The “lutefisk” season has started at XL Diner. Normally, this season officially starts on the 1st of October each year and stays on the menu until the 22nd of December.
The best part of the best fish
Lutefisk is prepared as a seafood dish of several Nordic countries. It is traditionally part of the Christmas feast; Norwegian julebord and Swedish julbord, as well as the similar Finnish joulupöytä (Source: Wikipedia). The “lutefisk” at XL Diner is delivered from the company Brødrene Berg on the island Værøy in northern Norway. It is originally made of aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish) or dried and salted cod, cured in lye. This gives the fish its characteristic consistency and taste.
– The quality of the fish from Brødrene Berg is excellent and we are proud to serve it. We aim at providing our guests with the best quality and always test four to five new suppliers of lutefisk every year, says restaurant owner and chef Ivar Breivik.
The secret to providing this dish with such a delicious taste lies in the way the restaurant prepares it. We only use the loin or the back piece of the cod, which is the best and most tasteful piece.
Lutefisk made of cuttlefish
What you may not know, is that XL Diner also serves lutefisk made of the traditional clipfish (dried, salted cod).
– I would recommend trying lutefisk made of clipfish. This has a more distinguished taste of fish and I personally like it better, says Ivar.
If you order lutefisk from the menu, you will get the stockfish, so remember to specify your wish when ordering if you want the lutefisk made of clipfish. Book your table at XL Diner here!
Not for everyone
It is a fact that lutefisk is a special dish that may not suit all palates.
– We have been visited by foreign guests who have left the restaurant, pissed off, stating that the lutefisk tasted like fish cooked in soap, laughs the renowned chef.
– On the other side, we have many regular guests who love the dish. Some guests have even formed their own groups of lutefisk lovers, and have been visiting us for almost 20 years for their regular lutefisk dinner parties.
Traditional Christmas dish
Lutefisk is a traditional Norwegian Christmas dish and can be documented back to the 16th century. The origin is debated and it is not known for sure when and why they started to lye the fish, writes Eva Høberg in Large Norwegian encyclopedia.
A funny theory states that a drying rack for fish made of birch started to burn. Water was thrown on to extinguish the fire, and the birch ash thus became lye. Afterwards, the fish was left there for a while, before someone came to check whether the fish could still be used. The conclusion then was that the fish was “delicious to eat, both for babies and toothless old men”.
The important sides
For many, it is the sides together with the fish that complete the wonderful lutefisk taste. XL Diner serves the lutefisk with three types of mustard; mild, whole-grained and powder, in addition to flatbread, potatoes, bacon, pea puree, brown cheese, mashed potatoes and carrots.
– Some are puzzled by the brown cheese, but the sweetness goes well with all the other flavours. Come and try it out for yourself, you’re welcome!