I'm In Trouble

[crokett]

We have a guy here on our team on long-term loan from the UK. He was out in Minnesota for two weeks and I spent a few days before he left expounding on the deliciousness of lutefisk. When he left I sent an email to a guy up there apprising him of the situation. When Andrew got back today he told me all about the team up there chuckling for a week whenever he asked about finding the place with the 'best lutefisk'.

[pierhogunn]

in all seriousness, does a place exist that has good lutefisk, or can such a place exist in a world with a just and loving god?

[Kristofor]

Well, with a name like Kristofor, and many relatives (albeit by marriage) in Madison, MN (one of two cities that claim to be the Lutefisk capitol of the world) it's obviously something I've eaten before.

Frankly the taste doesn't bother me, the slimy texture and pre-meal stink are another story. Thankfully, everyone really knows the reputation, and I don't think anyone but new boyfriends/girlfriends meeting the family for the first time are actually forced to eat it...

[sparkeyjames]

Lutefisk. Ulp.

Fish dish prepared with LYE????? whoa!!! Of course if the fat content of the fish is too high you get soap fish yuck!



Some excerpts from Wikipedia:

Lutefisk is made from air-dried or salted/dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling is also used), prepared with lye. The first treatment is to soak the stockfish in cold water for five to six days (with the water changed daily). The saturated stockfish is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) has a pH value of 11–12, and is therefore caustic. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the lutefisk is ready to be cooked.

When cooking and eating lutefisk, it is important to clean the lutefisk and its residue off of pans, plates, and utensils immediately. Lutefisk left overnight becomes nearly impossible to remove. Sterling silver should never be used in the cooking, serving or eating of lutefisk, which will permanently ruin silver. Stainless steel utensils are recommended instead.

[shoottx]

If you are going to find the best Lutefisk, make sure they also have lefsa and aquavit.

Enough of the latter and you will not caqre if you eat the former.


Norwegian Potato Lefsa - Combine mashed potatoes with whipping cream, butter, salt, sugar and flour to make flat rounds of tasty potato lefsa, which are browned in a skillet

Akvavit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Akvavit, also known as aquavit or akevitt, is a Scandinavian distilled beverage of typically about 40% alcohol by volume

[TB Roye]

My dad who came from Sweden in the late 20's used to make that *&^+ every year for Christmas. Stink wasn't the word for it. There were many Scandanavian foods I love that ain't one of them. He died in 79 and that is one thing I don't miss. LOML is Finn from the UP they have few things also that are not on my list favorite foods. My mom was Minnesota Sweed but wouldn't eat that stuff either.

Tom

Tom

[jackellis]

I've had lutefisk, in Norway. The aquavit makes it all worthwhile....hic

[twistsol]

There used to be a restaurant just south of Cannon Falls called the Edgewood that had a Lutefisk special on Fridays. I used to help a friend who worked there clean out the empty barrels on Saturdays before we could go skiing. There were 3 to 4 50 gallon barrels every weekend so somebody must like it because they had to get in their car, drive there, and pay for the stuff. There can't be that many pranksters in Minnesota.

It went out of business a few years ago, or may have been closed by the EPA, but it's for sale now.

[RAFlorida]

Sparkeyjames forgot to add the one MOST

IMPORTANT note to his Wikipedia mention. And this I quote from Wikipedia:
"The Wisconsin Employees' right to know law, in defining "toxic substances", specifically exempts Lutefisk (Wisc. Stat. 101.58(2)(j)(2)(f)[2]) ". This is for real, check at the near bottom for that info. It also says not to use silver eating utensils because of tarnish from the fish....

[Mr__Bill]

My father said that if a man lost in the woods came across a tub of Lutefisk and Limburger (sp?) cheese, he would starve to death.


Bill, formerly of International Falls, now on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[TB Roye]

Now Lefsa and Aqyavit is a different story. Put Aquavit in the freezer to get it good and cold and then sip it. That will put curly hair on anybodys chest and curl you toes. Used to have a toast with after coming home form the candel light Christmas Eve service at church. Had a big Smoargs Board before church and then came home and for some Swedish cookies and desert and then a toast or 2 or 3 or more with Aquavit. Bad thing was we had to get up in the morning and go to the early morning service in Swedish. This was in California not in Minnesota or Sweeden. The church I grew up in was a Swedish Lutheran Church so we had all that good and bad stuff. To bad everything has changed.

Tom

[docrowan]

Rant on: Oh My Goodness! I don't like FRESH fish, I can barely imagine what it would be like to eat old, dried fish that has sat around in water for five days, then sat around in lye for two days, then sat around in water for another five days. I've had green bananas go bad after 12 days of sitting on a counter. Doesn't Norway have one of the longest coastlines in the world? Aren't they famous for the daring exploits of their fishermen? Why do they need eat fish that has sat around for two weeks? Okay, rant off. Where's that thread on the chicken fried bacon?