Icelandic Fish Stew is a traditional dish made by mixing mashed fish, béchamel sauce, and potatoes. Plokkfiskur is a popular dish for cold weather, and is an awesome way to try the flavors of Iceland at home.
Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!
Why Make this Recipe
- Hearty Meal: Plokkfiskur is a great meal for cold weather. A big bowl of mashed potatoes + some protein means it is warm and cozy!
- Taste Iceland: If you’ve ever wanted to try the flavors of Iceland, this is a great dish to try.
- Simple: This dish is easy to get right and is very forgiving. Plus, most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so it shouldn’t be hard to shop for!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Potatoes: Your potatoes should be gold or yellow potatoes if possible. Something semi-waxy is best.
- Fresh Fish: You can use any white fish, such as pollock, haddock or cod. I used cod, and would recommend it if you can afford it. Make sure the fish is deboned and does not have skin. (You can also use a combination of fish).
- Milk: Whole milk or 2% are good options. The more fat content in your milk the creamier the potatoes will be.
- White Pepper: White pepper is more mild than black pepper in terms of pungency, but it can be a bit spicier. You can use pre-ground white pepper or grind it yourself.
Tools
- Pots: Large and medium size.
- Potato Masher
- Dutch Oven: You can also use a medium-large pot or a large skillet instead if you do not have a Dutch oven.
- Wooden Spoon
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Cook the Potatoes
Add the potatoes into a large pot. Then, add enough water to cover the potatoes with an inch of water. Turn to a high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Boil the potatoes until fork tender, or about 10-15 minutes. Then drain the potatoes.
Return the potatoes to the pot and use a potato masher to mash them (you can leave them lumpy or mash them until they are creamy, whatever your preference is).
Step 2: Cook the Fish
In a medium-sized pot, bring some cold water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, add about 1 tbsp of salt to the water, and turn it down to a simmer.
When the water is simmering, lower in the cod fish. Boil for about 5-6 minutes until the fish is white and begins to turn flaky. Then drain. Set the fish aside.
Step 3: Make the Béchamel Sauce
In a dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and stir for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent.
Sprinkle flour on the onions, and mix until a paste forms.
Add some milk until a wet paste is formed (it should look like wet mashed potatoes).
Step 4: Combine
Add the cooked fish and use your wooden spoon to mash it until the fish breaks into pieces.
Add the mashed potatoes and mix together again. If your Plokkfiskur is too thick, you can add another ¼ cup milk to the pot and mix again (this is up to personal preference).
Add the salt and white pepper and mix again (add more or less to taste).
Serve and enjoy your Plokkfiskur!
Additional Mix-In Suggestions
After posting this recipe on my TikTok page, I received many recommendations for extra additions that Icelandic people love in their Plokkfiskur. Here are the most common suggestions from Icelandic kitchens:
- Bacon
- Tiny shrimp
- Black pepper instead of white pepper
- Fish Broth (the water you cooked the fish in). Some recipes are 50% milk and 50% fish broth. You can also make your own fish broth by following this fish broth recipe form the Maldives.
- Curry Powder
- Bearnaise Sauce
- Sugar
- Nutmeg
Plokkfiskur Variation – Additional Serving Suggestion
Many Icelandic people will also add a final step to this meal by sprinkling some cheese on top and then baking the dish until the cheese melts. You are welcome to add this step as well!
Some suggestions for cheese types were:
- Mild cheddar
- Gouda
- Mozzarella
- A blend of a few of these options
Expert Tips
- It is also common in preparing Plokkfiskur to simply dice the potatoes into small pieces and add them into the dutch oven as opposed to mashing them. This is a familial preference in Iceland, and the dish can be enjoyed either way.
- Cook the onions on a low heat so that they soften instead of crisp up.
- Some people do not add the onions into the bechamel sauce and instead just add them on top of the dish.
- You can also make this dish with leftover fish if you have some. In my Rainbow Roll, you use fresh sushi-grade salmon but you may not use it all so then you could try that in this dish. It’s not a white fish but it’s a favorite! I have more than 16 different sushi combinations to try out.
Recipe FAQs
Serve your Plokkfiskur in a bowl alongside homemade dark rye bread slathered in butter. A good rye bread choice is this Rúgbrauð.
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat this dish by simply microwaving it until warm.
If you need to make your Plokkfiskur recipe gluten free, you can use a gluten free flour as a replacement.
If you need to make it dairy free, feel free to substitute with a dairy free milk, such as unsweetened almond milk. You can also use margarine in place of butter.
Did you enjoy this Plokkfiskur Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Stoemp: Creamy Vegetable-Stuffed Mashed Potatoes
- Horseradish Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Kokoda (Fish Ceviche) from Fiji
- Fish Soup from Cambodia
- Caramelized Potatoes
- What To Serve With Ceviche For Dinner
Plokkfiskur – A Traditional Icelandic Fish Stew Recipe
Equipment
- Pot(s)
- Potato Masher
- Dutch Oven
- Wooden Spoon
- Oven Mitt
Ingredients
- 1 lb gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 10 oz cod, deboned and with no skin
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp All purpose flour
- ¾ – 1 cup Milk
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp White pepper
Instructions
- Add 1 lb of potatoes into a large pot. Then, add enough water to cover the potatoes with an inch of water. Turn to a high heat and bring the water to a boil.
- Boil the potatoes until fork tender, or about 10-15 minutes. Then drain the potatoes.
- Return the potatoes to the pot and use a potato masher to mash them (you can leave them lumpy or mash them until they are creamy, whatever your preference is).
- In a medium-sized pot, boil some water. Once the water begins to boil, add about 1 tbsp of salt to the water, and turn it down to a simmer.
- When the water is simmering, lower in 10 oz cod fish. Boil for about 5-6 minutes until the fish is white and begins to turn flaky. Then drain. Set the fish aside.
- In a dutch oven, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add ½ an onion and stir for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Sprinkle the onions with 2 tbsp flour, and mix until a paste forms.
- Add ¾ cup milk until a wet paste is formed (it should look like wet mashed potatoes).
- Add the cooked fish and use your wooden spoon to mash it until the fish breaks into pieces.
- Add the mashed potatoes and mix together again. If your Plokkfiskur is too thick, you can add another ¼ cup milk to the pot and mix again (this is up to personal preference).
- Add the ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper and mix again (add more or less to taste).
- Spoon into a bowl and eat with rye bread slathered in butter. Enjoy!
Notes
- It is also common to simply dice the potatoes into small pieces and add them into the dutch oven as opposed to mashing them. This is a familial preference in Iceland, and the dish can be enjoyed either way.
- Cook the onions on a low heat so that they soften instead of crisp up.
- Some people do not add the onions into the bechamel sauce and instead just add them on top of the dish.
- You can also make this dish with leftover fish if you have some
Taylor says
Added like 1/2 tsp curry powder and melted a block of gouda cheese on top (400F for 8 min in dutch oven). I bought parsley for garnish but I think chives might’ve been better. I bought some leeks for roasting but didn’t end up adding them in. Overall super easy delicious recipe and will definitely make again!! Next time I won’t forget the rye bread too!!
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
So glad you enjoyed it Taylor, thank you so much for letting me know!
PGreene says
I love this when I tried it in Iceland. Wanted to duplicate it. This recipe is simple and tasty. I added shredded cheese.
The Foreign Fork says
I’m so glad you loved the recipe and that it reminded you of your time in Iceland. Shredded cheese is a great addition! Thanks for the review 🙂