By Cat, Sept 2007 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
Lutefisk, cooked
This is a staple for my annual Christmas Eve dinner, but for me, lutefisk season begins earlier in the fall, on the Saturday closest to Armistice or Veteran’s Day (Nov 11), in the basement of Bethany Lutheran Church, Bigfork MT, for their annual Lutefisk dinner. The original founders of the church were of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish stock, so the dinner includes Norwegian-style lutefisk, Swedish meatballs, and Danish ham, along with plenty of side dishes, condiments, and Scandinavian cookies.
Sadly, the church discontinued the Lutefisk Dinner beginning in 2022, mainly because most of the members are too old to work at the dinner. So I now do my own Lutefisk Dinner at home, beginning Saturday 11/12/22.
“Lutefisk” means “lye fish” in Norwegian and Swedish, meaning that the fish is brined in a type of lye (a safe lye):
- Ancient Norwegian methods use a less destructive type of lye, called magnesium hydroxide (from the bark of a specific type of tree or from the shells of certain seafood); this type does not break down the proteins in the fish meat, so that it remains flaky and delicious. Some current brands, such as Poulsbo (3) and Norskstar (2) use this method and I highly recommend it.
- More modern American brands such as Olsen’s in Minnesota (4), use a destructive type of lye, called sodium hydroxide. That type of lye breaks down the proteins in the fish meat, so when it is cooked, it turns into a jellied goo.
- However both methods produce a strong scent that discusses many people; but for me it is a sign for “welcome to the holiday season!”
My friend Terry calls this dish “Ludicrous,” in jest. And if you ever had the American version (as from Olsen’s), you probably thought it was ludicrous too.
Norwegian lutefisk is traditionally served with lots of melted butter; many Swedes serve it with a creamy mustard sauce (see link below); either way, it is poured over the fish. Common accompaniments are: lefse (and butter), boiled or mashed potatoes (and butter), greens (I like peas and carrots), pickled beets, and lingonberry or cranberry sauce.
See also: 1. Mustard Cream Sauce; 2. Lefse 3. Cat’s Christmas Menu and Preparation Schedule
Lutefisk: Ancient history
In ancient times, the Nordic fishermen spent most of the year at sea. Before heading out, they built big fires near the shoreline to generate wood ash. They washed this with sea water to produce an alkaline brine commonly called “lye” (“lute” in Norwegian). They put barrels of this on the ship, and tossed their catch into the brine to cure. When they returned to shore, they soaked the fish in several changes of plain water to remove the lye, before laying out the fillets to dry. The dried fish would keep well through the warm season without fear of spoilage.
However, the lye cure can be quite destructive to the protein in the fish if not made from the right kind of wood ash. Common lye is sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This is what accounts for its gelatinous texture, especially after cooking. (Better sources of wood ash make for better texture even after cooking. For example, certain trees have minerals that are less damaging to the proteins, such as magnesium and potassium, than sodium.
When it was time to prepare the fish for eating, they reconstituted the dried fillets by soaking in several baths of fresh water. Then huge pots of salted water were heated to boiling. The cured fillets were put into bags made of loosely woven cloth, and submerged in the boiling salted water for just a few minutes. It didn’t take long to cook, because the lye had more or less pre-cooked it. Unfortunately, if cured in sodium lye or a bit too long in the lye, or if accidentally overcooked, it turned to jellied goo. If cooked just right, it was somewhat flakey, but could still jello-like in texture if the wrong lye was used.
It is worth noting that the Finns cure the fish in birch ash, which contains high amounts of potassium carbonate and bicarbonate that is far more gentle on the proteins in the fish than true lye (pure sodium hydroxide). The resulting cooked lutefisk is not as gelatinous and slippery as lye-cured fish, but rather is quite flakey and hard to tell from untreated cod. Birch-lye cured fish can either be cooked in the traditional way (in boiling water), or baked in the oven.
More recent history:
When I was a child in the 50s-60s, our lutefisk was from Olsen’s in Minnesota, and was more like a jellied goo, but it’s all we had available. That changed when Norskstar Seafood in Whitefish MT (2) started making curing lutefisk the traditional Norwegian way. It’s texture was much like that of cooked fresh cod, and the flavor was delicious.
Norskstar won’t share what they use to cured the fish, other than to say “it isn’t lye or lime.” It has to be some type of alkaline salt, but not as alkaline as lye, because it doesn’t turn the fish into jellied goo (the result of lye reacting on the proteins in the fish). Unfortunately, as of this 2022 update, they are no longer in business, so I now buy Poulsbo Lutefisk from Port Townsend’s New Day Fisheries (3), which is similar to Norskstar’s lutefisk.
Some cultures serve lutefisk with melted butter or bacon grease; others with a white mustard sauce. I prefer the melted butter poured over the cooked lutefisk.
Lefse:
A flatbread called lefse is often served with the fish, as well as boiled potatoes. Lefse is made with flour, potatoes, cream, and real butter (DO NOT use margarine).
Boiled Norskstar or Poulsbo Lutefisk
Ingredients & Equipment:
- Lutefisk (8 oz per serving); I do NOT suggest using Olsen’s lutefisk (from Minnesota), as it turns to jellied goo.
- stock pot
- fresh filtered water
Boiling Method:
Cat’s note: I use “Cat’s Method” (listed below), as taught to me by my Dad, who was Norwegian.
- For both methods:
- If using frozen, raw lutefisk, be sure to thaw it first.
- You can put pieces of fish in cheesecloth bags, but you don’t need to do that.
- Norskstar method:
- Pour cold filtered water into stock pot. Add fish to the stock pot; they will likely sink to the bottom.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a low boil and cook 5 – 10 minutes until the fish is done – it will rise off the bottom and flake easily.
