Hangikjöt Smoked Lamb with Béchamel, Potatoes and Green Peas

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-10 · Updated 2026-10-10

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

Iceland's festive smoked leg of lamb is simmered slowly, then sliced and served with boiled potatoes in a sweet béchamel, green peas and pickled red cabbage. This Icelandic-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 150 minutes, pairs hangikjöt (smoked leg of lamb), bone-in, small potatoes, unsalted butter for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 620 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 130 min Serves 8 Icelandic cuisine 620 cal/serving

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Ingredients

2 kg hangikjöt (smoked leg of lamb), bone-in
1 kg small potatoes
50 g unsalted butter
50 g all-purpose flour
700 ml whole milk
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
to taste salt and white pepper
300 g green peas, frozen
300 g pickled red cabbage
6 pieces laufabrauð (leaf bread) or flatbread, to serve

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Instructions

Step 1: Put the smoked lamb in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring it slowly to a simmer and skim.
Step 2: Simmer very gently for about 2 hours (roughly 50-60 minutes per kg), until tender. Let the lamb cool in its liquid for 30 minutes, which keeps it juicy.
Step 3: Boil the potatoes for 18-20 minutes, then peel them and keep them warm.
Step 4: Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer for 5 minutes, until thick and smooth.
Step 5: Season the béchamel with the sugar, nutmeg, salt and white pepper, then fold in the potatoes.
Step 6: Cook the peas for 3 minutes and drain.
Step 7: Slice the lamb thinly. Serve it with the creamed potatoes, peas, pickled red cabbage and leaf bread.