SCANDINAVIAN DELICACY LUTFISK IN FINNISH LIPEÄKALA

To begin with lutfisk you must have stockfish (other names :klippfisk, kapakala). It is outside dried cod or ling.
Swedish say, that the best comes from  ling, but  you can use any big fish with low fat per cent.
When you have now about 3 kg stockfish (cod) , be sure that, everybody likes the smell and the kitchen has a good ventilation.
I give to you a  traditional receipt.
Other ingredients:                                   BIG CASK TO PROCESS
strained birch ashes 4 liters (in a modern receipt use 350g soda)
slaked lime 300 g
water
Put the cod fillets in the cask and cover with fresh water. Let them stay in a cool place for ONE WEEK, and changing 3 times the water. Then dry the fillets and cover the bottom of the cask with thin layer of lime.Pack the fillets skin sides outwards and every round of cod add a  fine layer of lime.When you have finished packing all fish you prepare the lye solution. Take rest of the lime and all  the birch ashes which you have closed in a cotton bag and boil with enough water to cover well all fish.When the liquid has cooled down poor it above the cod layers and press them with a big heavy plate so they stay under the alkali solution. Now you put them again in a cool place and let  them stay about ONE WEEK. When the time has gone take them out from the cask and put in fresh water for ONE WEEKS time changing water several times. Now the LUTFISK is almost ready. To finish the delicacy for the table you cook in water so many fillets you need about 10 minutes time using very slow temperature.
Serve with bechamel sauce , allspice, black pepper and salt. Count how long time it takes to prepare LUTFISK portions. In old  days it was not a problem people had time during the long winter nights, no TV, no INTERNET and no CARS only time to spend. So what do you think ? This is real SLOW FOOD.

CHEF THOR