0:00:02 > 0:00:04A little bit of what you fancy does you good,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09and that's precisely what I think about taking off on a long weekend.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14Not too far away, not obvious like Paris or Rome.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17I'll dive into the culture and enjoy the scenery,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20but food will always be key.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29So if, like me, you love seriously fresh fish, cod especially,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33and the sweetest lamb fed on wild herbs and berries,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36and swimming in secret pools,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39deliciously warm, surrounded by snow...
0:00:42 > 0:00:47'Plus the odd glass of something, well, unusual and strong.'
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Skal!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'..then this weekend could be for you.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53# Hey, Rick
0:00:53 > 0:00:55# Where we goin' this weekend? #
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Reykjavik.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02# Are we flying a few hours away
0:01:02 > 0:01:05# For some delicious food, they say?
0:01:06 > 0:01:08# So, Rick, make the booking
0:01:08 > 0:01:10# And let's get cooking
0:01:10 > 0:01:14# And get those taste buds goin' this weekend. #
0:01:22 > 0:01:25When I first started thinking about Long Weekends,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29I was really thinking of olive oil, wine, pasta etc.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33But then some bright spark at the BBC said,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35"Rick, why don't you go to Iceland?"
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Got the wrong coat.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39'And here I am.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44'It's like Fargo, with perhaps just a touch of Twin Peaks.'
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Well, I've just got off the plane and I am already totally amazed by
0:01:49 > 0:01:54the landscape, it's so bleak and so vast and so white.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I looked on the weather and it said six degrees.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Erm...minus six degrees.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04But, what I didn't realise was the wind-chill factor,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06it must be about minus 20 degrees,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10so I've got to find something a bit more Icelandic to wear.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12What I'm looking for is fish.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I mean, Icelandic fish is legendary, cod particularly.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And the langoustines, langoustine soup.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Great fish pies, great fish soups.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25A little bit concerned about the fermented shark
0:02:25 > 0:02:29and the stinky skate and the lamb's testicles.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32But, you know, I figure if the locals like these things,
0:02:32 > 0:02:33well, I might too.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45RICK SIGHS
0:02:46 > 0:02:48It's nice and toasty. It's freezing out there.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'It's lovely and warm here.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54'as, I'm being told, all the buildings are,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'thanks to cheap geothermal energy.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59'It just comes out of the ground.'
0:02:59 > 0:03:00LIFT DINGS
0:03:03 > 0:03:06'I've got a feeling I've chosen a good hotel here.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10'It's right by the harbour and it's very Scandinavian.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11'The perfect refuge.'
0:03:14 > 0:03:15Oh.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16This looks really nice.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Oh.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Plenty of tartan.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Plenty of tartan. HE LAUGHS
0:03:22 > 0:03:23Oh, look at this.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24Oh, I've got to check this out.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Oh, that's superb!
0:03:31 > 0:03:34A little bit chilly out here, but look at that view.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Just where I want to be.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40'Except a beer would be most agreeable.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42'And I'm going to meet up with Ymir.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46'Now, he's someone who lives and breathes the food of Iceland.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48'A great advocate of getting out of the city
0:03:48 > 0:03:50'and into the snowy landscape.'
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Ymir, why do you think people come to Iceland?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I mean, it's cold, it's dark.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04And you've got fermented shark, which smells and tastes horrible.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05YMIR LAUGHS
0:04:05 > 0:04:07That's a...that's a good point!
0:04:07 > 0:04:09But...
0:04:09 > 0:04:11It's only cold and dark in the winter.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15No, people like Iceland because of, I think it's three reasons.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19The obvious one is the nature, cos it's untouched.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24You do have this sense of, sort of, like, cleanness and innocence.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Absolutely.- Yeah.- That's one thing.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29The people are kind of untouched.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32We're new on the radar.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34And, erm...people are just friendly.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I mean, it's not forced. It's natural.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41- And that is so, so nice, so... - It's genuine.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- ..unusual in this world, I think. - Yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46So, that's like, that's like two reasons,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and the third one in my opinion is the foods.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51We don't import a lot of things. We...
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Greenhouses, we supply ourselves with everything.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55And this is...
0:04:55 > 0:04:58The more I travel, the more I realise how rich I am
0:04:58 > 0:05:00with what I have.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It's just the best pure product we can ever find.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05That's the three main reasons.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10He offered me some fermented shark, but I said,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13"No, thanks, I'd had a big, big dinner!"
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But we've made a date to meet up again in a couple of days.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Time for bed.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's my first morning in Reykjavik
0:05:30 > 0:05:32and I've come down to the docks at dawn.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Well, I say dawn, but in midwinter, there's only
0:05:38 > 0:05:41about five hours of daylight, so that's not very early.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I couldn't help but think of that line from
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Yeats' famous Sailing To Byzantium,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52the one that goes, "No country for old men."
0:05:53 > 0:05:55It's really cold here.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Well, this is my first impression of Reykjavik.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03We arrived last night.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Coming from the airport, I got a sense of what it was like,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10but as soon as we got here it's gloomy.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's not quite daylight and it's ten o'clock in the morning,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16so you can get some idea about how short the days are.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20But I'm out here on the harbour, my first love,
0:06:20 > 0:06:25and I suppose the thing that's really drawing me to Iceland
0:06:25 > 0:06:29more than anything is the search for the perfect cod.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30HE LAUGHS
0:06:30 > 0:06:33And I don't have to go very far to find it.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Back to the hotel.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Cod for breakfast.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Lovely.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Well, I'd heard about this dish.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43It's just called fish in a pan, and I ordered it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Well, the first thing I went to, obviously, was the cod.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Erm...
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Thinking about the late and much lamented Keith Floyd,
0:06:54 > 0:07:00who once said, "The piece of cod which passeth all understanding,"
0:07:00 > 0:07:03it certainly was that piece of cod.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05It has this delicious, firm steakiness
0:07:05 > 0:07:07when it's as fresh as this.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And as soon as I'd tasted that, I just thought, "I'm in heaven."
0:07:10 > 0:07:14And now I've just seen it being made by Jon, and this is what he did.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18In one pan - now, this is a three-pan dish -
0:07:18 > 0:07:22he fries in butter - no olive oil here -
0:07:22 > 0:07:26potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32In the second pan, he spoons the cod with this foamy fried butter.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33I love that.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Next, finely chopped shallots and apple vinegar.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Very important, that, apple vinegar,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42because everything in those pans was local
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and that's what I was really warming to.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And then he took a third pan
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and put some celeriac puree in the bottom of it...
