Chris Dorff, president of the 105-year-old Olsen Fish Co. in Minneapolis, thinks the way to save lutefisk is to innovate. The dried-rehydrated fish dish that’s been declining in popularity in recent years is typically served plain, with just salt and pepper, melted butter and a white cream sauce. But Dorff thinks younger people would take to lutefisk if only it were bacon-wrapped, or stuffed into tacos.
I ate my first lutefisk a couple of weeks ago at an Elks Lodge dinner. While the texture left something to be desired, I found it tasty enough with a dousing of that creamy béchamel sauce found in gravy boats around the table. My fellow diners, however, were gobbling it up more enthusiastically than I was. They ordered seconds.
Tablemates Sharon Reisinger and Peg Lawrence, sisters who had grown up eating the dish, brainstormed with me about possible ways to transform lutefisk so that the uninitiated might take to it. But when I threw out the idea of topping a lutefisk hot dish with green beans, they balked. Lutefisk, they said, is meant to be served without much color.
Adhering somewhat to their guidelines, I decided to take a crack at lutefisk in time for the holiday potluck for the Star Tribune features department. If a creamy, white sauce was the only acceptable option, then so be it: I was going to make lutefisk mac-and-cheese.
I combined two recipes from Cook’s Illustrated that complemented each other. First, I baked the cod with a mayonaissey mixture that included Dijon, parsley and cayenne, and then topped it with panko breadcrumbs. I attempted to parbake the fish, since it would be cooked again in the casserole. But some of the thinner parts turned to mush, even after only 15 minutes in the oven. The centers, however, were firm. And tasted great.
Then, using Cooks’ foolproof mac-and-cheese recipe, which also calls for cayenne and some dry mustard, and whatever cheese I had on hand, I folded in the fish and baked it all together. I also brought in an element found in several lobster (or other seafood) mac-and-cheese recipes: nutmeg.
The result? Something like a tuna noodle casserole. It was fishy, but hard to tell that lutefisk was the culprit. And the kick of the cayenne and the mush of the breadcrumbs masked most of the flavor and texture that lutefisk haters tend to object to.
Newsrooms can be hungry places, so I won’t put too much stock in the fact that the entire dish was devoured by the end of the day. On the other hand, there were a good number of Minnesotans who had tried a local specialty for the first time.
As one colleague told me, “It was the least bad lutefisk I’ve ever had.”
Baked Crunchy Lutefisk
Serves 4 or more.
Note: Panko breadcrumbs are larger and lighter than the traditional breadcrumb, which could be substituted. Adapted from a cod recipe in Cook’s Illustrated magazine.
1 (1.75 lbs.) package lutefisk, thawed, cut into 4 pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (see note)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley, divided
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Pinch cayenne
Directions
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat 9-by-13-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay fish in baking dish.
Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of parsley.
In separate bowl, mix remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and cayenne together. Spread mayonnaise mixture over top and sides of fish. Press crumbs into mayonnaise, making sure they adhere.
Bake until crumbs are golden brown and all but very center of fish has turned from translucent to opaque, about 15 minutes.
Lutefisk Mac-and-Cheese
Serves 12 to 16.
Note: Panko breadcrumbs are larger and lighter than the traditional breadcrumb, which could be substituted. Adapted from a mac-and-cheese recipe in Cook’s Illustrated magazine.
1 pound macaroni
Salt
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
5 cups milk
8 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 oz. other cheese or combination of cheeses, such as Monterey Jack, pecorino and fontina, shredded (2 cups)
Baked Crunchy Lutefisk (see recipe)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (see note)
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain and set aside in colander.
Melt butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk in cheeses until fully melted. Add macaroni and gently fold in cooked lutefisk that has been separated into bits.
Pour mixture into 9by-13-inch baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and bake until crumbs are golden and cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes, rotating dish if necessary for even browning.
About the Author
