Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Lamb and Root Vegetable Soup) 🐑

Méthode

1. 1

   Cover the lamb with cold water in a deep pot, bring slowly to a simmer and skim the grey froth as it rises — a patient skim is the whole secret of a clear Icelandic broth.

2. 2

   Add the halved onion and pearl barley, then simmer gently, partly covered, for about an hour until the lamb is nearly tender.

3. 3

   Lift out the meat, strip it from the bone and chop it back into bite-size pieces; return it to the pot with the swede, carrots and turnip. Cook 20 minutes, then add the potatoes and simmer until everything is soft, 15–20 minutes more.

4. 4

   Season well with salt and pepper; the soup should taste robust enough to stand up to a headwind.

5. 5

   Ladle into bowls with a chunk of lamb in each and a shower of chopped lovage or parsley. Serve with rúgbrauð, the sweet dark Icelandic rye bread, buttered.