0:07:51 > 0:07:55then added the vegetables and then the cod.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Finally, he went back to the vegetable pan
0:08:00 > 0:08:01and added some kale.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07He let the kale wilt, and then put that on top of the vegetables
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and the cod.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12And then he garnished it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16First with some very thinly sliced yellow beet,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20some chard leaves and a slice of lemon.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And then he finished the whole thing with a dressing
0:08:23 > 0:08:27made with mustard seeds, dill oil and apple vinegar.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29And I have to say, it's delicious.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42Believe it or not, this is our mad cameraman, Chris, let off the lead.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44GLEEFUL LAUGHTER
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Overnight, there's been a big snowstorm.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53It's transformed Reykjavik into a winter wonderland,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and it's SO chilly.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58My first job is to get the right clothes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Well, I think that looks very nice. Very Icelandic.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18The great thing about Iceland is that everyone knows everyone.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20And word has got around that I'm here,
0:09:20 > 0:09:25with the result that the mayor has invited me over for guess what?
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Waffles!
0:09:26 > 0:09:31In what other capital city in the world would the mayor invite
0:09:31 > 0:09:33you in, sit down and have a chat?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It's that sort of place, Iceland.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41'I happen to know there's a Facebook page dedicated to the mayor's hair.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43'Yes, his hair!
0:09:43 > 0:09:45'Only in Iceland.'
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Hi!
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Just getting his mixer ready.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52- Dagur?- Yes?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Very nice to meet you.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55'Now I see why.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57'He's actually got very nice hair.'
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- What a lovely house.- Thank you.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- Welcome.- Thank you. I mean, I was just saying.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06it's such a great privilege to be invited by the Mayor of Reykjavik
0:10:06 > 0:10:07in to have some waffles.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09By the way, I really love your sweater.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13It's very nice. I feel very much a local here now.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- LAUGHING:- Yeah, you sure look like one!
0:10:15 > 0:10:16RICK LAUGHS
0:10:16 > 0:10:19So you do this once a year, then?
0:10:19 > 0:10:25Yes. It has become a habit that, on Cultural Night,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27which is actually the anniversary of Reykjavik,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31we have this big festival in town,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35and so one of the neighbours had the idea of opening up their house
0:10:35 > 0:10:40and make some waffles and coffee, very traditional Icelandic.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45So we decided to take part maybe ten years ago.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51And so, now, every year, we have maybe around 1,200 people
0:10:51 > 0:10:52write their names in our guestbook...
0:10:52 > 0:10:56- 1,200? Come through here?- Yeah.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- That's a lot of waffles.- Yeah, kind of a natural queue that forms.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Does anybody talk politics to you?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I guess that if I would have an open house to talk politics
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I wouldn't get 1,200 people!
0:11:08 > 0:11:13No, I doubt if you would!
0:11:13 > 0:11:14So I stay with the waffles.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Oh, I think that's great.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Which do you prefer - waffles, politics?
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Waffles, waffles, politics!
0:11:21 > 0:11:23'And, yes, I did ask.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27'He does use more than one waffle iron for 1,200 guests.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29'Seven, if you're taking notes.'
0:11:29 > 0:11:32This is by no means a complex thing.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35But this is rhubarb jam.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38It's good, because you have some sour with the sweet, cream.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Yeah.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Then something crunchy, and you don't need more.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46You can live off these.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- There you go.- Thanks.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Oh, exemplary waffles.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I like your rhubarb jam. Delish!
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So, does each of your 1,200 people get one of these?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- Yeah.- They're very lucky.- Mm!
0:12:04 > 0:12:05THEY LAUGH
0:12:10 > 0:12:15The Mayor told me about a remarkable sculpture right on the waterfront.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19It's called the Sun Voyager and it's supposed to symbolise the journey
0:12:19 > 0:12:21of the first settlers to Iceland,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24maybe even before the Vikings came.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27It's deliciously cold out here next to the water.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Looking at that cold sea and this monument to the Vikings,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I just remember I was lucky enough at university
0:12:37 > 0:12:42to study Anglo-Saxon and there was a poem called The Seafarer.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And it was about such people that put to sea in these
0:12:45 > 0:12:48very, very open... open boats.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52I wrote down a couple of lines from it just to give you some idea
0:12:52 > 0:12:58on this cold day what it must have felt like to this lonely seafarer.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00How I, wretched and sorrowful
0:13:00 > 0:13:01On the ice-cold sea
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Dwelt for a winter in the paths of exile
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Bereft of friendly kinship
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Hung about with icicles
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Hail flew in showers
0:13:12 > 0:13:14There, I heard nothing
0:13:14 > 0:13:16But the roaring sea.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21MUSIC: Peter Grimes, Prologue V, Interlude I: On The Beach
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Reykjavik is pretty famous for its murals.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I like these.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Apparently they're scenes from a play by Jean-Paul Sartre.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50It's called No Exit.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54It was performed here in 1961.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55Lots of angst.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57You know, everyday life,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00where three people are locked into a room for all eternity.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06The murals, however, were only meant to last few years, but who knows?
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Very existentialist. Very blanc et noir.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Just round the corner is a restaurant I've been told
0:14:20 > 0:14:22is unmissable.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Matur Og Drykkur, which means "food and drink",
0:14:25 > 0:14:27is Icelandic to the core.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Old recipes with a new twist.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37It used to be a salt cod warehouse where prime fillets of cod
0:14:37 > 0:14:41were cured and sent to countries as far away as Spain and Italy.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And that's why cod's head and cod's cheek in particular
0:14:46 > 0:14:48are so revered here.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's run by Gisli Aukunsson.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58He felt honour-bound to use some of his granny's recipes which he
0:14:58 > 0:15:00said are in danger of disappearing.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I say to that, lose your recipes at your peril.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Gisli's cooking his granny's soup,
0:15:07 > 0:15:13and he starts by frying shallots, bay leaves and thyme in butter.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So, Gisli, what's so special about this halibut soup, then?
