Recipe: Boiled Lutefisk

Lutefisk is dried codfish fish, soaked for several days in a lye and water mixture and then in plain water. It takes on a very gelatinous texture. It is served with a number of side dishes - how many and exactly what kind varies from region to region and even family to family - and large amounts of beer and akavit. For some Norwegian families, it is THE traditional Christmas dish.

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Boiled Lutefisk

Put Lutefisk in a cheese cloth bag. In a large kettle made of glass, granite or stainless steel (do not use aluminum).
Fill with enough water to completely cover fish. Add salt. Heat water to almost boiling.
Place bag of fish in water and bring to a rolling boil. Watch very carefully! Immediately after water has come to a rolling boil remove from heat and let sit undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove bag of fish from water and serve immediately with melted butter or cream sauce. (recipe below)
Also serve with boiled potatoes, lefsa and creamed peas. For dessert serve lingonberry sauce with cream. Also can be
cooked in a microwave.
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Baked Lutefisk

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Cut Lutefisk into serving size pieces. Wrap each piece in tin foil. Punch holes in the bottom of each package. Put a baking rack on a baking sheet with sides and put packages of of lute on rack with hole side down. Bake fish for 30 or 40 minutes. Check fish the last 10 to 15 minutes. It is done when the meat flakes apart.
Do not over bake! Serve immediately!
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Microwave:

Arrange 2 to 3 pounds thawed lutefisk on roasting rack. Cover with wax paper.
Microwave at high 5 to 7 minutes, until fish flakes easily. (Rearrange after half the cooking time.) Serve with melted
butter or Cream Sauce (recipe follows). Serves 2 to 3.
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Baked

Wrap 2 to 3 pounds thawed lutefisk in heavy aluminum foil, skin side down. Make a complete seam, seam side up. In large shallow baking pan, bake at 325 degrees F for 35 to 50 minutes, until fish flakes easily. Serve with melted butter or Cream Sauce (recipe follows). Serves 2 to 3.

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Boiled:
Rinse 2 to 3 pounds lutefisk in cold water. Place in cheesecloth and place in cool salted water in 4- to 5-quart saucepan and bring to boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Serve with melted butter or Cream Sauce recipe follows). Serves 2 to 3.

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Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Boil and stir 1 minute.

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The kids like it served this way.
Put a piece of lefsa on a dinner plate. Top with a thin layer of mashed potatoes. Flake Lutefisk on top of potatoes. Pour
melted butter over the top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Delicious!

Lefse
Thin, flat potato cakes favored by Scandinavians everywhere. Roll them up with butter, brown sugar or any of your favorite sandwich fillings. Lefse is especially good with lingonberry jam.

Cheese Lefse
Place a portion or favorite cheese on a lefse sheet, fold over and place in a moderate oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Lefse Chips
Cut lefse into any shape you desire and place in pie plate in hot oven until crisp. Dip in melted butter and sprinkle with salt or serve with your favorite dip.

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LUTEFISK - THE HISTORY

The Noble Cod -- Dry cod, or stockfish, from which Lutefisk is made is as rich in history as it is in flavor and nutrition.

A Maritime Delicacy Steeped in History -- In the Sagas of the Norwegian Kings, from the 12th century, Snore wrote about King Oystein building fishing shanties in Lofoten. Then as now, Lofoten was the most important spawning ground for the cod, and for centuries Norwegian fisherman have hauled in huge catches of mature cod in January to April spawning peiod. The age-old adventure continues, creating the foundation for human
existence and sustenance along with entire Norwegian coast.

The Vikings -- Stockfish is probably one of Norway's oldest trading commodities. It has been used for trading with foreign coutnries for centuries, along with skins and furs. In Viking times, stockfish was both a main part of the diet, and a trading commodity on long voyages.

Perfect Timing
It is precisely the time of year when climatic conditions in Northern Norway are perfect for drying fish...that the cod comes in to the coast, eighter to spawn or feed. The cod that is used for stockfish production is caught in the course of a few hectic winter months. The fresh catch is cleaned immediately and hung to dry on drying racks.

The pure air and the cold winter climate from January to April are the ideal components in this unique processing - without doubt the least energy consuming in the world.