Whale Recipes
A rare delicacy
Eiður Guðnason, Iceland
When I was growing up in the late forties and early fifties in Reykjavík, Iceland, whalemeat was frequently on the table in my home, especially during the summer months. This was usually meat from the larger whales which are not hunted now, even though some stocks are so plentiful that culling would probably be beneficial to the marine ecosystem.
In those days, the meat was not as fresh when it came to our table as it was in later years. Therefore it tended to have an oily taste that I, as a child, did not find very appealing. But my mother had a method to remedy this. She soaked the whale meat in milk overnight, which greatly improved it -- and the oily taste disappeared.
But why did we eat whalemeat?
First of all, we were not a rich family. Whalemeat was inexpensive. It was a nutritious and wholesome food. In earlier centuries, lacking the boats and equipment to catch whales at sea, beached whales were a boon to an often starving population in a poor country. The beached marine mammals saved many a life. The word for a beached whale in Icelandic "hvalreki" actually means an unexpected event of great luck or good fortune; some have translated it as a "god send". In modern terms you could say it was a lottery prize.
Therefore it made me boiling mad several years ago, to listen to a parliamentarian from the U.K. state in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly that " eating whalemeat was no better than cannibalism". That poor man was as far removed from nature and the realities of life as it is possible to be.
But how did my mother prepare the whalemeat more than half a century ago ? It was relatively simple, as indeed was almost all cooking in Iceland at that time.
She cut the meat into thin slices, about one cm thick, pounded it lightly and then rolled it in flour that had been seasoned with salt and ground white pepper (the only kinds of spice that were used for cooking in my home as far as I remember in those days). Then the slices were pan fried in margarine until they were really well done and soft. Then some water was added to the pan, some gravy flavouring and maybe some more flour or maizena for thickening the gravy. To this she added lightly fried or sauteed onion. When boiled or mashed potatoes and home-made rhubarb jam had been added, you had a delicious meal which became even better when the leftovers were warmed up in the evening.
In those days, we also had whale blubber quite often on the table, especially in the winter time. It had been boiled and then marinated in whey, in wooden barrels for some weeks in a cold storeroom. A delicacy I have not tasted for years, but the thought of it makes my mouth water.
Today, things are a little different. Whale meat has been hard to get in Iceland, and only occasionally would you get minke whale meat or dolphin meat -- accidental bycatches, which of course, are not thrown away as some extremists no doubt would want us to do. I gladly confess that I love whale meat. It is delicious and healthy (no cholesterol!) and fun to cook on the barbecue.
It is difficult to give an exact recipe. To cook a good meal you have to have a special feeling, a kind of love for the materials you are handling, and lots of imagination does not hurt either. If these qualities are not present, the results can be disasterous!
Choose minke whale or dolphin meat that is as fine-grained as possible. Avoid the pieces with white sinewy spots. Cut the meat into portion-sized steaks 2-3 cm thick.
I usually prepare a marinade, and the only limits there are your imagination and the contents of your fridge. Experiment, and let your mind roam. Be bold! But of course, the meat can also be cooked without marinating it. Here is a very informal suggestion for a marinade:
Virgin olive oil, or Canola oil
Soya sauce
Maple Syrup (Approximately one third of each, but you choose!)
To this I add some fresh or dried herbs (e.g., thyme, tarragon, parsley). Then maybe some Aromat, Seasoned salt and Lemon pepper or freshly ground black pepper. Minced garlic, and especially minced ginger, also go very well with this. You can also add some oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, and/or a little barbecue sauce. There are many different varieties of barbecue sauces, but use it sparingly as it often has a very dominating, smoky taste.) A little bit of honey mustard is not a bad idea, even some tomato paste. Never use tomato ketchup -- it is far too sweet and spoils the whole thing.
Brush the whale steaks with this marinade and let them stand in a covered dish in your fridge for an hour or two, turning them once or twice.
Warm up the grill or the barbecue. (The meat can also be pan-fried of course). Put the heat on high, and then put the steaks on. Giving the cooking time is always difficult, since barbecues are so vastly different. By experience you soon learn, just by feeling the side of the steak with a fork whether it is rare, medium rare, or well done. Turn the steaks once or twice. How long you cook the steaks is something you have to learn by experience. Use the remaining marinade to brush the steaks a couple of times while they are on the barbecue. Do not use a brush with plastic hairs!
Suggested serving: Green salad and sliced tomatoes, baked potato and corn on the cob.
Bon appetit !
P.S.
A good way to enjoy the choicest pieces of whale and dolphin meat is simply to cut it into thin, beef stroganoff-like strips, dip them into soya sauce and eat them raw. There are few culinary delicacies that beat that. - Enjoy!
Eiður Guðnason, Iceland