Icelandic Ponnokukur Recipes

FERMENTED DILLS

Steps:

• Cover the cucumbers with cold water, scrub off their prickly spines and drop them into a colander.
• Combine 13 cups water with the pickling salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the salt.
• Into the bottom of each sterilized 1-quart jar, drop a layer of cabbage leaves, 1 garlic clove, 1 small grape leaf, 2 red chiles if using and a tuft of crown dill. Pack the jar with cucumbers, standing them upright and getting in as many as you can. Top each jar with another garlic clove, grape leaf, red chile and another tuft of crown dill. Pour hot brine into each jar, leaving 1/8-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims with a cloth dipped in boiling water. Screw the sterilized lids on tight, as tight as you possibly can.
• Once they cool, transfer the jars to a warm place (75 degrees F or so) and let the pickles ferment for 1 week. This is the warm jump-start period for the longer ferment; the brine should get cloudy and the lid tops should become tight with pressure. Then transfer the jars to a cooler place (a root cellar would be great, but any place a few degrees cooler than room temperature is fine) and wait at least 6 weeks and up to 6 months before consuming.

ICELANDIC PANCAKES (PöNNUKöKUR)

Steps:

• Whip together milk and eggs with a whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Slowly add in flour, sugar and salt. Whisk until the batter is smooth, about 30 seconds to a minute. Try to avoid beating air into the batter or overworking it. Just mix it until fully incorporated.
• If possible, allow the batter to stand for 30 minutes so that the flour absorbs more liquid, and the air bubbles rise out of the mix. Or, if short on time, just begin cooking.
• Heat a crepe pan to very hot but not smoking and add a small pat of butter. Lift the pan and pour a large ladle of batter into the pan. Immediately begin tilting to pan to spread the batter. Keep the pan moving until all the batter has solidified and/or the whole pan is covered in batter.
• Cook until the batter has set across the top and the edges begin to pull away from the pan, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Flip with a very thin spatula, and cook for another 30 seconds on the other side.
• Remove to a plate and serve with jam or yogurt.

GLORIFIED HASH-BROWN CAKE WITH FRYING PEPPERS

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover generously. Salt the water, bring it to a simmer over medium heat, cover partially, and cook until the potatoes are tender enough to stick a fork into but still on the firm side of done, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool. (You can boil the potatoes up to a day ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator if you like.)
• While the potatoes are cooking, clarify the butter: Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it foams and starts to turn dark blond on top, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the butter sit for a few minutes. Then tilt the skillet toward you and gently spoon off and discard the layer of foam. Pour the clear golden butter into a bowl, discarding the dark dregs at the bottom of the skillet.
• Coarsely grate the potatoes, skins and all, onto a baking sheet, making sure to keep them loose and not to pack them down. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper in a small bowl.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and add half of the clarified butter. Add a third of the potatoes in an even layer, keeping them loose. Top with half of the onions and season with some of the salt and pepper mixture. Add another third of the potatoes and the rest of the onions, and season again with salt and pepper. Add the remaining potatoes, season again, and then reduce the heat to medium and cook the potato cake until the bottom turns dark amber brown, about 15 minutes. (Peek on the sides: If it's browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium-low.)
• Put a large plate upside down over the skillet, and using two thick oven mitts, grab the sides of the skillet and turn it upside down, releasing the hash-brown cake onto the plate. Put the empty skillet back on the burner and add all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining clarified butter. Slide the potato cake back into the skillet. Cook until the underside turns dark amber brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the potato cake is cooking, fry the peppers: Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of the clarified butter. Add the peppers and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, flipping them often, until they blister and feel tender throughout, about 10 minutes.
• To serve, lay the large plate upside down over the skillet, and using oven mitts, invert as before. (If the first side was prettier, invert the cake again onto another serving plate.) Top with a jumble of fried peppers. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

ICELANDIC PONNOKUKUR

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom and nutmeg and set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. In alternating turns, add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the eggs, whisking until combined; repeat with the remaining flour and milk. Mix in the cream and vanilla. Let the batter sit 30 minutes, refrigerated.
• Preheat a crepe pan over medium-high heat. Rub with a stick of butter to lightly coat the pan--the butter should foam but not brown. Swirl up 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting the pan to thinly and evenly cover the entire surface. When the edges turn golden (after about 30 seconds), flip the pancake with an offset spatula or pie server, and brown the other side. Flip the pan upside down over a large plate, dropping the pancake onto the plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve immediately, or stack the pancakes with a layer of parchment between each. They can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen, or used within 2 days (stored wrapped at room temperature).

ICELANDIC PANCAKES WITH WHIPPED CREAM (CREPES) (PONNUKIKUR MED

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together the milk, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix into the liquids until blended. Beat the egg whites and fold into the mixture.
• Heat a heavy skillet until a drop of water bounces off the surface. Butter the skillet. Bake thin pancakes using 1/4 cup batter per cake until browned on both sides.
• Spread with preserves, jam, or jelly, and whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar. Fold into triangles and serve immediately. Makes 10 to 12 pancakes.
• The Great Scandinavian Baking Book .B. Ojakangas.

ICELANDIC PONNOKUKUR(PANCAKES)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom and nutmeg and set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. In alternating turns, add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the eggs, whisking until combined; repeat with the remaining flour and milk. Mix in the cream and vanilla. Let the batter sit 30 minutes, refrigerated.
• Preheat a crepe pan over medium-high heat. Rub with a stick of butter to lightly coat the pan--the butter should foam but not brown. Swirl up 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting the pan to thinly and evenly cover the entire surface. When the edges turn golden (after about 30 seconds), flip the pancake with an offset spatula or pie server, and brown the other side. Flip the pan upside down over a large plate, dropping the pancake onto the plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve immediately, or stack the pancakes with a layer of parchment between each. They can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen, or used within 2 days (stored wrapped at room temperature).