Plokkfiskur - A Traditional Icelandic Fish Stew Recipe

Mashed potatoes and fish mixed together to make Plokkfiskur, topped with pepper and parsley, with rye bread in the background.

5 from 4 votes

Plokkfiskur - A Traditional Icelandic Fish Stew Recipe

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine iceland

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 609kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

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

Recipe Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.

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

Nutrition