This episode is something I haven’t done before. It’s a special episode recorded during the Matey Seafood Festival on Iceland’s Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, also called the Westman Islands. There are a number of interviews and soundbites from people that live there, as well as Shruthi Basappa, a food writer from the Reykjavík Grapevine, and some of the visiting chefs that came for the festival, Cúán Greene of
in Ireland and Adam Qureshi from Kol in London. I spent much of the summer of 2019 on the island of Heimaey, the only inhabited island there, there while writing the book about the restaurant Slippurinn with the chef there, Gísli Matthías Auðunsson, aka Gísli Matt. I’ve a relationship with Iceland that extends far prior to this book, however, and I’ll explain that a little more later on. It was quite fun to put this together so, I hope you enjoy it. I might do some more in the field recording in the future.EXTRA: Select dishes from Matey’s guest chefs using local seafood
Pollock steamed in sugarkelp, kelp butter, saltbaked new potatoes & saffron from Cúán Greene of Ómós at Slippurinn.
Cod carnitas with buckwheat tortillas, cod pil pil, smaelki potatoes, cod cheeks, sea urchin and habanero salsa from Adam Qureshi of Kol at Gott.
Slow cooked cod in brown butter, orange glaze & celeriac cake from Adrien Bouquet at Næs.
Tuscany Panzanella: shrimp, capelin roe, lardo di Colonnata and burrata from Francesco Triscornia at Einsi Kaldi.
Pastel de elote: sweetcorn cake with “súrmjólk,” berries, chamomile and dulse macha from Adam Qureshi of Kol at Gott.
Scallop & “slátur” dumplings, cabbage, lamb broth, & sea truffles from Cúán Greene of Ómós at Slippurinn.
For more information:
- The Matey Seafood festival
- Iceland’s Vestmannaeyjar archipelago
Episode #73: The Matey Seafood Festival