0:15:19 > 0:15:23When I told my family that we were going to open this restaurant
0:15:23 > 0:15:25with this kind of concept, my grandmother told me
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I had to have this soup on the menu
0:15:27 > 0:15:33instead of the Icelandic lamb soup which is everywhere.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Because this is a recipe that is almost forgotten about.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39It hasn't been on any menu for at least 30, 40 years,
0:15:39 > 0:15:44so it's really important for us not to...
0:15:44 > 0:15:47people don't forget the recipes.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51And keeping the traditions really alive.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55That's the most important thing why we do this soup here.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I think it's incredibly important because you've got tourism coming,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00burgeoning now,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03you've even got tourists coming in the winter, like me!
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And when you come here as a tourist, you don't want
0:16:06 > 0:16:10to eat international food, you want to eat local food.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11Exactly.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16This is the interesting bit, that he's just added the whey,
0:16:16 > 0:16:17which is very Icelandic
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and is actually the by-product of making skyr,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24which is the yoghurt-type cheese, I suppose?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26But the whey is, the whey they add...
0:16:26 > 0:16:28The whey is the way that they add astringency
0:16:28 > 0:16:30to something like this soup
0:16:30 > 0:16:35and Gisli's actually said, if you can't get this whey,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40use white wine, but you won't get that authentic Icelandic taste.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45'So now, red peppercorns and apple.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49'They use lots of green apples for extra astringency in their cooking.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55'And then cream, lemon juice and more butter.'
0:17:00 > 0:17:02It's starting to smell really lovely
0:17:02 > 0:17:06and I very much applaud Gisli's use of lots of butter.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09In my cookery school once, an American came up to me
0:17:09 > 0:17:10and said, "We like your recipes,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14"but why don't you use olive oil instead of butter?"
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And I said, because we come from a northern country,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18where we have cows.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And now the halibut. I love halibut.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27White, clean, steaky halibut,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30often called the Queen of the Sea.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35So in a soup bowl, chopped, mixed raisins and dates.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Then diced green apples soaked in dill oil - very popular here.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Then the fish, and now the soup.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I think Gisli's granny knew what she was talking about!
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Well, Gisli, I must say, that looks wonderful.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55I love the way that the dill oil sort of split as it hit the soup.
0:17:58 > 0:18:04Oh, that's wonderful. It's succulent, it's sweet, it's sour,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06it's comforting.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10The dried fruits add a lot of sweetness to this.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Mm, and it's a lovely piece of fish.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- And, at the end of the day, it's all about the fish.- All about.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19RICK CHUCKLES
0:18:19 > 0:18:23It would be impossible to overstate the importance of fish here.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27So much so, there's a tribute to cod bang in the middle of the harbour.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29SEAGULL CAWS
0:18:29 > 0:18:34It's actually a monument to the salting and drying of cod,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39and up there is a traditional cod drying shed, and I think it
0:18:39 > 0:18:44just sort of fits into the landscape, so I'm actually very fond
0:18:44 > 0:18:48of it, but not fond of the prospect of having to come down now
0:18:48 > 0:18:51because it's very icy and I don't want to slip,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and I suffer from vertigo a little.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Do I look high up, by the way?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Oh, OK.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06It's all about the fish. Nothing but the fish.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11So I'm cooking a simple cod gratin with Bearnaise sauce,
0:19:11 > 0:19:17based on the Icelandic "plokkfiskur" - Icelandic fish stew.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21A bit of butter in the pan, quite a lot, actually.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24And then in go the veg.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29So many of my fish dishes start like this. Funny, really.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Just softening veg like carrot, leek and onion.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37Always makes a lovely base to many a fish dish and many a fish pie.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43The thing I like about this fish stew is it's very simple.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46The only tricky thing is the Bearnaise at the end.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Actually making the stew itself couldn't be easier.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54In Iceland, they tend to use whey at this stage,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58which gives the fish pie a nice sort of tartness.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Frankly, I sort of prefer white wine, for cooking AND for drinking!
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Lovely piece of cod, pearly white.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Firm, steaky, that's what I like about it.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I was in a fish and chip shop the other day
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and there was a notice that said, "Our cod is so fresh,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19"it's like kissing the sea on the lips."
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Yeah, that's exactly what this is like.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24So, I'm just going to cut this into chunks.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26In goes my cod.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Just add a bit of flour. It'll tighten everything up.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35Into the dish.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Look at that.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40So wholesome.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45To make the Bearnaise sauce, first of all,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47some white wine vinegar,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and then a chopped shallot.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52What I'm doing here is creating what we call a reduction.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I don't know who "we" are, but that's what it is.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Now peppercorns. A bay leaf
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and some stalks of tarragon.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Just bring that to the boil
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and leave that to simmer for about ten minutes,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10which I'm then going to stir into my beaten eggs and butter
0:21:10 > 0:21:12for my Bearnaise sauce.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I'm using the hot water to actually cook the egg yolks and put air
0:21:17 > 0:21:21into the egg so it'll start to get more and more voluminous.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23And I'm going to have to be careful,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26because if you carry it on too far, it'll split
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and you'll lose all your volume and you'll lose your Bearnaise.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31Now for the reduction.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36The vinegar's simmered to a trickle and I want every dreg.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Push that down a little bit.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Next, butter, of course, to help the sauce thicken,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and finally, tarragon.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47The distinctive flavour of Bearnaise.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Smells fantastic. Love the smell of hot tarragon.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55And then in Iceland, they bake it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58It's an unusual thing to do with Bearnaise
0:21:58 > 0:21:59but it works.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03OK, just pop that in the oven
0:22:03 > 0:22:08at about 180 degrees, gas four.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Not too long, about 20, 25 minutes.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19And that's it. One Icelandic-inspired cod gratin.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34On a long weekend, if you've got the cash,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37splash out on one of these four-by-fours.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39You feel on top of the world,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41as if you're flying over the snow.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45It's a glorious drive on a winter's morning.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Just over an hour away, I'm going to meet Ymir again,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54for a gourmet picnic lunch, which he's organised.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Just driving through all this snow in the mountains,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03thinking about Icelandic cuisine historically.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07And I've been reading a really good book by an Icelandic cookery writer,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12Nanna Rognvaldardottir, and basically she said,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17for the first 1,000 years, Icelandic cuisine was one of wants -
0:23:17 > 0:23:20want of grain, want of fresh produce,
0:23:20 > 0:23:26want of salt, want of fuel, even want of cooking utensils.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30It just seems extraordinary, but for the first 500-odd years,
0:23:30 > 0:23:36they didn't eat fish here, so they made their life doubly difficult.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40But out of that has come a tradition which is upheld even today,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44of quite unusual methods of curing...
