Chef Hakon Mar Orvarsson shares some tasty recipes for traditional Icelandic dishes. Serves six tapas-sized portions.

Icelandic hard-(dried)-fish “Harðfiskur” and Icelandic butter

The dried fish in pieces are served simply with a slice of Iceland butter. Traditional snack.

Grilled Icelandic langoustine shell on garlic, butter and herbs

Garlic herb butter:  1 tbsp. soft butter beaten with 2 chopped garlic gloves, 1 tbsp. chopped parsley and ½ tbsp. chopped estragon.

8 pieces Icelandic Langoustines cut open with a knife or scissors.

In a medium pan heated with 2 tbsp. canola oil, simply sautée langoustines flesh side down for 2 minutes. Add the garlic herb butter and flip over the langoustines and sautee for 1 more minute. Serve with the butter.

Atlantic shrimp, pickled vegetables, sour cream, cress and lumpfish caviar

Pickling liquid for the vegetables: Boil 100gr vinegar, 200 gr sugar and 3 dl.(1 cup) water.

Thinly slice 40 gr each of cauliflower, carrots and celery. Drop vegetables in the pot of boiling hot pickling liquid, and let rest overnight.

300 gr Cold Atlantic shrimps are dressed with some lemon oil and salt.
100 gr Sour cream and Icelandic 50 gr lumpfish caviar is natural and served as is.


Deep fried crispy fritters of cod and potatoes with “Söl” mayonnaise

The fritters are made with:

  • 200 gr cooked cod – 150 gr cooked potatoes.
  • Salt, pepper and 30 gr white béchamel sauce to bind fish and potatoes.
  • Form by hands in to balls.
  • To coat the fritters, dust them lightly with flour, then dipp them in 2 beaten eggs and roll them in 100 gr of  panko breadcrumbs.
  • Deep fry in ½ L. Canola oil just before served.


Mayonnaise dressing : 2 eggs, 120 ml grape seed oil, ½ tbsp. strong mustard, squeeze from 1/2 lemon, ½ clove garlic, salt and pepper for seasoning, 1 tsp flaked seaweed from Iceland.

Pickled herring, sweet rye bread, curry dressing, green apples and spring onions

Small open face sandwich with Icelandic rye bread as the base.

Curry dressing:

  • 2 tbsp. mayonnaise, 2 tbsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. Dijon 1 tsp. curry, ½ tsp. turmeric. Salt and pepper.
  • Beat all ingredients  together and let set for 1-2 hours cooler.

¼ of a green apple is cut in julienne thin stripes and 1 spring onion is thinly sliced on the bias.
The rye bread is spread with butter, the herring comes next, curry dressing on herring. Then topped with apples, spring onions.