From Iceland — THE SKYR CHRONICLES: Spaghetti Skyr-fredo, Icealy or Itland?

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York Underwood

Many people describe Skyr as Icelandic “yogurt,” but it’s actually a cheese. Traditional Skyr is really high in protein, but most of the small cups you buy in grocery stores and gas stations are packed with sugar. I’m not Icelandic. I moved here over a year ago and I’m fascinated by Skyr.

I’ve experimented with it–sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing miserably. I’ve written down all my successes. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Spaghetti Skyr-fredo:

Italians are notoriously worried about losing their cuisine to foreign bastardization. This is probably because they’ve never won a war. Iceland has never had a standing army, but did win its only war. Sure, it was a Cod War, but it was against Britain, a previously relevant and formerly great navy. Spaghetti Skyr-fredo is a delicious take on a TV-dinner staple. When you initially finish the sauce it might be a bit thick, so thin it out with milk.

Feel free to make it chicken skyr-fredo, but that’s a lot of protein.

You better have a salad with it…

Ingredients:

3 Cloves of Garlic
A tub of Skyr
Parmesan Cheese
160g of Butter
Milk
Salt, Pepper, Pesto and Basil for garnish

Directions:

Peel, smash and dice your garlic.
Melt 160g of butting in medium sauce pan and throw in the diced garlic.
Pour in the full 500g tub of skyr and whisk on medium low heat until absolutely smooth.
Pour enough parmesan cheese in until the sauce has the right flavour for you (some like more and others less). Season with salt, pepper and whisk until smooth. Turn the heat down to low and add milk until the sauce is the right consistency (adding milk also adds a sweetness which counter acts the tangy-bitterness of the skyr).
Make spaghetti by following the instructions on the bag. I salt my water until it tastes like the Aegean Sea.
Start with smaller servings. This is really filling. Garnish with fresh basil and half a teaspoon of pesto.