0:23:44 > 0:23:46particularly fish and meat.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Simply because they didn't have salt.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Why didn't they have salt? Well, there were no salt deposits and,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55after cutting down all the trees for firewood,
0:23:55 > 0:24:00there was no way of boiling up seawater to produce salt.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03So they did have enough salt to salt and dry the fish,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06but largely, things were preserved in whey.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10This gives all the food that they still eat
0:24:10 > 0:24:14a very, very acid taste, and quite hard to get used to.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19But for 1,000 years, they lived on that sort of thing.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Plus a little seaweed and a little moss.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Ymir had kept the location of our picnic under wraps,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41only letting on that it was a secret, hidden gem
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and that I had to bring my swimmers.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- Nice day for a swim.- Yeah.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Little bit chilly.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Bit apprehensive I must say, Ymir, but we'll see, we'll see.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02It looks and sounds like the dawn of time.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Might be a bit hot for me,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06and there's no way of turning it down, of course.
0:25:13 > 0:25:20- Wow!- Welcome to my humble little kitchen in the nature.- Gosh!
0:25:21 > 0:25:24So this is the Secret Lagoon.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- And this is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland.- Wow!
0:25:27 > 0:25:28And it's not man-made.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30This is the real, real deal.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34By now, I was getting a bit peckish and was glad to see that,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37as he'd promised, he'd brought lunch. Lots of eggs.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40I'm going to boil them eggs in the hot spring.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- They taste better, much better.- Do they?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44- Yeah.- Promise?
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- I promise you that. Well, you be the judge.- OK.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51If I'm going to swim in there, and you're boiling your eggs in there...
0:25:51 > 0:25:53No, no, no, not in the same place. That would be nasty.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Because you wouldn't want to come out of that, no, no.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I thought you were going to put 'em in here.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00No, no, no, Bathing is here, boiling is there.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02- Do not mix those two together.- OK, I promise.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12So I'm going to put them in here, time them,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14takes about eight minutes from they're in.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Eight minutes? That's... Well... it's boiling water.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- And they'll be beautiful, they'll be beautiful.- I'm sure, I'm sure.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- No jumping!- No, no, I promise,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- I don't want to end up like a boiled egg.- Yeah.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- It's so clear.- I know.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Just to think, that's coming up from the centre of the earth.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32It's amazing.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36And that applies also to the pool that you'll be bathing in
0:26:36 > 0:26:39because this is, technically, you are bathing in mother Earth,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42you're eating the bread, your eating the eggs,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46all coming from the ground. So this is kind of, it's spiritual.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47It's what Iceland's all about.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50It seems to me. Why people love coming here.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Yeah, and it's also with the roots.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I mean, for, I belong to Asatru, and that's the Norse mythology.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00And I wouldn't say it's religion, it's just that we believe in nature.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04We worship nature. We respect nature.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07And of course the stories are great, with Thor and Odin and all that.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10But it's more going back to the roots.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I just think it's beautiful.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Oh, I totally agree.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16This is kind of, I mean, this is where we came from.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19This is where we eventually will go to.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22It's Mother Earth. We are just guests here, just visitors.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24And I just want to enjoy it.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25I want you to enjoy it.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- Oh, yeah, well, let's go for a swim. - Yeah!
0:27:30 > 0:27:34There are hundreds of these volcanic pools dotted across Iceland.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37This one was discovered on some discarded farmland,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and not many people know about it yet.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43That's why it's called the Secret Lagoon.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I just thought it would be quite good to get your first thoughts
0:27:53 > 0:27:56about Iceland, being here in Iceland.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59What? Are you mad?!
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I'm so cold. You just want me to talk now?
0:28:01 > 0:28:03You're joking, aren't you?
0:28:03 > 0:28:04Well, not really, no.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Well, it's...it's icy!
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Ah, bliss!
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Oh!
0:28:18 > 0:28:19I'll talk to you about Iceland now!
0:28:19 > 0:28:21HE CHUCKLES
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- What's it like? - It's wonderful. Wonderful.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Can't believe it!
0:28:32 > 0:28:37To me, this is the icing on the cake of my long weekend,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40to feel really warm among this snow and ice,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and I've been promised a true taste of Iceland, too,
0:28:44 > 0:28:47gathered from the landscape. Such luxury!
0:28:47 > 0:28:49CORK POPS
0:28:49 > 0:28:51That's a little happy sound.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53So, where do I start?
0:28:53 > 0:28:59We start with the chicken liver terrine, with dandelion syrup.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Oh, yes, I've seen about this dandelion syrup.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05It is beautiful to go with the chicken liver terrine.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11- That's lovely. It's got a nice bitterness from the dandelion.- Yeah.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13And that's the egg we boiled right in the hot spring.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15I know it's going to be delicious.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19And it's got birch-smoked salt and crushed pepper.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Mm!
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Beautiful egg. Full of flavour.
0:29:24 > 0:29:30And smoked trout pate with fennel and beetroot on the side,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34and basil pesto with, like, pine nut chunks and some garlic as well.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36There you go.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40Smorgasbord.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42YMIR LAUGHS
0:29:42 > 0:29:43Yeah.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44Well, how do you pronounce it?
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Smorrebrod.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Smorrebrod?
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Yeah! "Smorgasbord"?! Who's that? Who's that?!
0:29:51 > 0:29:53- No, it's "smorrebrod!" - Smorrebrod!
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Well, do you know, I was just thinking.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00You can stick all those little tropical places where you sit at
0:30:00 > 0:30:02a bar, you know... YMIR LAUGHS
0:30:02 > 0:30:04sit at the bar and have your cocktails.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05This beats it hands-down.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I'd just come for a long weekend here, I love swimming that much.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Then Ymir took me 30 minutes along the road
0:30:24 > 0:30:28to another volcanic spring to meet his friend, Viktor.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33Every day, he bakes fresh rye bread in the hot, sandy earth.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Welcome to my bakery!
