svið is prepared by first burning off the hair, then cleaning the head under running cold water while paying special attention to the eyes and ears. the head must then be sawn in half lengthwise and the brain removed; if it is frozen first, this is less messy. the brains can be cooked with the skin. when it is ready for cooking, it is put into a cooking pot, sprinkled with coarse salt and partly covered with water. when the water boils, the scum is skimmed off. the head can then be cooked covered for 60 to 90 minutes, until the flesh is cooked through but before it has begun to separate from the bone. it can then be served immediately, hot, or can be left to cool down so that it can be served cold.