What is in a name? Mention the word "lutefisk" and it sends some people into a crisis. To others it will bring on a sweet mellow smile that radiates warmth and love through the room. Dry cod or stack fish, which lutefisk is, is as rich in history as it is in flavor and nutrition.
Lutefisk means lyefish, which refers to the early process of soaking the fish in a lye solution which had been made of birch ashes which was used in the luting process.
My dad and uncle went uptown, in New Richland, for meat for supper when they were young boys. They prided themselves on their "catch of fish" from the wooden barrel of lyefish (lutefisk) outside the grocer’s door.
They made the fastest trip back uptown when Grandma Mary saw what it was. A true Irishman, she admonished the boys on their choice and went so far as to insinuate that the yellow cod somehow got that way because the town hounds had made their mark on it as they went by.
My mother recalls back when she worked for Lerberg’s in Ellendale in her earlier years, the weighing of the scale process when some good Scandinavians came in to buy the fish, probably a whole one that was split from tail to head. She remembers trying to balance a half frozen fish on a slippery butchers' scale and said she was apt to get a bath of icy water and sticky fish before the pricing process was accomplished.
My Irish, German, French, American father about died when he was first introduced to the fish at my Scandinavian uncle’s home, but dad would try anything. At first he wasn't so sure it was fish. Back then it was about 5 cents a pound. The more he liked it the more expensive it got, but it didn't stop him from enjoying it. Most people say the butter gives it its good taste but he and Glen Hanson could have cared less if it had butter on it or not. They just devoured it, slicking their plates clean when they were done.
Lutefisk, once a poor man’s food, has changed through the years to a delicacy. Today a new meaning has been given to the word lutefisk. Now it means family, fellowship and good times. It now comes packaged in air-tight plastic, white as snow and skinned to boot.
The old methods of preparing it have changed too, at least at the Schember house. Old-timers put it in a cheesecloth bag and put it in a pot of boiling water and it cooked fast. The old-fashioned method of preparing boiled lutefisk was to combine 3 quarts of water with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt. Once it began to boil, the fish was added. The fish was cooked for 8-11 minutes or until the fish flaked. Once it was done cooking the fish was removed from the water and served immediately with melted butter or cream sauce. The Schembers always ate their lutefisk with melted butter.
If you are feeding many, it can be prepared by preheating the oven to 375 degrees and placing the lutefisk in a casserole, covering it with foil. It should then be baked for 30 minutes or until the fish flakes. It is important to not overbake. Once the fish is ready it needs to be removed from the pan and served immediately with melted butter or cream sauce.
I would also suggest that you not prepare your lutefisk as my mother’s cousin Beulah did. She prepared a whole roaster full for a family gathering. Her guests were late in arriving. Can you imagine her surprise when she removed the cover on the rooster she had filled with lutefisk, there was very little lutefisk in her big roaster. Thank God there was a store nearby that was open and she made a quick trip to the store, bought a supply of lutefisk and returned home and cooked it - the "old-fashioned way," using the cheese cloth method. Everybody was happy and full.
Cooking lutefisk is all in the timing. Too much time dissolves the fish. Actually my dad cooked his lutefisk by placing a small amount of it in a covered CorningWare casserole, which he put in the microwave. It seemed to work good for him, especially if he was preparing it for only a few people.
At this time of the year you will find that many churches will serve typical lutefisk suppers, which include lutefisk, meatballs, mashed potatoes and lefse.
Watch out for the stampede of people who really enjoy this Norwegian delicacy. Lutefisk will always outlive its prejudicial name and be enjoyed by Scandinavians and others alike.
Don't turn your nose up to lutefisk. You might not like the smell.
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With each passing year, grow stronger, grow wiser, grow richer in spirit. May the year ahead be filled with new discoveries!
