Lamb chunks layered with cabbage, whole black peppercorns and a little water, simmered slowly until tender, served with boiled potatoes. The national dish, simple by design.

Fårikål has been celebrated annually on Fårikål Day on the last Thursday of September since 1972, when Norwegians began voting it the national dish in a poll run by the magazine Nationen. The mutton-and-cabbage layered stew dates to medieval Western Norwegian farm kitchens, when autumn lamb slaughter coincided with the cabbage harvest. The Oslo tradition is built around the seasonal autumn arrival of fresh-killed sheep from the Telemark grazing pastures.

Where to eat Fårikål in Oslo

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Make it at home

Serves 62 hr 30 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg bone-in lamb shoulder or neck, cut into 5cm pieces
  • 1.5kg white cabbage, cut into thick wedges through the core
  • 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 500ml water
  • Boiled almond or floury potatoes, to serve

Method

  1. Choose a heavy pot wide enough to hold the lamb in two layers. Lay the fattiest pieces of lamb on the bottom, fat side down.
  2. Scatter with a third of the peppercorns, a teaspoon of flour and a pinch of salt. Cover with a layer of cabbage wedges, keeping the core attached so they hold together.
  3. Repeat the layers, finishing with cabbage on top. Use the rest of the peppercorns, flour and salt as you build.
  4. Pour the cold water down the side of the pot, not over the top. Cover tightly and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat.
  5. Reduce to the lowest heat the burner allows and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours without lifting the lid. The lamb should be fork-tender, the cabbage collapsed, the broth cloudy from the flour.
  6. Serve in deep bowls with boiled potatoes and a generous ladle of the broth.

Editor tip. Use mature, fatty lamb if you can find it; the fat is the flavour. A pot with a tight lid is non-negotiable, the dish steams more than it boils.