Ingredients
Heads
- 4singed half sheep’s heads, sold prepared
To cook
- water, to cover
- 3 tbspcoarse salt
- 2bay leaves, optional
To serve
- mashed swede, rófustappa
- boiled or mashed potatoes
- rúgbrauð, Icelandic rye bread
- butter
To drink
- brennivín
- beer
Also
- the leftovers, pressed into sviðasulta
Directions
- Rinse the heads thoroughly in cold water. Go over the skin carefully, because burnt residue left on gives a bitter, acrid taste to everything.
- Add plenty of coarse salt, about a tablespoon per litre. Salt the water well. A large bone-in piece needs a strongly seasoned liquid for the seasoning to reach the middle at all.
- Bring it slowly to a boil and skim the scum off as it rises. Skim it thoroughly in the first fifteen minutes, before it disperses into the water.
- Keep it at a bare simmer rather than a boil, which breaks the heads apart before they are ready. Simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. It is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the skin is soft and gelatinous.
- Lift the heads out carefully with a slotted spoon, since they are fragile. Serve each half head hot on a plate, whole. Serve mashed swede and potatoes alongside, which are the fixed accompaniments. Icelanders are entirely matter-of-fact about the eye, and there is no ceremony around it.
- Work through the jaw and the rest with a knife and fork, taking your time. Now the leftovers, which are never wasted. Pick all the remaining meat off the bones while it is still warm.
- Press it into a mould or a tin, cover it, and weight it down overnight in the fridge. The natural gelatine from the head sets it into a firm loaf with no added setting agent, which is exactly why it works.
Technique
- Þorrablót falls in the old Norse month of Þorri, from late January.
- Svið is sold in Icelandic supermarkets and at some petrol station grills year round.
- Sviðasulta made from the leftovers is a dish in its own right.
Substitutions
- Norwegian smalahove, which is smoked rather than singed.
- There is no substitute for the head itself.
Variations
- Sviðasulta, the pressed head cheese.
- Sviðasulta cured in sour whey.
- Served cold, sliced, rather than hot.
History
Singed sheep’s head boiled and eaten whole; on isolated Icelandic farms with little imported food nothing from the animal was discarded.
Frequently asked questions
What is Svið?
Svið is a main from Iceland: singed boiled sheep’s head, þorrablót midwinter specialty. Singed sheep’s head boiled and eaten whole; on isolated Icelandic farms with little imported food nothing from the animal was discarded.
How long does Svið take to make?
Svið takes 30 min of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Svið?
Yes, within limits. Norwegian smalahove, which is smoked rather than singed. There is no substitute for the head itself.
What is the most important thing to get right in Svið?
Keep it at a bare simmer rather than a boil, which breaks the heads apart before they are ready. Simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. It is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the skin is soft and gelatinous.
