Slátur literally means 'slaughter.' Lifrarpylsa is made during the autumn sheep cull — rich in iron, deeply earthy, and tied to Viking-era thrift.
Ingredients
- 1 kg sheep's liver, trimmed
- 250g sheep or beef suet, finely diced
- 200g rye flour, 150g rolled oats
- 500ml whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse salt, 1 tsp ground allspice (optional)
- Cleaned sheep stomach pouches or synthetic casings
Preparation
- Grind or process liver to a smooth purée.
- Mix with suet, rye flour, oats, salt, and allspice. Stir in milk to a thick sticky batter. Rest 30 minutes.
- Spoon into pouches, leaving room to expand. Sew tightly shut.
- Prick each pouch 4–5 times. Simmer in salted boiling water, uncovered, 2–2.5 hours.
- Serve warm with mashed rutabaga, or cooled and sliced on rye bread with a little sugar.
Chef's tips
- Pricking prevents explosions as oats swell — do not skip.
- An acquired taste best approached with an open mind and good mustard.
About Sigrún Ólafsdóttir
Sigrún grew up baking rúgbrauð with her grandmother in Akureyri and has spent the last decade collecting recipes from kitchens all over Iceland. She writes Icelandic MAT's recipes, one dish at a time.