- Cat’s method:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add pieces of lutefisk to the boiling water; the pieces will sink and the water will stop boiling temporarily.
- When the fish is done, the pieces will rise to the top of the boiling water in the pot, about 5 – 10 minutes.
To serve:
- Cat’s preference:
- Pour melted butter over fish and lefse, then roll-up the lefse (as is traditional). Can also pour melted butter over potato, or pour cooked creamed peas & carrots over the potato (my preference). I also accompany with part of a steamed beet. Delicious meal!
- Other alternatives
- Pour a mustard sauce over the fish, instead of melted butter; this is more common in Sweden than Norway.
- After buttering the lefse, spread with a jam or sprinkle with sugar.
- Use baked winter squash instead of potato.
- If don’t use creamed peas and carrots, include braised veggies such as broccoli, green beans or other greens.
- Serve with coleslaw on the side; I like my mom’s Danish coleslaw.
Testing
Testing 11/12/22:
I started 11/10 with large piece of frozen Poulsbo lutefisk (2 lbs), so cut it into two pieces (each about 16 oz); then placed one back in the freezer for Christmas Eve, and cut the other one into two 8 oz pieces: 1 for tonite and the other for Monday or Tues. I also thawed 2 pieces of lefse from last year.
On 11/12, I melted about 5 Tbsp butter and kept it warm (to pour over the cooked fish, potato and lefse). Normally I spread softened butter over the lefse, but these pieces are too thin and tear easily when I try to spread soft butter over them. I cooked a Yukon gold potato (about 2.5 inches in diameter) as follows: Added 1-inch deep water to saucepan; brought water to boil, then added washed potato (peel-on and whole), and brought water back to boil. Reduced to slow boil and cooked about 20 min; then cut in half to use one half for tonight’s dinner, and save the other half for another dinner. Tonight’s potato piece needed to cook about 3 min more before tender. Removed from heat and removed potato from water; kept it warm in a bowl with a lid.
For my 8 oz piece of thawed lutefisk for tonight, I used Cat’s (my) method. Brought water to boil in a medium-size saucepan with lid, then added tonight’s 8 oz fish piece to cook; it floated after about 5 minutes – the indicator that it is done. Do not overcook lutefisk!
To serve:
Pour melted butter over fish and lefse, then roll-up the lefse (as is traditional). Can also pour melted butter over potato, or serve peas & carrots with cream sauce. I also accompany with part of a steamed beet. Delicious meal!
Baked Norskstar/Polsbo Lutefisk
I used to use this method, as it is less messy. However, the broiling pan is very hard to clean after using it to cook lutefisk, so I use the ‘Cat’s boiling water method’ above.
This method doesn’t work well with Olsen’s brand lutefisk.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- 5 pounds of lutefisk
- aluminum foil
- broiling pan (the top part should be stainless steel or ceramic, not aluminum).
Baking Method:
- Preheat oven to 4000 F
- Line the bottom part of a broiling pan with aluminum foil, then set the top part over. Arrange fish on broiling rack and place in hot oven.
- Bake 20 minutes, then test with a fork. The translucence of the meat should have turned white, and the flesh should be flaky. Thicker pieces may need an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve! See below for serving suggestions.
To serve:
Pour melted butter over fish and lefse, then roll-up the lefse (as is traditional). Can also pour melted butter over potato, or pour peas & carrots with cream sauce over the potato (my preference). I also accompany with part of a steamed beet. Delicious meal!
[NOTE: It can be a bit difficult to clean the broiling pan after cooking the fish. I toss the soiled foil, rinse loose pieces from the rack and the pan, then put to soak overnight in very hot soapy water.]
Boiled Olsen’s Lutefisk
This recipe is for the fish cured in true lye, such as that from Olsen Fish Co. in Minnesota (4). This is the stuff I grew up with, the kind that easily turns into jellied goo. I do not recommend it…
For the cheesecloth, be sure to get the real thing, not the cheap flimsy variety found in hardware stores. If you can’t find the real thing, you can use well-worn old-fashioned cotton dish towel, or drapery scrim, washed and dried before using. Or order real cheesecloth from cheesemaking.com (5).
Ingredients & Equipment:
- 5 pounds of lutefisk
- Celtic sea salt or table salt
- real cheesecloth
- stock pot
- fresh filtered water
Boiling Method:
- Enclose fish in tied-up cheesecloth. Best if you divide the fish between two ‘bags’.
- Bring water to a boil in the stockpot, then add plenty (several tablespoons) sea salt. Return to boil, and then add the bag(s) of fish. They will drop to the bottom of the pot.
- When it rises in the pot, the fish is done. Be careful not to overcook.
- See below for serving suggestions.
Serving Suggestions (for any of the lutefisk cooking versions)
Serve with any of the following:
- A pitcher of fresh melted butter (or bacon grease) and a shaker of salt;
- A creamy white mustard sauce;
- Boiled potatoes and butter; Creamed peas (or peas and carrots), Baked winter squash (see my Sides & Condiments Menu for several recipes), sides of pickled beets, and lingonberry or cranberry sauce.
- And, of course, serve plenty of lefse with butter (and sugar, if you like it that way)!
- See also Cat’s Christmas Menu and Preparation Schedule
References:
- Anne Haug recipe collection
- Norskstar Seafood, Whitefish Montana (2021 update: no longer in business; see Poulsbo, below, instead)
- Poulsbo Lutefisk from New Day Fisheries: (360) 385-4600, Port Townsend WA
- Olsen Fish Co.: olsenfish.com, (612) 287-0838; they also have a version of lefse.
- Cheesecloth source: cheesemaking.com/store/p/69-Cheese-Cloth-for-Lining-Molds.html
