The Last Word on Lutefisk reviewed by Ruth Paget

The Last Word on Lutefisk reviewed by Ruth Paget 

The Last Word on Lutefisk: True Tales of Cod and Tradition by Gary Legwold records a Norwegian-American food tradition that is of interest to anthropologists, younger Norwegian-Americans, and fundraisers from many types of organizations. 

Legwold’s book contains information on lutefisk production and church lutefisk dinner fundraisers in the United States in the form of memoirs. 

Legwold begins his discussion of lutefisk in the Lofotens Islands off the coast of Norway where he goes fishing for cod that will eventually be made into lutefisk in the US. 

Once the cod is caught, it is air-dried on the Lofotens into stockfish. The cod in the stockfish reduces to 1/3 of its original size and becomes as dry and hard as 2x4 plank of wood. It is similar to salt cod for being dried and hard, but stockfish is not salted like salt cod. 

Stockfish with the bones in is sold throughout the European market. Cod that has its backbone and all other bones removed and trimmed and air-dried is called ling. Ling is sold to the American market to be made into lutefisk. 

To rehydrate ling, it is soaked in lye and rinsed to soften it. Once rehydrated, the ling is soaked in hydrogen peroxide to whiten it and rinsed. At the end of this process, you have uncooked lutefisk. 

Lutefisk can be baked or boiled. It is tender and flaky when cooked correctly. If it is overcooked, it becomes a gummy mess.  

The beauty of lutefisk is that in its dry ling form, it can be stored for decades. During years with crop failures, it was a welcome source of food. 

Church lutefisk dinners provide a yearly occasion to teach the importance of lutefisk to Norwegian-American survival in the United States. The smallest lutefisk summer usually serves 600 people served in ticketed shifts for sit-down meals. 

Lutefisk suppers help Lutheran churches raise money for an upcoming church season. Legwold has an important shopping list on page 64 for a 600-person lutefisk supper. This list provides for 600 pounds of lutefisk – 1 pound per person – and the ingredients for Swedish meatballs and gravy for 600 people. 

Legwold also provides numbers for the amount of potatoes, corn, and rutabagas to purchase for a 600-person dinner. This list is useful for event planners, who might not eat lutefisk. You can substitute fresh fish for lutefisk in the ingredient list or just serve Swedish meatballs as a fundraiser dinner. 

People who like food and travel writing will also find many interesting trips and travel ideas in the US and Norway in Gary Legwold’s anthropological memoirs entitled The Last Word on Lutefisk: The Tales of Cod and Tradition. 

Note: My family attended a lutefisk dinner in Wisconsin.  The following blog describes our fun outing:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2012/03/norwegian-lutefisk-dinners-in-wisconsin.html?m=1

My husband Laurent and I ate a great lunch at the Norske Nook on our recent trip to DeForest, Wisconsin.  We bought Legwold’s book in the souvenir shop at the Norske Nook.  Our lunch is described below:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/08/norwegian-noshing-at-norske-nook-in.html?m=1

I wrote about Scandinavian culture in general in my blog post about a family visit to Door County Wisconsin where we ate a  liking Fish Boil meal.  The blog follows:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2012/03/fish-boils-and-egg-wars-in-door-county.html?m=1

I learned a few things about about Norwegian culture from a Norwegian-American author on a trip I took to Minnesota in the following blog:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2012/03/sweet-minnesota-travel-next-state-over.html?m=1

Bon Appétit! 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books 

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games -creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center 

-creator of French travel and culture games 

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs  

-family genealogist 

-developer of 9 music theory games

The Food of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas by Ruth Paget

The Food of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas by Ruth Paget 

North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas are very important to the United States for grain production. 

North Dakota grows durum wheat, which is milled into protein-rich semolina flour that is used in pasta and pizza dough. South Dakota grows oats and rye. Nebraska grows corn. Kansas leads the country in wheat production. These four states are a breadbasket that feeds millions. 

These states also grow vegetables that mix with these grains to form protein combinations. (Basically, you are looking for seed and grain combinations.) These states are famous for meat eating, but protein combinations augment their protein consumption. 

There are absolutely terrific vegetable dishes in the cookbook Best of the Best from the Great Plains Cookbook – North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley that go well with meat and form protein combinations with grain products. 

Some of the great vegetable recipes from this cookbook include: 

-radish dip made with cream cheese, butter, celery salt, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, radishes, and green onion 

-hot potato skins served with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon 

-skorpor (Swedish rusks – a kind of Swedish biscotti) 

-cauliflower salad made with cauliflower, chestnuts, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, onion, sour cream, and dill 

-broccoli salad made with broccoli, almonds, cherries, onions, green peppers, and crumbled bacon 

-spinach salad made with spinach, eggs, celery, onion, and cubed cheese 

-wild rice salad made with white chicken breast, rice, green grapes, cashews, water chestnuts, mayonnaise, and curry powder 

-onion salad made with onion slices, vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, and celery seed 

-pear and walnut salad made with blue cheese 

-carrot-apple salad raisins and sunflower seeds 

-company potatoes made with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, grated American cheese, butter, and a crust of crumbled cornflakes 

-stuffed squash made with baked acorn squash with onion, turkey, apple, and raisins 

-Swiss green beans made with French onion dip, green beans, and Swiss cheese. My mom made this dish for Sunday meals for years. 

-rice and sour cream casserole with green chilies 

-rice casserole with onions and mushrooms 

Cooks interested in a variety of vegetable recipes might be interested in the recipes The Best of the Best from the Great Plains Cookbook – North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books