Lutefisk (lutefisk) — Lye-Cured Cod with Potatoes and Pea Stew

• 1.2 kgprepared lutefisk (ready-to-cook lye-cured cod made from tørrfisk or dried white fish)
• 24 gfine sea salt (for firming the lutefisk before baking)
• 8.8 ozdried green peas
• 1 lcold water (for soaking peas overnight)
• 3.2 cupfresh water (for cooking soaked peas)
• 1 gbaking soda
• 1⅜ ozunsalted butter
• 4 ggranulated sugar
• 1 gground white pepper
• 1¾ lbwaxy potatoes
• 2 lwater
• 7.1 ozstreaky bacon (cut into 1 cm dice)
• 2⅛ ozNorwegian-style coarse mustard

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the dried green peas in a bowl with 1 l cold water and soak them for 10 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Drain the peas well before cooking, because the soaking water can taste grassy and will make the ertestuing less clean in flavor.

2. 2

   Put the soaked peas in a saucepan with 750 ml fresh water and 1 g baking soda. Bring to a gentle boil, skim once, then simmer uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes until the peas are very soft and beginning to collapse.

3. 3

   While the peas cook, lay the prepared lutefisk in a shallow nonreactive dish and sprinkle it evenly with 24 g fine sea salt. Let it stand for 30 minutes, which firms the jelly-like flesh and helps the fish hold its shape during baking.

4. 4

   Heat the oven to 200 C and line a roasting pan with 1 sheet of parchment paper if the pan is prone to sticking. Rinse the salted lutefisk briefly under cold water, pat it dry with paper towels, and arrange it skin-side down or smooth-side down in the pan.

5. 5

   Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and bake the lutefisk for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is opaque, steaming, and flakes into large soft sections. Do not add water, because lutefisk releases plenty of liquid as it cooks and extra water will make it fragile and bland.

6. 6

   Place the potatoes in a pot with 2 l water and 18 g fine sea salt, then bring to a boil. Cook for 18 to 22 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife, then drain and keep warm under a clean kitchen towel.

7. 7

   Cook the diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the pieces are crisp and the fat has rendered. Keep the bacon and hot drippings together, because the smoky fat is a classic seasoning for lutefisk.

8. 8

   When the peas are tender, drain off excess liquid until only about 60 ml remains in the pan. Mash the peas coarsely with 40 g butter, 5 g fine sea salt, 4 g sugar, and 1 g white pepper until thick but not perfectly smooth.

9. 9

   Lift the baked lutefisk carefully with a wide spatula and drain away the liquid left in the roasting pan. Serve immediately with boiled potatoes, warm pea stew, crisp bacon with its drippings, and 60 g coarse mustard divided at the table.