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Beautiful.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Now, as you probably know, we have a lot of hot springs here in Iceland
0:30:41 > 0:30:43and there are three of them in this town.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Since the hot springs create an enormous amount of heat,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49all around them, we are able to bake all sorts of goods
0:30:49 > 0:30:52in the sand, so yesterday, I dug down Icelandic rye bread
0:30:52 > 0:30:55which has been baking now for 24 hours.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02I think my problem is I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05When I read about all this, about burying the bread and cooking it
0:31:05 > 0:31:07in the sand, I just thought,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09"Oh, yeah, that's just for the tourists."
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Fabulous! Look at that.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15I made this, actually, at home.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19I just thought, yeah, it's all right, but the smell of the sulphur,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22the sting in the air, the volcano at the back,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25it's one of those occasions when to be there,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29to taste the food where it came from, makes all the difference.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Plenty of butter.- Yep. - Beautiful.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Oh, really good contrast, this really salty butter
0:31:36 > 0:31:37and sweet rye bread.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42By the lake. Fabulous.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Now it's just a thought, but if you ever wanted
0:31:53 > 0:31:57to look the world in the eye, this would be the place.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05This is Strokkur, one of the most active geysers in Iceland.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08GEYSER ERUPTS
0:32:08 > 0:32:10It's an astonishing sight.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Every ten minutes or so,
0:32:12 > 0:32:16it shoots about 30 feet of boiling water into the air.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20You can tell, looking at the water there, when it's about to go,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23because it just gets more and more agitated.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25And it's getting like that now.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Actually, the water's more interesting
0:32:27 > 0:32:30because a great big hole appears after the steam,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34like it's going right down to the centre of the earth.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38I've seen this on the telly before but I didn't know that this
0:32:38 > 0:32:43massive sapphire ball of hot water surging from the heart of the Earth
0:32:43 > 0:32:45would have such an effect on me.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48It's quite magical.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01(Fabulous!)
0:33:02 > 0:33:07You can't come to Iceland and not visit the geysers. Honestly.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09It really is worth taking a few trips
0:33:09 > 0:33:11out of the city on a long weekend.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18Now, it's perfect time of year, in winter, to see the Northern Lights.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21They keep saying, "Any day now."
0:33:21 > 0:33:25But no. Reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29"Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but Northern lights?
0:33:29 > 0:33:30"Not today!"
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Back in town, it's suppertime.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Ragi Eiriksson is the chef at Dill,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46named after one of Iceland's favourite flavours.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Ragi is a pioneer of a new style of Icelandic cuisine
0:33:50 > 0:33:53using only local ingredients.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55It's a restaurant with attitude,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57and beards too!
0:33:59 > 0:34:02I really wanted to come to this restaurant.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06What I love about it is it's so down to earth
0:34:06 > 0:34:10and sort of, you know, there's nothing enormously showy about it.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14But it's really apparently the centre of what they call
0:34:14 > 0:34:17the new Nordic cuisine in Iceland.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21Ragi's already charred these chunks of cauliflower
0:34:21 > 0:34:23and now he fries them in butter.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25This is to go with my goose.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29It's a lovely bird and you don't often see it on a menu.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32He's serving the breast meat, barely seared,
0:34:32 > 0:34:38sitting on cauliflower puree, with a confit of leg meat too.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41There's a sauce made with goose stock and crowberries
0:34:41 > 0:34:43which grow plentifully here.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46They're sweet and very mild.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50Finally, of course a few freckles of dill oil.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52Thanks, Ragi.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Just remind me what these berries are called again.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56They're called crowberries.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58They grow quite abundantly all over Iceland.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01You can see they're very tart and sour
0:35:01 > 0:35:03so you got to use them in a balance.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06How would you sum up the food of Iceland then?
0:35:06 > 0:35:10I think if you have to describe the flavours you use,
0:35:10 > 0:35:16they are quite earthy, they're quite rugged and dark sometimes.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18We eat a lot of sheep
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and we don't have a lot of flowers or trees in Iceland.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28So it's more of these earthy... Earthy dark tastes.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Tell me about the idea of charring vegetables
0:35:32 > 0:35:33and actually burning them.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38Vegetables, to char like this, it brings out the carbohydrates
0:35:38 > 0:35:39and the bitterness of it.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44It is really like a bitter carbohydrate that is going to
0:35:44 > 0:35:47highlight the food, the taste itself.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50You have, for example, the creaminess of the puree,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53the tartness and the sourness of the crowberries
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and then you have this to balance it all out.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59It's funny because I'm from a generation that thinks
0:35:59 > 0:36:02burning vegetables is a bad thing, but as long as you do
0:36:02 > 0:36:05it in a controlled way, it's actually very nice.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- No wonder you're doing so well. - Thank you very much.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09RAGI LAUGHS
0:36:09 > 0:36:12That goose really was fab.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15I'm going on another trip out of town.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Sometimes it's best to let an expert drive,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22because although I'm only going an hour away, the weather has taken
0:36:22 > 0:36:28a turn for the worse, and over here, that could be pretty serious.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Well I'm in the west of Iceland on my way to a sheep farm
0:36:31 > 0:36:33with Gunnar, our driver.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36He's just said that we may not make it back
0:36:36 > 0:36:40because there's been a severe weather warning.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- They may close the road, isn't that right, Gunnar?- Yes, for sure.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46It's going to be very windy this afternoon.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49We're OK now, but you can feel that the car is moving a little
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- with the wind.- I'll say.- Yeah.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56You can see these hills and mountains here to our left.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01What happens is the wind will come over the mountain, down the hill
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and it hits this road here like an avalanche, and it will literally
0:37:05 > 0:37:07pick cars up and toss them off the road,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and that happens quite frequently.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- Will we get through, do you think?- I hope so.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I'll do our best my best to keep us safe and on the road.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Well, he did. We got there in one piece despite the wind
0:37:20 > 0:37:23and we didn't get blown off the road.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Now, if an Icelander isn't eating fish, you can be sure
0:37:28 > 0:37:33she's eating lamb, and that's what I'm looking for here.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I've been invited to lunch at the home of Atter
0:37:36 > 0:37:41and her family, who farm sheep high in the hills above a nearby fjord.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- Hello.- Hello.- Very nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you too.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46Welcome to my farm.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50I'm looking forward to going into your farmhouse.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Into the warm, into the warm. Please.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56'We've come during the month long festival of Thorrablot,
0:37:56 > 0:38:00'when families celebrate stories of the Norse gods
0:38:00 > 0:38:02'and the Viking sagas.'
