Ok, this article is nothing for vegans, people sensitive to industrial food processing, etc. – so you have been warned!

It starts with the ice… Well, when the fish is caught it’s far too much to process directly so they keep the fish in boxes with ice in between to cool it down until the filleting could be done

While there is nothing to do – why not have a small chat?

They don’t gut there – it’s just the accumulated ichor

rather morbid I agree

sorting the cod into different sizes

like in “Snow White”

That’s a bigger on (around 7 kg) – the biggest they ever got was 37 kg

If you are unsure use the scale

entry registration and checks

cleaning the soiled boxes

getting the fish out in a conveyer belt

removing full boxes

and bringing more supply for the conveyer

Well you know this…

A storage unit which will be cooled one day (and then filleted tomorrow)

Todays work

That’s basking shark which after being pressed (squeezed) will be matured (ok, rotten is the correct word) for some weeks and when nicely tender it is cut in small pieces and eaten raw. Actually tastes quite good (I like a piece here and there), but the smell could awaken the dead – it might be because the resemblance is so strong…

Waiting boxes

A new transport to the harbour to get new supplies

and ice again…

That’s what local people eat – smoked fat fish side. It tastes… Well, different… Just assume pure fat smoked over peat with sheep do-dos… You get the idea

The remains

The “boss”

new supplies…

checking the boxes and from which boat

getting the excess liquid out

a “catfish” – the one we bought as fillet

quite a familiar resemblance?

hush, beauty – you taste good…

The plaice is thrown away normally (as they have no quota for it), so we got it for free (in principle). Actually I bought a mackerel but they had no price for that either – but when seeing the place I changed my mind…

The only problem is that our pan can’t handle it

So, with one (real) large piece in the freezer – three fit the pan

ok, nearly…

So in the end we got 1.2 kg of filleted cat-fish (they do it by hand here, still…) plus the plaice for a total of 2000 ISK which is around 13 €… You can’t beat that!