Lip-smacking Lardlet Lunacy

Greetings my dear friends and faithful readers; I am oh so excited about this month’s Culinary Q & A because I received a question that brought back a delicious little nugget of goodness back into the forefront of my mind. I've abandoned my usual three question format in order to focus solely on what I believe has been a forgotten ingredient in many a kitchen. With the winter months just around the corner, I have been turning my attention to warm rich comfort foods more and more. Apparently, so has reader Hans, who wrote:

Q: Geir, I love a good pot roast, but no matter how hard I try, the meat always turns out dry and bland. What can I do to keep the roast moist, juicy and succulent?

A: Thanks for the question Hans. Now, the first thing to remember about pot roast; the meat must not be prepared in a speustic fashion. It takes time and great care to cook a moist succulent pot roast. So, if your thinking you can throw a roast in the oven at high heat and it will be perfectly cooked in thirty minutes; well, you should probably think about having something else for dinner. But any culinary advice columnist could tell you to cook the pot roast low and slow and move on to the next question; but this HomeLife magazine, and I'm Geir Ragnar, and I know you've come to expect more from us.

The answer in preparing pot roast perfection lies in a luscious little morsel of pork fat goodness called a lardlet. Now, those of us who have ever popped open a can of baked beans or pork and beans have seen lardlets floating around in the sauce; but few have actually seen or used them in other applications. The pot roast, my friend, is another is another dish that benefits greatly by the use of the lardlet.

For those who may not know, a lardlet is a small piece of bacon that is put into a dish to enrich it with fat. As we all know, fat equals flavor, but the lardlet also enhances the pot roast by keeping it moist and providing it with just a hint of smokiness. The end result will provide your meat with a depth of flavor and richness few have had the pleasure of experiencing in a pot roast.

Culinary Q&A with Geir Ragnar

Greetings, my dear friends. Welcome to my new column for Home Life magazine. I am eager to share my thoughts and views with you and I am delighted to be part of the Home Life community. The initial response to my new column was overwhelming. I received so many e-mails, it was hard to choose the ones to respond to. If your question is not addressed in this issue, fear not; it may be addressed in the months to come. So without further adue, let’s get started with your questions.

The first question I would like to address came from a young lady named Eva. I received her question not from an e-mail, but from a chance encounter at a local park. She asked me if she could ask me her question in person or if she had to send an email. I had her ask me at that time and her question was this:
Q: Geir, when I use butter to cook my eggs, they do not stick to the pan; yet, if I use olive oil, they stick. Why?

A: Eva, as you know, I was initially stumped since I always use butter in my pans to cook eggs. I went home and tried the olive oil to see if I would have the same problems you encountered. I did not. The eggs did not stick to my pan using olive oil. So, the oil is not the problem. What is the issue then? I don’t know. It could be the way you prepare your eggs. I made an omlett, if I would have scambled eggs, I could have had a different result. Also, with oil, you may need to get it hotter, since it has a higher smoke point. Unfortunately, Eva, I do not have a definative answer. All I can say is to try it with the oil hotter or try making an omlett with the olive oil. Perhaps we will meet again in the park someday, and you can let me know your results.

Q: Geir, Slátur, or blood pudding, is my husband’s favorite meal, yet I can not seem to get it as “smooth” as his mother made it. Do you have any suggestions? - Dadda from Hella, Iceland.

A: First of all Dadda, let me say that I am glad that you are making your own Slátur and not buying it from the supermarket. It is becoming a lost art, and frankly, the supermarket varieties just aren't very good. There are a couple of suggestions I can give you that may help. First, if you want your Slátur to have a smoother texture, try chopping the fat fine, so that you can not see the fat when eaten. Also, I believe that it is extremely important to never mix your Slátur with anything other than your hands. The hands are the best tools that you have in the kitchen.

Q: Geir, since you are from Iceland, I just wanted to know your own personal thoughts on Hákarl. - James from Syracuse, NY.

A: Ahh, James, I was wondering if someone would email me about Hákarl. For those of you who do not know, Hákarl (meaning ‘shark’ in Icelandic) is rotten shark meat. It is known for its pungent taste and smell of ammonia. The reason the shark is basically allowed to rot is simple; the shark meat is poisonous before the curing process begins. In Iceland, the predominant sharks are Greenland sharks. Greenland sharks do not have urinary tracts and; therefore, must secrete their urine from their skin. As a result, high amounts of uric acid become so concentrated in the shark that eating even some of it can potentially cause people to vomit blood. By allowing the shark to fully decay and be cured, the acid is removed from the flesh; making it easier to digest.
Now that you know what the dish is, let me say that I have tremendous respect for the tradition of Hákarl and I do eat it. Hákarl looks somewhat normal, like any other fish, but there's something about un-refrigerated meat hanging on hooks, unprotected from the elements that makes some a little nervous. I would not say that it is the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing I have ever eaten. It is, though, an aquired taste.

A Special Message from Home Life

Home Life Presents: Culinary Q&A with Geir Ragnar

Home Life is pleased to announce Culinary Q&A with Geir Ragnar. In this new column, award winning chef and culinary mastermind, Geir Ragnar, will be answering questions from you, the reader.

Geir was born and raised in the seaport town of Akranes, Iceland. At the age of ten, Geir’s father was killed in an accident at the aluminum smelting plant where he was employed. Geir’s mother assumed the role of the primary breadwinner for the family, and worked night and day in order to give her five children a good life. Geir, seeing his mother exhausted after a long day at work, began cooking and preparing all the meals for his family.

After learning traditional Icelandic recipes and experimenting with new ingredients and flavors, Geir knew he wanted to become a chef. Geir attended Le Cordon Blue in Paris, France and completed his culinary education at the top of his class. After graduating from Le Cordon Blue, Geir returned to Iceland and was inspired to open his own restaurant; the world renowned Restaurant Lækjarbrekka.

Now, as a modern Icelandic chef, Geir is known for placing an emphasis on the quality of the available ingredients rather than age-old cooking traditions and methods. As a three-time winner of the annual Food and Fun chef’s competition, Geir Ragnar has established himself as one of Iceland’s most innovative chef’s.

Home Life is delighted to give you the chance to get advice and opinions from one of the most influential Icelandic chef’s of our generation. If you have a culinary question or would like to know Geir’s thoughts on ingredients, techniques, tools, or traditions, please submit your questions to homelife.geirragnar@gmail.com; and be sure to check our next issue to see if Geir responds to your question.