Fit to Burst before Lent

Perhaps I'm a little late posting something long after the event, but I ate too much on Shrove Tuesday and was too stuffed to move anywhere near a computer keyboard!
Deciding to indulge my passion for Scandinavian/Icelandic food I put together some jam and cream-filled buns. They're just like choux buns but have the very naughty but nice filling combination plus they're topped in chocolate.

My pancakes went down the savoury route and I made the batter with a good slosh of cider. It's not uncommon to use beer, so why not cider?
I mixed together some flaked smoked mackerel, prawns, creme fraiche and horseradish, filled the pancakes. I drizzled them with a little cream, grated some cheddar and parmesan cheese over the top and baked them in the oven until hot and bubbling.
To offset the stodge and pangs of guilt I served them with a salad.

For those intrigued by what the Icelandic people do at this time of year read on...

Bolludagur: Bun Day
Bolludagur is a Lenten festival and takes place on the Monday, just before what we'd call Shrove Tuesday and Icelanders traditionally stuff themselves with cream-filled buns.

The custom dates from the late nineteenth century and was probably introduced by Danish or Norwegian bakers, although some edible treats would have been eaten on this day much earlier.

Much of the bun eating now takes place on Sunday, however, since Monday is a workday and there's less time for baking, well at least for those inclined to do a spot of home baking. Although, these days it is very easy to buy ready-made ones from the shops.

This day also used to be called flengingardagur (Spanking Day). In earlier and exceptionally devout times, Catholic people would flagellate themselves, to be reminded of the pain endured by Jesus. Later, this practice evolved into a comical parody of sorts and people began spanking each other!
The aim of the 'game' is try and catch someone still in bed and give them a good beating, using a special wand. Children give their parents a merciless wake-up call using their brightly decorated sticks, and for every whack of the wand and shouts of Bolla! bolla! bolla, they expect to be rewarded with a bun.

Bun Day is big business for Icelandic bakeries. It is estimated that they sell around one million buns on or around the day, which means almost four buns for every Icelander!

Sprengidagur: Bursting Day
On Shrove Tuesday (the day before Lent) every Icelandic home and most restaurants flood with the aroma of salted meat (usually lamb) and peas. The name Sprengidagur refers to the idea that the individual feasts on this hearty dish to the point of bursting.



Photos: ©childsdesign 2011