Iceland review - 2013, Síða 36

34 ICELAND REVIEW
The history of catching lobster, or langous-
tine, off South Iceland goes back to the
1950s. “They had neither the right boats
nor the right fishing gear. The first successful
attempts were made in the 1960s by Hafbjörg
from Norðfjörður. It often takes out-of-
towners to point the value out to locals,”
says gunnar Ásgeirsson, chair of Skinney-
Þinganes, of fishermen from the East Fjords.
Based in Höfn in Southeast Iceland, Skinney-
Þinganes is now the country’s largest pro-
ducer of lobster. “It created employment,”
gunnar adds of the rise of lobster fishing.
“When the herring disappeared in the late
sixties, the industry’s focus shifted from her-
ring to lobster. It didn’t occur to anyone
to eat the lobster at the time—all of it was
exported,” gunnar remarks. This is still the
case. Although the domestic market is grow-
ing with Icelanders having developed an
appetite for the delicacy and tourists eager
to try Icelandic lobster, Skinney-Þinganes’
main markets for the seafood are Spain and
Canada.
Even though it only accounts for about
10 percent of Skinney-Þinganes’ turnover,
lobster is its most valuable product per kilo.
Approximately 600 tons of lobster are caught
by the company’s vessels each year, whole
lobster and tails in equal parts. The lobster
is caught in trawls, pulled along the soft and
muddy ocean floor, mostly off Höfn but
sometimes, as the season progresses, as far
west as Reykjanes. Lobster only exists in the
waters off South Iceland. Tours take 24 to
62 hours, depending on how successful they
prove. Back in Höfn, the catch is brought
into the processing plant under super-chilled
conditions where the lobster is washed
and placed on the plant’s specially-designed
production line. Bjarni Ólafur Stefánsson,
assistant to the production manager, demon-
strates the production process. “The lobster is
examined carefully by our employees and all
lobster that is whole and doesn’t have claws
missing or holes in the shell is hand-packed
in boxes, classified according to the size.”
After packing, the lobster is blast frozen and
then stacked in the plant’s freezing storage
where it awaits export. 
It took Icelanders a
long time to discover
that lobster is a deli-
cacy. At first tossed
back in the ocean by
fussy fishermen, its
value is now appreci-
ated by the people
of Höfn.
from traSh to treaSure
The Fisherman’s Lobster
400 g lobster (langoustine) tails, split lengthwise
along the back of the shell
Spice with season all and garlic powder
Brush with Icelandic garlic butter (butter with
crushed garlic cloves and parsley)
Place on tin foil trays in a closed BBQ for 3-4
minutes or in an oven at 210-220°C (410-428°F)
for the same amount of time
Serve with basil pesto, fresh salad and bread
Hornafjörður-Style Lobster
400 g lobster (langoustine) tails, split lengthwise
along the back of the shell
Fry in a pan in butter along with garlic, peppers
and onions for 3-4 minutes
Add cream and cognac to make a sauce
THe MaSTer’S Pick
two popular lobster recipes by Ingólfur einarsson, master
chef and owner of Kaffi hornið in höfn.
BY Eygló Svala arnarSdóTTir
PHOTO BY PÁll STEfÁnSSon
CULTURE