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Mmm, baked sheep's head. Yummo!
0:38:06 > 0:38:12Thorrablot is a part of our old culture when we had different months
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and January, February and March....
0:38:15 > 0:38:20Thorri is the month now according to the old timetable.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- The pagan timetable? - Yes. Exactly.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28So we're having a midwinter festival with all the best that
0:38:28 > 0:38:30we can offer with food.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Atter's making a marinade for this lamb
0:38:37 > 0:38:41and I must say when I saw the recipe back in the UK, I really,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45really wanted to try this because the lamb is essentially
0:38:45 > 0:38:48marinated in wild blueberries.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51The blueberries grow wild all around here in the fjords
0:38:51 > 0:38:55so we like to use them. They are nice. They are sweet, tasteful.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58When I was looking through notes about Iceland,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00you've got a famous poet called Hallgrimsson?
0:39:00 > 0:39:05- Jonas Hallgrimsson, yes.- He writes about Iceland in the summer
0:39:05 > 0:39:10- and the hills outside there blue with blueberries.- Yes.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14It's beautiful. It's blue with blueberries, black with crowberries.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Gosh. I've got to come back in the summer. Anyway, back to...
0:39:20 > 0:39:24So you're squeezing those to get the juice out, I guess.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Yes, and it goes perfect with dried herbs.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31So now we put the liquid on the lamb.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34How long would you marinate that for now then?
0:39:34 > 0:39:37I would say we would have to marinate it like this
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- for at least four days.- Four days?
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- We're not going to be here for four days.- Well, we will find a way. OK.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48We will find a way. We always have solutions.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50'And sure enough, here's one she made earlier.'
0:39:53 > 0:39:56How long does that go in the oven for then?
0:39:56 > 0:40:00- We'll keep it in the oven for two hours now.- At 175?
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- Yes.- All right. Good.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Atter's sheep are very precious.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13This breed is descended directly from animals brought
0:40:13 > 0:40:16to Iceland by the Vikings.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19But even they've come in for refuge from the storm.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20The weather is that bad.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27I don't think I've ever been in a storm like it back in the UK,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31but in here, it's so comfortable.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36They are all enjoying this hay, which smells absolutely lovely.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Look at their satisfied faces.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Because of the storm, it just makes what is happening in here
0:40:42 > 0:40:44so much more lovely.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47I think this one is called Hildegard.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Jolly good name for a Viking sheep.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Atter's husband, Gumi, a fine man,
0:40:55 > 0:40:59has a little smokery on the hill where he cures his lamb.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02He's won awards for it too, so it must be good,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05although at first sight...
0:41:05 > 0:41:08- Can I try it?- You can try. I have to try also.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13Oh, that's really nice. What do you use to smoke it with then?
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- I used dry sheep shit. - Dry sheep shit?
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Yes, dry it and use wood a little bit with it.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25- A little bit of wood and dry sheep shit.- Then we get a strong smoke.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29- Very strong smoke.- Yeah. - I guess it is all herbal, isn't it?
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- Doesn't sound great. - No, it is not sounding so great.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- But it is tasting really, really nice.- People like it,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38if they are brave enough to try it.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40SINGING IN ICELANDIC
0:41:40 > 0:41:42The feast begins.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46The table is covered with traditional treats like
0:41:46 > 0:41:49lamb's testicles and the sheep's head I saw earlier.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Not all of them, I have to say, to my taste,
0:41:52 > 0:41:57but completely understandable coming out of this icy landscape.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00You would let nothing go to waste.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Among them, the succulent, blueberry-covered lamb
0:42:02 > 0:42:04which I've been waiting for.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07It tasted very gamey, as it should.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11After all, these lambs come from a wild landscape,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14but after two hours in the oven, it was perfectly cooked.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18Good meat.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I just wanted to say how very grateful I am for you
0:42:23 > 0:42:27to invite me into your family today and it has been just so interesting.
0:42:27 > 0:42:33- What do you say?- Skal. - Skal. Of course.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37'That farm was so special.'
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Freezing cold, but memorable it was,
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and I've come up with a recipe which brings back those fond memories.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49It's breaded lamb cutlets with spiced red cabbage and blueberries.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55First, fry some sliced onions in butter.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00The red cabbage is best cut into thin strips,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03added once the onions are starting to soften.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Then some large chunks of apple.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Peeled and cored, of course.
0:43:09 > 0:43:15About a cup of blueberries, along with a cinnamon stick,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18a few cloves and some dark brown sugar.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23I actually look forward to winter just for red cabbage,
0:43:23 > 0:43:28and as the Icelandic winter lasts so long and is so cold
0:43:28 > 0:43:33and so snowy, red cabbage is such a big part of what they eat.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37I just love that combination of sweet and sour,
0:43:37 > 0:43:42the red cabbage, the vinegar, the apple and some bramble jelly
0:43:42 > 0:43:45just to add to the illustrious sweetness and bring out the colour.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52Now, season and add a splash of water
0:43:52 > 0:43:54and leave to simmer for about an hour.
0:44:01 > 0:44:02So, this is called paneing.
0:44:02 > 0:44:07Basically you pass whatever you've got, in this case the best end chop
0:44:07 > 0:44:10first in flour, like that.
0:44:11 > 0:44:17And then in egg, beaten egg, like that.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Make sure you've got every bit coated and finally...
