Kútmagar – Icelandic stuffed cod’s stomach

This is apparently an old Icelandic dish that uses cod offal to make a savoury pudding a la saumagen, haggis, or any other of the world’s variations on a stuffed stomach lining. It has the distinction on this blog of being the only dish thus far that I can’t find a picture of, which may tell us something.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

2-3 fresh cod’s stomachs
1 cod liver
Rye meal
Salt
White pepper (optional)
Water

Method

Buy some fresh cod’s stomachs from your fishmonger. If your fishmonger doesn’t sell cod’s stomach due to some arcane local health ruling or lack of demand, then hire a trawler and go catch yourself some cod. Once you’re procured your stomach’s (you’ll have to remove them from any cod you have caught by the way) wash them thoroughly, making sure that they’re completely slime free. Rubbing them inside and out with coarse salt and/or sand is a good trick, or so I’ve read. If you do use it, clean off all the sand before you begin stuffing the stomach.

Meanwhile let the liver stand in cold water for 30 minutes and then peel off the membrane. Sprinkle salt over the liver and set aside for 10 minutes. Then mash or grind the liver and mix thoroughly with rye meal. Season with salt and a little white pepper. Stuff the stomachs a little less than half-full with the mixture and tie them closed with unbleached cotton thread. Bring a generous amount of water to the boil, add salt and drop in the stomachs. When the water boils again, prick the stomachs with a pin to prevent them from bursting. Put the lid on the pot, lower the temperature and simmer for 1 and a half to 2 hours.

Serve hot with plain boiled potatoes, rye bread and butter.