Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 102
FAR FAROE AWAY
this former hjallur has been transformed into a high-end
culinary cabin that can be wheeled about the islands’
dramatic landscapes and occasionally beyond.
Lunch at Skerpi begins on its small jetty, where dripping
ropes descend into wrinkled waters. Sebastián hauls them
up one by one, revealing bags filled by the invisible hand
of their local diver. There are horse mussels big as a fist,
a horde of queen scallops clattering like castanets. In one
sack, quavering sea urchins share their temporary residence
with a bottle of sea-cooled champagne.
As the wind whips the fire-warmed cabin, we’re served
mahogany clams that live to 450. Sliced raw, the delicate meat
is teamed with phenomenal chervil granita and currant
flowers. The sea urchins, a personal nemesis from years in
Japan, are the best I’ve eaten. Refreshing brine counters the
curious creaminess and, for the first time ever, I go back for
more, smearing the satsuma-hued meat on grilled sourdough.
The extraordinary horse mussel is an oversized creature
served in charcoal-blistered scythes. Topped with pickled
kohlrabi, the meaty flesh is as soft as pâté – and smoky. It is
unbelievably good, and it seems unfathomable that this worldbeating seafood has remained a relative secret. But then, this
Faroese treasure trove has been safeguarded by its isolation
and has to be visited to be believed. It’s a cuisine inextricably
linked to this wild, fantastical environment.
‘When nature’s involved, you’ll never control
ROKS is Ræst’s laid-back
the processes,’ smiles Sebastián. ‘Which I think
sister restaurant; more
is amazing. That keeps it even more magical.’ T
casual, with friendly
young service, but with
the same elevated
attention to detail in
the food and wine
G L O S S A R Y
Angelica A sweet
herb, also known
as wild celery
Brunsviger
Traditional sweet
Danish bread
generously topped
with butter and
brown sugar
Chervil A delicate
herb related to
parsley, with a mild
anise-like flavour
Heimablídni
Home hospitality
Hjallur A traditional
Faroese drying shed
Horse mussels
A large mussel
species that grows
to around 20cm
Fulmar An edible
seabird related to
the albatross
Mahogany clam
The oldest animal in
the Faroes, these
large clams can live
for centuries
New make
Un-aged whisky
Ocean spaghetti
A fronded brown
seaweed, also known
as thongweed
Queen scallops
A small scallop
known for its delicate,
sweet flavour
Ræst Meaning
‘fermented’, ræst
meat and fish
are wind-dried
for months
Sea truffle A red
seaweed with
a white truffle flavour
Shio koji
Fermented Japanese
seasoning made
from koji spores, salt
and water
Skerpikjøt Winddried fermented
sheep legs
Sugar kelp A large
brown seaweed used
in both savoury and
sweet foods
