Fenalår

Fenalår, in Norway, is a salted, dried and cured leg of lamb or year old, young mutton. Curing time is normally about three months, but the fenalår may be matured for a year or more. In some parts of the region, especially in the Voss area the leg is also slightly smoked (using a cold smoke process) before curing to prevent any mould-related problems that may occur when drying meat in a humid, mild climate.

It is still quite common for many Norwegians to salt and cure the meat at home.

The finished meat is dark red to brown in color. Fresh cut slices of high quality fenalår are smooth, tender and somewhat shiny, but not moist. The taste is slightly sweetish and not too salty. The meat must have a pronounced, but never rancid, taste of mutton.

Fenalår is a very popular dish in Norway, and is often served with other preserved food at a Christmas buffet or at Norwegian Constitution Day.

Normally the meat is served as thin slices, but it is also common - at informal gatherings - to send the leg around the table with a sharp, stubby knife. The guests then slice the leg themselves. Thus, in western Norway fenalår is called spikkekjøtt, literally "whittle-meat", but this name may also originate from the word speke, to cure.

Fenalår is sometimes served with rømmegraut (sour cream porrige). Scrambled eggs, a dill and double cream based, luke warm potato salad and oven baked Bergen-style "water-pretzels" are other typical combinations. Most Norwegians then prefer to drink beer with an akvavit chaser to the meat.

A more modern twist is to serve fenalår "italian style" with pasta or in salads, just like cured ham.