0:44:22 > 0:44:24..into breadcrumbs.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28Always better to do the whole lot in each rather than
0:44:28 > 0:44:30one after another, otherwise you end up
0:44:30 > 0:44:32with batter all over your fingers.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37So, I'm using best end chops which are the tenderest chops
0:44:37 > 0:44:39in a lamb, and really that's what
0:44:39 > 0:44:41I choose for egging and breadcrumbing
0:44:41 > 0:44:44because it tastes so good, so juicy.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48I'm also frying in butter so I have to be very careful.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Cook at a low temperature because I don't want to burn the butter.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54The flavour of just using butter is incomparable.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00The fruity spiced red cabbage is soft and sweet
0:45:00 > 0:45:05and almost jam-like, and it goes beautifully with this tender lamb.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09I'm sure they would have given a hearty thumbs up
0:45:09 > 0:45:11to my chops at the Thorrablot.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17I've made this dish three times now and it just seems to work
0:45:17 > 0:45:19so well with the red cabbage.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21It is absolutely delicious.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30Now this is an interesting story, I think.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39This is Elisabet Skuladottir, who owns the Sea Baron,
0:45:39 > 0:45:44one of the most popular tourist cafes in the city.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46They specialise in fish barbecued on skewers.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51Simple, fresh, delicious.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52But on Saturdays,
0:45:52 > 0:45:57she makes one particular Icelandic dish which I really ought to try.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Story has it that this cafe once belonged to a man
0:46:02 > 0:46:05we might call the Icelandic Hugh Hefner.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10He liked to be surrounded by attractive woman. No shortage here.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12When he died, he handed over to Elisabet,
0:46:12 > 0:46:16promising to go on enjoying the atmosphere even though
0:46:16 > 0:46:19he is now a model of his former self.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21RICK LAUGHS
0:46:22 > 0:46:26So Elisabet, can you explain what you are cooking here then?
0:46:26 > 0:46:29- This is our fermented skate.- It is a speciality for you then, is it?
0:46:29 > 0:46:31- Yes, it's a tradition for many years.- I have to say,
0:46:31 > 0:46:34I am not really liking the smells coming off here.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- Are you not? - This doesn't smell too good either.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39No, the taste is different. This is the fat from the inside
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- of a sheep's stomach and we put that over the fish.- Really?
0:46:42 > 0:46:44- Without this, it is not so good.- Really?
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Yeah, you have to keep it all together.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- It is not good without this very sheep-y smelling fat.- Yes.
0:46:50 > 0:46:57- And does everybody love it?- Not everybody but this is my favourite.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00If I was going to a restaurant, I would choose this over
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- everything else.- Really?- Yes.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05I am not actually enjoying the smell coming from there either.
0:47:05 > 0:47:06No, the taste is different.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08- Do you promise? - Yeah, don't judge by the smell.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12You have to take small pieces because you can burn your mouth.
0:47:12 > 0:47:13- You can burn your mouth?- Yes.- What?
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- Not with the heat but with the actual...- No, with the ammonia.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19- You can burn your mouth with ammonia?- Yes.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21If it is very strong, but this is a bit mild,
0:47:21 > 0:47:26so just take a small piece and don't breathe very hard because it will...
0:47:27 > 0:47:31- You get the ammonia in the back of your...- The ammonia will go...
0:47:31 > 0:47:34..in your throat. But it is good, I promise.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Well, I've had some bad experiences in my life.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42I once ate some very, very putrid fish beloved by the Thais,
0:47:42 > 0:47:44and the woman that was cooking it for me said,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48"No, no, it's not for you." I said, "No, I'll try it, I'll try it."
0:47:48 > 0:47:52And it came to the table in a swarm of flies.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58I'm used to it, but I'm nervous. I am nervous.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01At least you can say that you did try.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03That's more than more people can do.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06I think what I'm going to do, actually, I have this little plan,
0:48:06 > 0:48:11and whatever I eat, I expect the film crew to eat too.
0:48:11 > 0:48:12Yes, you should do that.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15- When I've tried it, I'm going to make them eat it.- I like that idea.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18FISH SIZZLES
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Oh, my God!
0:48:20 > 0:48:23This needs to be hot, otherwise it will be like eating candle wax.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28- The more you say, the worse it gets. I'm a bit nervous.- Are you ready?
0:48:31 > 0:48:35Because I have this reputation as being capable of
0:48:35 > 0:48:36tasting anything but, you know...
0:48:36 > 0:48:38- Anyway, let's get on with it. - It's OK.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43I've had grown men gagging over the bin eating rotten shark.
0:48:43 > 0:48:44It's OK. I've seen everything.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48I've just got to summon up a bit of courage now
0:48:48 > 0:48:51because the smell coming off of it is actually revolting.
0:48:51 > 0:48:52Here we go.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00- Crikey!- You've tasted before.- No, I haven't.- Yes, you have.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Just relax your face and enjoy it. Breathe in.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09I can't breathe in, it's coming out of my nose!
0:49:09 > 0:49:13It is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17Right, come on, come on, come on, come on. Come on!
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Actually, Rick...
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Come on! ELISABET LAUGHS
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Pete! Pete!
0:49:28 > 0:49:31Actually, it's not that bad.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40I love this church. It's the biggest in Iceland.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Something about its clean no-nonsense lines
0:49:43 > 0:49:46that I find really attractive.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49It's supposed to represent molten lava and it gives me
0:49:49 > 0:49:54the satisfying feeling that someone has got it totally right.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01In the front, a statue stands of Leif Erikson -
0:50:01 > 0:50:04an unsung hero of the sea,
0:50:04 > 0:50:08whose navigation skills have never been fully recognised.
0:50:08 > 0:50:13Leif "the Lucky" Erikson was reputed to have discovered America
0:50:13 > 0:50:17600 years before Christopher Columbus.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20I think that's why he was called "Lucky."
0:50:22 > 0:50:28Leif's statue was a gift from the United States in 1930,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31presumably as a thanks for discovering them -
0:50:31 > 0:50:33which is nice.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41As it's my last day, I'm taking a trip out of town
0:50:41 > 0:50:47to one of Iceland's most glorious and unmissable sights.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49A stunning force of nature.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50Gullfoss waterfall.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57It's the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls rolled into one
0:50:57 > 0:51:00and fed by a huge glacier.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07I really like it here.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11It stretches the mind. It gives the eyes a holiday.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22There's nothing like the cold for the sharpening of appetite.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26Time for lunch at a restaurant called Fjorubordid,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29in a village just outside Reykjavik.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32It started out as a sort of beach cafe,
0:51:32 > 0:51:36but every summer they did really well with their cooked langoustines.
0:51:36 > 0:51:41So well that in the end they came up with just two special dishes -
0:51:41 > 0:51:44fried langoustine tails and langoustine soup.
