Norwegian Lutefisk Mustard Sauce (Print View)

Tender baked lutefisk served with creamy mustard sauce, potatoes, and crispbread for a traditional Norwegian flavor.

# Components:

→ Fish

01 - 2.2 lbs dried cod (lutefisk)
02 - Cold water (enough to cover fish for soaking)
03 - 1 tablespoon coarse salt

→ Mustard Sauce

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free flour if needed)
06 - 10 fl oz whole milk
07 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
08 - 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon sugar
10 - Salt, to taste
11 - White pepper, to taste

→ For Serving

12 - 4 small boiled potatoes
13 - 4 slices crispbread or flatbread
14 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Rinse dried cod thoroughly under cold water. Submerge fish in a large container filled with cold water and refrigerate for 5 to 6 days, changing the water daily. Drain, sprinkle with coarse salt, let rest for 30 minutes, rinse salt off, and pat dry.
02 - Preheat oven to 390°F. Place fish in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until opaque and flaky.
03 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute without browning. Gradually whisk in milk and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in Dijon and whole-grain mustard, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Keep warm.
04 - Serve hot lutefisk with boiled potatoes and crispbread or flatbread. Generously spoon mustard sauce over the fish. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lutefisk becomes silky and delicate once properly soaked, nothing like the intimidating texture you might have heard about.
  • That creamy mustard sauce is genuinely addictive, tangy enough to keep things interesting but smooth enough to soothe.
  • It's naturally gluten-free if you swap one ingredient, making it surprisingly adaptable for different tables.
  • The whole dish tastes like home if your home happens to be somewhere cold and Nordic, even if it isn't.
02 -
  • Never skip the daily water changes during soaking; I learned this the hard way when impatience led to a batch that tasted faintly off-putting and required starting completely over.
  • The fish should feel barely held together when you remove it from the oven, almost like it might dissolve into luxury if you look at it too hard; this tender, flaky texture is exactly what you're after.
  • If your sauce breaks or gets lumpy, strain it through fine mesh and you'll be forgiven by everyone at the table.
03 -
  • If you cannot find dried cod, some specialty suppliers carry pre-soaked lutefisk in vacuum sealed packages, which saves most of the waiting but sacrifices the meditative rhythm of daily water changes.
  • The moment your sauce reaches the right consistency is when it's still silky, not gluey; err toward thinner and let the fish's moisture add to it on the plate.
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