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Smalahove

The Norwegian west-coast classic of salted, smoked and steamed sheep's head, served with buttery swede mash and almond potatoes. Traditionally eaten around St Martin's Day and Christmas, with the ear and the eye taken first and a dram of akevitt alongside.

MainsUnder 400 kcal
200 min20 prep · 180 cookMedium206 kcalper serving
Smalahove

Instructions

  1. Check 1 salted and smoked half sheep's head over: scrape away any bristle the singeing missed with a small knife, rinse the ear canal and the cut face of the skull under cold running water, and scrub the skin clean.
  2. Put the head in a deep bowl or bucket and cover with 1.5 l cold water. Leave to soak 8-12 hours, or overnight, in a cool place, changing the water once halfway through; this pulls out enough salt that the meat is seasoned rather than harsh. Drain and pat dry.
  3. Bring a few centimetres of water to a steady simmer in a large, deep pot fitted with a rack or an upturned heatproof plate. Set the head on the rack cut side down, ear pointing up, so it steams rather than boils. Cover tightly and steam over low-medium heat for 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes and topping up with boiling water so the pot never runs dry.

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Per serving

206kcal
4gprotein
31gcarbs
9gfat
6gfibre

Computed from the ingredients against a food database, not estimated. The full nutrient table is in the app.

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