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Southwestern Minnesota | I regularly make lutefisk for our Christmas Eve meal along with Swedish meatballs. As far as how much variation there is- I only have made it by boiling it or by baking. I have better results in baking it, but both of my grandparents boiled it in cheesecloth.
I think that there are two main things you need to do to get a good outcome:
1. Pick a good quality piece of fish- freshness and consistent thickness being key. Don't buy the piece that has the end of the tail, but try to get a middle piece that is uniform in thickness. Buying it fresh and using it right away is best. But if you aren't going to do that, then select your fish, put it in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag, fill the bag with water (not softened water) and freeze it. When you're ready to eat it, defrost it in cold water. This will prevent it from getting freezer-burned.
2. Don't overcook it- it is a very lean meat and once it is overcooked, it turns into the jelly-like substance you hear so much about. I bake it in a glass dish covered in tin foil. If you do have a piece of fish that is thinner on the tail end, the thin portion will cook faster. In that case either use two pans and take the one out sooner, or take out the smaller pieces and let the thicker pieces finish baking.
I did actually type up some notes and hints that I've picked up through the years from relatives- both for my reference, as I only make it yearly, and for a couple of younger generation family members who wanted this information. If you want the further details, let me know. | |
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Lutefisk
