The Romagna region of Italy meets Iceland in this unusual take on one of my favourite local street foods: cassoni, or stuffed piadina turnovers.
This recipe was born from a culinary adventure I started with my friend Elisabetta. We are both Romagna food lovers, and we share a fascination with the far north, especially Iceland. We wanted to combine a familiar Italian speciality with flavours inspired by another food culture.
Our idea was to create a round-the-world tour in eighty cassoni: a creative project pairing Romagna's traditional flatbread with fillings inspired by cuisines from around the world. Eighty was an ambitious number, and we couldn't promise to reach it, but the idea gave us plenty of delicious possibilities to explore.
For this Icelandic-inspired version, I chose plokkfiskur, a comforting dish of fish and potatoes cooked in a creamy sauce. Crispy smoked bacon adds a contrasting texture and a savoury note that works beautifully with the soft filling.
What is Icelandic plokkfiskur?
Plokkfiskur is an Icelandic fish stew traditionally made with white fish, potatoes and a creamy sauce. Here, it becomes the filling for Romagnola cassoni, bringing together two very different food traditions.
I've used cod in this version because it's easier to find in many countries than prepared Italian stockfish. Fresh or frozen cod works well; if using frozen fish, thaw it thoroughly and drain away excess liquid before cooking.
Icelandic Plokkfiskur Cassoni with Crispy Bacon
Yield: 8 cassoni
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30–40 minutes, plus cooling time
Ingredients
For the plokkfiskur filling
30 g butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
380 ml whole milk
½ white onion, finely chopped
500 g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
300 g cod fillet, fresh or thawed if frozen
Fine salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the cassoni
130 g smoked bacon, diced or cut into thin strips
Dough for 8 cassoni, prepared using your favourite piadina dough recipe
Method
Prepare the creamy sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently until softened, without letting it brown. Stir in the flour and mix until smooth.
Add the milk. Pour in the milk gradually, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Bring the sauce close to a simmer.
Cook the fish and potatoes. Add the cod, broken into large pieces, and the thinly sliced potatoes. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very soft, the fish is cooked through and the milk has reduced to a thick, creamy mixture. Season with salt and black pepper.
Cool the filling. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the plokkfiskur to cool completely before assembling the cassoni. This helps prevent the dough from becoming soggy.
Prepare the bacon crumbs. Fry the smoked bacon in a small pan until crisp. Drain it on paper towels, then pulse it in a food processor until you have coarse crumbs.
Shape the cassoni. Heat a heavy-based, flat pan over medium heat. Roll out one portion of piadina dough into a circle. Sprinkle some bacon crumbs over the surface and press them gently into the dough.
Fill and seal. Turn the dough over, place a generous spoonful of cooled plokkfiskur in the centre and fold it into a half-moon. Press the edges firmly together with the tines of a fork. Gently prick the filled area once or twice to let trapped air escape.
Trim the edges. Use a pastry wheel to remove any excess dough, if necessary.
Cook the cassoni. Place the turnover on the hot pan and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat as needed so the dough cooks through without burning.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Serving
Serve the cassoni hot or warm, while the flatbread is fragrant and the creamy fish filling is still soft.
A little tip: Make sure the filling is completely cool before assembling the cassoni. A thick, well-reduced filling is easier to handle and less likely to leak during cooking.
Recipe inspired by Icelandic food and cookery.
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