer friends on board was easy. “I invited
them to come to the Bahamas for two months
and they had their own house there and every-
thing.”
Völli Snaer has been living in the Bahamas for
six years, running his restaurant The Ferry House
(Keira Knightley’s guest book comment was
“You Rock!”). The second series of his TV show
“Völli Snaer”, set on a postcard perfect beach, is
currently airing on local television in Iceland.
I ask him whether he has the same celebrity
influence in Iceland as, say, Jamie Oliver.
“I don’t know. I’m just a country boy,” he
says in a slightly rehearsed way, which I take
to mean, ‘chicks dig it when I invoke my rural
upbringing.’
Still, the good country boy roots shine through.
Unlike many interviews with Icelanders, who
don’t have the strictest cultural sense of timeli-
ness, Völli Snaer was completely punctual for
our meeting. The book itself is also full of refer-
ences to his parents and their influence on his
cooking. Recipes include “My father’s gravlax
with my mother’s exquisite dill and mustard
sauce.”
Whether Völli Snaer follows the tried-and-
true Icelandic trend of return to the homeland
remains to be seen. He says it will only happen
when the weather gets a lot better. But he also
acknowledges that his new Icelandic wife will
keep his ties to the country permanent.
As our meeting winds down, we chat about
the relaxed pace of life in the Bahamas, probably
the cause of Völli Snaer’s chilled out attitude.
We discuss Völli Snaer’s original ambition to
be a sports coach, to which he attributes his
ongoing interest in nutrition and staying fit.
And as we’re parting, in case he hasn’t already
convinced me, he adds: “I just love to cook, you
know.” a
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“There are so many things that Icelandic people take for granted because they grow up with them or
they don’t see them in a way that is really interesting.”
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Finally, after many a bump and innumerable bounces, we arrived at the cliff s. There
we unloaded our gear in the vicinity of a nice summer cottage, which serves the
cliff men every spring, when they go egg gathering. After one of the cliff men had
gone down the cliff , demonstrating how it is done, I donned the harness, fastened
myself to the rope, and was lowered down.
The method is similar to the one used in the old days, except my cliff men lowered
me using a bollard welded to the bumper of a large vehicle. This seemed pretty
safe to me, but still I must admit that I did not feel easy at all, although down I
went and even without mishap, landing on a rather wide ledge with the cliff tow-
ering over me and the sea roaring just below. Once down, more men joined me,
and off we went gathering eggs. They were there in great numbers lying on the
barren rock. All we had to do was to pick them up and put them in the bags in
our clothing. Still, it was very hazardous work, for the rocks on the ledge were ex-
ceedingly slippery from wet bird droppings and sea slime. Slipping, I knew, could
easily entail falling headlong into the swirling breakers beating at the cliff .
When no more eggs could be accommodated in our egg bags, up we went again.
This was accomplished by making the rope fast on the bumper of the vehicle and
backing it up slowly and carefully. Once on top of the cliff , we emptied our bags,
removed the eggs that had been accidentally broken, and put the others in ves-
sels fi t to bring them off the cliff .
This certainly was a great experience, but it undeniably left me a bit spent. I had
sweated profusely, and was certainly pleased again to be on fi rm and non- slippery
ground, where I was sure of my footing. Soon, though, I managed to regain my
everyday composure, in which I was greatly assisted through the consumption
of some raw eggs drunk straight from the shells. They were great in taste and
marvelously emphasized the rugged surroundings, the fresh wind blowing in my
hair and the continuing and spectacular symphony of the breaking seas and the
shrieking sea birds fl uttering in the air.
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EEL IS A MOST PECULIAR TYPE OF FISH. IT TRAVELS THE DISTANCE
FROM ITS SPAWNING AREAS OFF THE COASTS OF BERMUDA, AND
THEN FOLLOWS THE CURRENTS OF THE GULF STREAM, TO THE
SHORES OF EUROPE AND EVEN TO FAR OFF ICELAND. THIS TRIP
TAKES ABOUT THREE YEARS.
The Eel
ICELAND a
050-94ICELANDAtl506 .indd 69 25.8.2006 16:21:57