0:51:44 > 0:51:49Tourists came in shedloads to try it, and after every season,
0:51:49 > 0:51:51they added yet another dining room.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55The fried langoustine tails are very simple and, of course, delicious.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58But it's the soup everyone talks about.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01I'd hoped they'd give me a clue about how they make it
0:52:01 > 0:52:05and the secret of their success, but they didn't.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09It's so busy, they're going to have well over 100 people
0:52:09 > 0:52:11in here for lunch.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15If it's only one dish they come for, it's bound to be a good one.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17And indeed it is.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19But now I'm trying to work out what's in it,
0:52:19 > 0:52:22as they won't give me the recipe.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Pepper? Yes.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Cream? Yes.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Curry powder? Yes.
0:52:29 > 0:52:35Probably a stock made from fish and langoustine tails. Yes.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Delicious.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Langoustine soup, it's a secret recipe,
0:52:41 > 0:52:44but chefs are also sleuths, and I'm going to come up with a soup
0:52:44 > 0:52:46which I think will be better.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51It's quite easy to do langoustines.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53They need to be in good nick.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56Let me just show you what I mean by good nick.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00Whenever you get a lobster or a langoustine, flick the tail.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03If it goes back with the spring, you know you've got
0:53:03 > 0:53:05a good, firm meat inside. All these are like that.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09First of all, I just break the tail away from the head.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Squeeze the back shell until you hear it crack.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17A satisfying crack, as you break the shell.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21And pull off. There we go. I love doing things like this.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25I'm sure when people have lobsters, langoustines, prawns,
0:53:25 > 0:53:27they just throw the shells away.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Actually, there is more flavour in the shells
0:53:29 > 0:53:31than there is in the meat.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35I'm just crushing them now, to extract as much flavour as possible.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37There we go, all done.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40Onto the pan. Into the pan goes some butter.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43First, the shells go in.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Then roughly chopped onions, carrots and celery.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52A good glug of white wine and now for some fish stock.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Now, I'll bring that up to a rapid boil
0:53:58 > 0:54:01and leave it simmering for about an hour.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03So, in the other pan, first of all, melting some butter.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06You will note, there's quite a lot of butter in this dish,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08but Icelanders love their butter.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12It's very much what they do, butter in everything.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15So, first of all, some chopped onions in there.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17And now I'm adding some curry powder.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19It's just a little background flavour
0:54:19 > 0:54:22and it works a treat in a shellfish soup like this one.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26There was plenty of tomato puree, red peppers
0:54:26 > 0:54:30and I think I detected a hint of Tabasco.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Anyway, it's going in. And lots of fresh tomatoes.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35And now, in goes the stock.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39This smells absolutely lovely.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44Plenty of cream, too. And then blitz.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47But it wasn't that hard to, sort of, deduce what else
0:54:47 > 0:54:49was in the langoustine soup.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Mainly, because I've had so many similar soups all over the place
0:54:52 > 0:54:54in my time.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57So, I just sort of built up through my knowledge
0:54:57 > 0:54:59and I think I've got pretty much what they did.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03I might send it to them, the recipe, and say, "Well...?"
0:55:03 > 0:55:06And finally, the langoustine tails go into the hot soup.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09That's only enough to heat them through.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12So, there we go. Ready to serve.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Yum.
0:55:15 > 0:55:20Do you know, I think that's the best damn soup I've ever made.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27It's my last night, I'm meeting up with my friend Ymir again.
0:55:27 > 0:55:32He won't let me leave Iceland until I try one last dish.
0:55:32 > 0:55:37I've been avoiding it like the plague, but tonight is the night.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I'm looking forward to having some of your fermented shark.
0:55:43 > 0:55:44Shark.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- It smells horribly.- OK.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49And it tastes not as horribly as it smells.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52- It smells way worse than it tastes.- OK.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55But the good news is, with the fermented shark,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- which is in this jar... - Yeah?- It's sealed,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01because the smell is going to overtake the whole place.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03- Oh, right.- But the good news... This is the good news.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- So, that's your friend.- OK. - And that's your enemy.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10So, your friend is the Brennivin, which is a potato-based vodka,
0:56:10 > 0:56:1240% proof.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16We also call it, "Black Death," cos beer was illegal
0:56:16 > 0:56:19until 1989 in Iceland.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22- We could drink that all the time, the moonshine.- But not beer?
0:56:22 > 0:56:25But not beer. They would smuggle in the beer.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28You know, you could have it if you have a fisherman or a sailor...
0:56:28 > 0:56:30That is so funny. So, in any other country,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32you smuggled in the moonshine.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35- Not in this country.- In this country, you smuggled in the beer.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37I know. So, before I open the jar,
0:56:37 > 0:56:41please, take a toothpick and then pick a piece.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Oh, God!
0:56:43 > 0:56:46Right, you've got to go too.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Yeah. Damn it, I thought I could get away with it.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51- Do you like it?- No, I don't. I like that, but I don't like this.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- OK.- I would never have that, unless I can drink a shot afterwards.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57OK.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Argh! All right.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02- Skal!- Skal!
0:57:02 > 0:57:03Argh!
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Oh!
0:57:17 > 0:57:21- Is that fun?- Actually, it is fun, you know.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24It's sort of, in a curious way,
0:57:24 > 0:57:27because you know you're not going to die...
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Well, this is really healthy.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31You know, you Vikings don't die when you eat it.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34Now I've done it, I just think it's sort of like a celebration in a way,
0:57:34 > 0:57:37because it's sort of exciting.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40You've got this nervousness and it you try
0:57:40 > 0:57:43and it is terrible, but you eat it.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45- You chew it, not too much, so it doesn't stick in your teeth.- No!
0:57:45 > 0:57:49Then you whack back the Black Death and you think, "Yeah!"
0:57:49 > 0:57:50- And then everybody is happy.- Yeah.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53- It's a good idea. - Yeah.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55- I might stick to my... - Yeah!
0:57:55 > 0:57:57- Skal!- Skal!
0:57:57 > 0:58:02So, my long weekend is over and no Aurora Borealis.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04But on the way to the airport, suddenly,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07there is a glow in the distance. Could it be?
0:58:07 > 0:58:12No, it's a tomato farm, heated by geothermal power.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16A fabulous sight, but not the Northern Lights.
0:58:16 > 0:58:20Never mind, Reykjavik has been wonderful.
0:58:20 > 0:58:25Definitely quirky, but most of all - loads of fun.