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Lutefisk II

Erken's lutefisk recipe from 1914: stockfish soaked 8 days, kept 4 days in fish lye mixed with 12 l water, freshened 2 days and boiled in salted water. Served with melted butter or pork drippings.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 124 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Erken's thorough method for treating stockfish with lye at home, as was done before ready-made lutefisk became a store item. "Rødskjær" is high-quality stockfish, and pork drippings refer to the traditional accompaniment in parts of the country.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Soak the stockfish

    Place the fish in cold water for 8 days and change the water every day.

  2. 2

    Treat the fish with lye

    Mix the fish lye with the 12 liters of water and let the fish lie in the mixture for 4 days.

  3. 3

    Freshen the fish

    Take the fish out and place it in cold water for another 2 days. Change the water often.

  4. 4

    Cook the fish

    Put the fish into boiling, salted water – 2 dl salt to 2 liters water – if you want it firm. If you want it "trembling" on the platter, add the salt only 2 minutes before the fish is taken out.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Serve the lutefisk with melted butter or pork drippings.

  6. 6

    Storage

    In the cold season, finished lye-treated fish can be kept for a while, but then the water must be changed daily.

Changes from the original

Measures are modernized (1 liter fish lye, 12 liters water, 2 dl salt to 2 liters cooking water). The method is broken into steps; the method itself is unchanged. Note that treating fish with fish lye at home requires care today – ready lye-treated fish can be used from step 4.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 124) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 149)~43% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
Tørfisk, Tørrfisk, helst «rødskjær» 1 1. l. fiskelut 12 1. vand. l. vann. Fisken lægges legges i 8 dage dager i koldt vand; vandet vann; vannet byttes hver dag. Fiskeluten og de 12 1. vand l. vann blandes, og heri ligger fisken i 4 døgn, tages tas op, lægges legges i koldt vand, vann, som ofte skiftes, igjen i 2 døgn. Sættes Settes over ilden varmen i kokende, saltet vand vann — 2 1 del. salt til 2 1. vand —, l. vann, — hvis man vil ha den fast. Vil man ha den «skjælvende» paa «skjelvende» på fatet, tilsættes til settes saltet først 2 minutter før fisken tages tas op. Serveres med smeltet smør eller ribbefett. Lutefisk kan i den kolde aarstid årstid opbevares længere lengere tid, men vandet maa vannet må da byttes daglig.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does the whole process take?
Around 14 days: 8 days in cold water (the water changed daily), 4 days in the lye mixture, and then 2 days in cold water changed often – before boiling.
Which stockfish and lye mixture are used?
Preferably "rødskjær" stockfish. The lye is made from 1 liter fish lye mixed with 12 liters water.
How do I get the fish firm or "trembling"?
If you want firm fish, it is boiled in boiling salted water (2 deciliters salt to 2 liters water). If you want it "trembling" on the platter, add the salt only 2 minutes before the fish is taken out.
What is served with it, and can the lutefisk be stored?
Served with melted butter or pork drippings. In the cold season the lutefisk can be kept for a longer time, but then the water must be changed daily. The recipe is from Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 124, and makes 8 servings.

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