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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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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 124) → Modernised~77% of the text changedremovedadded
Tørfisk, helst «rødskjær» 2 kg tørrfisk (helst «rødskjær»). 1 1. fiskelut l fiskelut. 12 1. vand. Fisken lægges l vann (til luten). 2 dl salt (til 2 liter kokevann). smeltet smør eller ribbefett (til servering). Legg fisken i 8 dage kaldt vann i koldt vand; vandet byttes hver dag. Fiskeluten 8 dager og skift vannet hver dag.. Bland fiskeluten med de 12 1. vand blandes, litene vann og heri ligger la fisken ligge i blandingen i 4 døgn, tages op, lægges døgn.. Ta fisken opp og legg den i koldt vand, som ofte skiftes, igjen kaldt vann i 2 døgn. Sættes over ilden døgn til. Skift vannet ofte.. Legg fisken i kokende, saltet vand — vann – 2 del. dl salt til 2 1. vand —, hvis man liter vann – dersom du vil ha den fast. Vil man du ha den «skjælvende» paa «skjelvende» på fatet, tilsættes tilsettes saltet først 2 minutter før fisken tages op. Serveres tas opp.. Server lutefisken med smeltet smør eller ribbefett. Lutefisk kan i ribbefett.. I den kolde aarstid opbevares længere kalde årstiden kan ferdig lutet fisk oppbevares en tid, men vandet maa da byttes må vannet skiftes daglig.

Note on Modernised

Mål er modernisert (1 liter fiskelut, 12 liter vann, 2 dl salt til 2 liter kokevann). Framgangsmåten er delt i trinn; selve metoden er uendret. Merk at hjemmeluting med fiskelut i dag krever varsomhet – ferdig lutet fisk kan brukes fra trinn 4.

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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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