Lutefisk is one traditional Christmas food that often gets short shrift during a season when visions of gingerbread and fruitcake dance in the heads of foodies and nonfoodies alike. And perhaps with good reason. Who on earth would eat preserved fish that has a jelly-like consistency, much less reserve it for a holiday treat?
Norwegians and other Scandinavians, that's who. Lutefisk takes its name not from the Medieval stringed instrument, but from lye. Honest, it translates to "lye fish." This venerable holiday "treat" is prepared by adding lye to air-dried cod or other white fish. After the fish has been steeped in a noxious brew of cold water and lye it is actually caustic and must be soaked in several changes of water for almost a week to render it edible. Fans of the movie Fight Club will be intrigued to learn that if it soaks too long in the lye, the fats in the fish will render it into soap. Now, there's an item for a holiday gift basket, homemade fish soap.
During the Christmas season lutefisk is served in Scandinavia and in such U.S. states as Michigan and Minnesota. It's usually sided with bacon, potatoes and meatballs among other things. Many folks serve the fish with plenty of butter and black pepper. Lutefisk prepared from cod is reputed to have an evil smell, and has even inspired a spoof of the famous poem Twas the Night Before Christmas.Just as there Japanese folks who savor the flavor of fermented squid guts, I'm sure there are people of Nordic descent out there who feverishly count the days until lutefisk season. I think that my sympathies and palate lie with Jeffrey Steingarten. "Lutefisk is not food, it is a weapon of mass destruction. It is currently the only exception for the man who ate everything. Otherwise, I am fairly liberal, I gladly eat worms and insects, but I draw the line on lutefisk."
If none of the above has put you off trying lutefisk, you may wish to visit Olsen Fish Co. and order some. Who knows, maybe you can get it shipped in time for a New Year's Eve bash.
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