Icky food

[pengolodh_sc]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter, "davewitley" wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter, "mecki987" wrote:
> 
> > Okay, folks from all over the world- try to beat the icky factor!
> 
> Tripe, Sybill?
> 
> David

You WANT icky food?  I'll be all too happy to oblige!  I'll start 
with fried tongue of codfish - my main complaint against this dish 
(yes, I have eaten it, on more than one occasion) is that the surface 
where the tongue was cut off, is slick and slippery even after it has 
been fried, and gives a certain slimy feel when you swallow it.  

Then we can talk Smalehove:  

The name smalehove stems from the elderly Norwegian noun "smal" 
(or "smale"), 
which means sheep, and the noun "hove", which is a local variation of 
the noun "hode", which means head. The principal ingredient of the 
dish should thus be apparent to all and sundry.

The dish is prepared as follows:

Pick a healthy-looking, Scrapie-free sheep.

Cut off all the wool (carefully; professional help can be hired in 
most circumstances) - save for later, and learn how to knit.

Cut the head off said sheep.

Scorch the remaining wool off the head, while at the same time 
grilling the skin to a nice, golden crisp. Take care not to scorch 
the skin, however. Automated machines are available that perform 
this task.

Wash the head in a washing-machine.

Chop the head (longitudinally) in two pieces.

Remove brain and brain-stem, and clean the nose.

Wash the half heads in a washing-machine.

Boil the half heads for six hours.

Serve with 'taters, mashed Swedes (Danes if Swedes are out of 
season) and Akevitt. Lots of Akevitt. Connoisseurs know not to 
eat the cartilage of the ear and the black part of the eye.

---

Here's an alternate instruction-manual for smalehove:
* Take a sheep and cut off its head.
* Divide the head in two halves
* Clean the head, i.e., remove the brain and other rubbish lying 
around inside the head. NB!!!! <b>DO NOT REMOVE THE TONGUE OR THE 
EYES!!!!!!</b>
* Find a gas burner with a good flame, and scorch the head. Thus you 
remove the wool, and the head gets its nice brown colour, all in one 
go.
* Let the head soak in soda-water for 24 hours.
* Wash and scrub the head with a steel brush
* Then put the head in a salt-brine for three days
* Smoke the head

Thus you cook Smalehove:
* Find a big pan and put the head(s) in it.
* Fill the pan with water so that the head(s) is (are) completely 
covered
* Boil *slowly* for ca. 3 hours
* For the last half hour add Swedes
* Smalahove is served with boiled potatoes and turnips
* Liquid accompaniment should be either Akevitt or potatoes refined 
at home by methods not entirely legal

Thus you eat Smalehove:
* Almost everything on the head is edible. The only inedible stuff is 
the skull and the teeth.
* Before eating the tongue, remember to remove the skin. It is not 
good to eat.
* When you slurp the eyes, you're allowed to leave the little black 
thing
* The best part is the meat on the chin and below the ears.
* You can get an extra oomph out of the eyes if you allow them to 
soak for a few seconds in your glas of Akevitt, before you take it 
all down the hatch.
* Enjoy the food, and not the least the liquids!

(The term Swedes refers to Swedish turnips, or rutabagers, (we call 
it kålrabi in Norway) if anyone was in doubt)
---

In coastal regions in Northern Norway, they do a similar thing to 
codfish-heads.  

In the regions where people traditionally eat smalehove, they also 
eat something called værraball ("Ramball" when translated into 
English).  I have not indulged.

Culinary regards
Christian Stubø
Wondering if there are any Swedes present willing to share their view 
on surstrømming