Skip to content
H. Schønberg ErkenArkivet
NOENLog in

Pressed Cod

Erken's pressed cod (1914): winter cod (skrei) is split along the back, salted in a trough for 4 days, pressed between boards weighted with a stone, soaked for a couple of hours and boiled. Served with egg butter or mustard sauce.

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

Be the first to rate

About the dish

Pressed salt winter cod was an old coastal dish, often made during the skrei season. Erken describes home-salting in a trough and pressing between boards with a stone on top.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Split the fish

    Cut off the head and split the cod open along the back, so that the belly stays whole.

  2. 2

    Salt

    Clean and wash the fish well, rub it generously with salt and place it in a trough densely strewn with salt. Let the fish sit for 4 days.

  3. 3

    Press

    Wipe off the salt and set the fish under press between two wide boards with a stone on top.

  4. 4

    Soak and boil

    When the fish is to be used, soak it for a couple of hours. Cut it up and boil it.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Serve the pressed cod with egg butter or mustard sauce.

Changes from the original

Quantities are estimated for a medium-sized winter cod; the method is otherwise unchanged. The steps are numbered and the old terms "trug"/"fjæler" explained as trough and wide boards.

In stores now

Clean, minimally processed groceries matched to the ingredients — approximate prices.

Product data and prices via Kassalapp. Prices are updated daily and may vary.

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~73% of the text changedremovedadded
Havskrei 2 kg havskrei (torsk) (hel, hodet skjæres av). 500 g salt (grovsalt til innsalting). 2 stk egg smør. Hodet skjæres av, (til eggesmør). 100 g smør (til eggesmør). Skjær av hodet og skjær torsken skjæres op opp langs ryggen, da slik at buken skal være hel. Den renses blir hel.. Rens og vaskes vask fisken godt, indgnides gni den rikelig inn med salt og lægges legg den i et trug, trau som er tæt strøet tett strødd med salt; salt. La fisken ligger hen ligge i 4 døgn. Saltet tørres døgn.. Tørk av saltet og legg fisken lægges i pres mellem 2 press mellom to brede fjæler fjøler med sten over. Naar stein over.. Når fisken skal brukes, utvandes vannes den ut et par timer. Skjæres op Skjær den opp og kokes. Serveres kok den.. Server pressetorsken med eggesmør eller sennepsaus. sennepssaus.

Note on Modernised

Mengder er anslått for en middelsstor skrei; ellers uendret metode. Trinnene er nummerert og «trug»/«fjæler» forklart som trau og brede fjøler.

Community interpretations

Be the first to share your own version.

See interpretations →

Frequently asked questions

How long must the cod sit in salt?
The fish is rubbed generously with salt and placed in a trough densely strewn with salt. It should sit for 4 days before the salt is wiped off.
How is the fish pressed?
After salting, the salt is wiped off and the fish is set under press between two wide boards with a stone on top.
How is the pressed cod prepared and served?
Before use it is soaked for a couple of hours, cut up and boiled. Served with egg butter or mustard sauce.
Why is the fish split along the back?
The cod is split along the back because the belly should stay whole; the head is cut off, and the fish is cleaned and washed well before salting. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 124.

Related recipes

More dishes in the same category from the archive

Read also

Kommentarer

Ingen kommentarer ennå. Bli den første til å dele!