Christmas Skate

December 23rd in Iceland sees many people indulging in a traditional fish meal to see in the start of the Christmas celebrations. The meal consists of boiled skate, boiled potatoes and lambs fat. I have to say it's a bit of an acquired taste as you can smell a hint of ammonia when its served (Ok maybe a bit more than a hint!). I have been reliably informed that the fish is too toxic to eat when fresh and so has to be "buried for 3 months" before cooking! Probably one for the more adventurous amongst you, but it's definitely worth a try, although having a ready supply of alcohol nearby is recommended!

It'll probably come as no surprise to hear that many people here now substitute this meal for pizza :)

Thanks to Binna for inviting me to try the skate.

Update: Hmm just seen this. Maybe it's not such a good idea to get more people eating skate: Fish to avoid.