About this Dish
Dried cod rehydrated in lye (caustic solution) until it swells into a gelatinous, translucent state, then baked or boiled and served with bacon fat, green peas and potatoes. The lye treatment gives it a distinctive alkaline flavour unlike any other fish preparation. A Christmas tradition in Norway and among Norwegian-Americans, lutefisk divides opinion absolutely — it is deeply loved and deeply reviled in equal measure.
IngredientsServes 4
🐟Dried stockfish (tørrfisk), 500g
🧪Food-grade lye (sodium hydroxide), 2 tablespoons
💧Cold water, enough to fully submerge the fish across multiple changes
🥓Thick-cut bacon or salt pork, 200g
🥔Waxy potatoes, 800g peeled and halved
🫛Frozen green peas, 300g
🧂Coarse sea salt, to taste
🧈Unsalted butter, 50g
🌿Fresh flat-leaf parsley, a small handful chopped
Method
1
Soak the dried stockfish in a large bucket of cold, clean water for 5–6 days, changing the water every day. The fish will rehydrate and soften considerably — this step cannot be rushed.2
Dissolve the food-grade lye carefully in a bucket of cold water (always add lye to water, never water to lye, and wear rubber gloves and eye protection). Submerge the rehydrated fish in the lye solution for 2 days, then remove it and soak again in fresh cold water for 4–6 days, changing the water daily, until the fish feels firm and clean to the touch and no longer slippery.3
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Rinse the lutefisk thoroughly, pat it dry, season generously with coarse salt, and lay it skin-side down in a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20–25 minutes until the flesh is just set and opaque but still trembling and gelatinous — do not overcook or it will weep water and collapse.4
While the fish bakes, fry the bacon or salt pork in a heavy pan over medium heat until the fat renders out and the pieces are golden and crisp. Keep warm and reserve all the fat in the pan.5
Boil the potatoes in well-salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender, then drain. In the final 3 minutes of the potato cooking time, cook the frozen peas in a separate pan of boiling salted water, then drain and toss with the butter.6
Serve the lutefisk immediately straight from the baking dish, alongside the boiled potatoes and buttered peas. Spoon the hot bacon fat and crispy bacon pieces generously over the fish at the table, scatter with parsley, and season with extra salt to taste.User Reviews
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