Cod and blueberries? I know, but trust me on this. I was recently in Reykjavik and came across this charming little culinary shop named, RAM. I only had a jam-packed carry-on suitcase but insisted on getting some kind of small memorabilia. Svavar, the owner of the store, cookbook author and Iceland TV personality, introduced himself to me and was kind enough to show me around and give me tips on food to try while in Iceland. Now, normally I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new food, but fermented shark? I had to pass on that one but I did have some incredible seafood, meat soup and a mouth-watering, not so American but oh so delicious, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog.

Where else in the world can you walk on a glacier (Sólheimahjökull), run behind a waterfall (Seljalandsfoss) and swim in a geothermal pool (Blue Lagoon), all in the same day? Iceland really is the Land of Fire and Ice and such a magically beautiful country. I booked many of my tours and found out so much information about Iceland from this wonderful site, www.iheartreykjavik.net. I think I was on this site every day leading up to trip because it is so informative and kept making me more and more excited!

It was my moms birthday trip to Iceland, just us two girls, so I had to make sure to do something out of the ordinary (as if walking on a glacier isn’t unusual enough). She used to ride horses, so I decided to take a tour on Viking horses one day. This was my first time on a horse and HOW FUN!

Since Iceland is beautifully surrounded by water, they have some incredibly tasty seafood. Svavar was telling me about different flavoured Icelandic sea salt (can buy online) that would go great with seafood and different meats, so I HAD to have it – plus it easily fit into my carry-on. I bought the black lava, garlic, rhubarb and blueberry sea salt and they have not disappointed me yet. They make the blueberry salt by marinating it in Icelandic wild blueberries and then drying it at a low temperature. I have been loving it on different fish but especially on cod and salmon lately because they are so easy, inexpensive and readily available. The blueberry sea salt is so unique and flavourful that all you need is a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of the salt and you are ready to go! The sweetness from the blueberries balances out the saltiness from the fish, and the thyme and wild rice add a savory, earthy flavour. Even if you don’t have blueberry salt, you can still get the rich blueberry taste from the sauce and rice. The blueberry salt is quite coarse and I love how it melts into the fish while cooking, so if using regular sea salt, try to get a more coarse option to get the same effect. Enjoy with your favourite white wine!

Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the fish:

• ¾ – 1 lbs (3-4 filets) cod
• 1 tsp blueberry salt (or regular sea salt)
• pinch of pepper (white pepper is preferred)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• slice of lemon for each filet

For the blueberry wild rice:

• ½ large white onion, chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)
• 1 shallot, chopped (about ⅓ cup)
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1½ cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used homemade veggie)
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup blueberries
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp + 1 pat (½ tbsp) butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt

For the blueberry thyme compote:

• ¾ cup blueberries
• ½ tbsp butter
• ½ chopped shallot (about a heaping tbsp)
• ¼ tsp thyme
• ¼ tbsp flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 1-2 tsp water

Preparation:

Start by making the blueberry wild rice. Cook the chopped onion and shallot in the oil and 1 tbsp of butter in a large pot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of wild rice and stir for 30 seconds getting it coated in the butter and oil. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil, should take about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in 1 pat of butter, blueberries and lemon juice and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, let’s prepare the blueberry thyme compote. In a small saucepan, cook the shallot in the butter for 2 minutes on medium low heat. Add the salt, pepper, flour and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add the blueberries, nutmeg and water. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat stirring every once in a while. Blend with an immersion blender until almost completely smooth. Stir in lemon juice and cook for 1 minute longer. Set aside while preparing the fish.

To prepare the cod, preheat the oven to 375°F. Salt and pepper the cod on both sides. Lightly coat the bottom of a shallow baking dish with ½ tbsp oil, add the cod and then the remaining oil on top. Bake in the oven 12-14 minutes. Serve with the blueberry sauce, rice and a squeeze of lemon.