stockfish-msg - 4/18/08 Period preserved fish. Stockfish. Salted, dried and smoked fish. Lutefisk. Gravlax. NOTE: See also the files: fish-msg, seafood-msg, meat-smoked-msg, salt-msg, salt-comm-art, drying-foods-msg, pickled-foods-msg, vinegar-msg, salmon-msg, fish-pies-msg, Shrympes-art. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ Newsgroups: rec.org.sca From: destry at netcom.com (Fellwalker) Subject: Re: Period Vegetarian Cooking - help Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 06:59:55 GMT Mark S. Harris (markh at risc.sps.mot.com) wrote: : wmarquand at aol.com (WMarquand) wrote: : > Im my not so humble opinion, fish is the food of the gods. I gladly eat : > it with dee-light. Maybe I could go to the market and get some kippered : > herrings (how period is that?). : I've wondered about this myself. I know that salted herring and other : fish were staples at least in some cultures and times in the Middle : Ages. Just how close are the kippered herrings you can buy off the : grocery store shelf today to medieval preserved fish? : I know they didn't have the can, but perhaps they did something close : using other containers. What exactly is "kippering"? The can doesn't : tell you much. Would they have preserved fish in oil? : Can you get dried fish today? Where? Oriental markets? : Fish is not served at feasts in this kingdom. But I Like fish. I'd : like to try some medieval versions on my own. I've not done much : cooking of fish mundanely and since I'd like to find a way to do : fish at an outdoor event, maybe someone can give some ideas on : preserving/treating it for such events. Smoked fish, especially salmon, goes over big at our Viking events (and smoking fish is period). Vikings dried a lot of fish for storage (but they had very dry cold wind to help them out with that) thus was born lutefisk - which is dried cod rehydrated by soaking in a lye solution. Gravalax is salmon preserved in a dill/brine solution...herring can be preserved in a number of ways and pickled herring you can get in the store may be suitable. Try some good Scandinavian cookbooks for ideas --Morgan (Max) -- Sleepy Cat Graphis http://emporium.turnpike.net/Z/zen/index.html P.O. Box 608048 - The Church of Zen Fatalism - San Diego, CA 92160 Artful Things Gallery From: mjbr at tdk.dk (Michael Bradford) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Period Vegetarian Cooking - help Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 07:37:20 GMT Organization: Tele Denmark It was written: >> Fish is not served at feasts in this kingdom. But I Like fish. I'd >> like to try some medieval versions on my own. I've not done much >> cooking of fish mundanely and since I'd like to find a way to do >> fish at an outdoor event, maybe someone can give some ideas on >> preserving/treating it for such events. > If you can't find it anywhere else, New England certainly >still sells wood-boxed Salt Cod. It even shows up as far south as >Pittsburg... (Ooh, is some hapless Ansteorran pennsicer going to >hate me now...) We discovered a medieval recipe for salt cod whilst doing a revel based on the medieval rules of Lent (details available on request) which went down very well with those who attended. Take the salt cod and place in water for about 24 hours (we changed the water about every 8 hours). Place in a fresh saucepan/cauldron of water and boil to soften. Take chopped walnuts, garlic, and breadcrumbs, mix with a little of the water from the cooking fish and heat. This sauce adds an interesting counter point to the fish. I believe that medieval man was vegetarian only by necessity. The upper classes and nobility (which most medievalists are, even when portraying those of lowlier origins) certainly used meat whenever they could. We, as modern medieval cooks, must take account for the mundanely vegetarian folk who share our interests. It just takes thought to produce a feast that they can eat and enjoy (i.e. not producing boring dishes for them), while not creating extra work in the kitchen. It can be a real challenge :) Michael Bradford Viking Group Wunjo Aarhus Denmark formerly Master in the Cooks Guild, Principality of the Far Isles mjbr at tdk.dk From: mjbr at tdk.dk (Michael Bradford) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Period Vegetarian Cooking - help Date: Tue, 04 Feb 1997 07:37:15 GMT Organization: Tele Denmark DDFr at Best.com (David Friedman) wrote: > mjbr at tdk.dk (Michael Bradford) wrote: >> We discovered a medieval recipe for salt cod whilst doing a revel >> based on the medieval rules of Lent (details available on request) >> which went down very well with those who attended. >Source? Sounds like an interesting recipe. I've been wanting to find a good >stockfish recipe to add to my collection of "Pennsic without a cooler" >recipes. First the recipe (translated into modern english as I havent got the source, which I borrowed from a friend) and then the source. Sauce for stokfysshe in an-other maner Take walnuts and cloves of garlic and pepper, bread and salt and grind in a mortar. Temper it with broth and serve it. The source document is Ashmole MS 1439, which can be found in "Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books" edited by Thomas Austin. It is published by Oxford University Press for the Early English Text Society. It came out in the early 60's (1964?). Note: the publishers also printed "Curye on Inglysh" edited by Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Bulter (1981?) which contains five cookbooks from the 14th century. Michael Bradford Viking Group Wunjo Denmark From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU> To: sca-cooks at eden.com Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 11:21:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: sca-cooks fish >Anyone have any good recipes using salted fish? I've never had any and > since that was a staple in parts of medieval europe, I'd like to try > some. Alianor Llanfres (of Newfoundland) had done some wonderful research into this area. I wonder what happened to her? Would anyone here know? Tibor From: ateno at panix.com (Eric A. Rhude) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: lutefisk Date: 30 Apr 1997 17:37:31 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC morphis at niuhep.physics.niu.edu writes: >rmorrisson at aol.com (RMorrisson) writes: >>Greetings from Myfanwy,When I was on the Debateable Lands, we used to have >>a baron who ate anything resembling food put in front of him. Baron Len >>apparently requested blood sausage once, and not even pig's feet grossed >>him out. (The Culinary Guild tried repeatedly!). >>Len's persona is Viking and I always wanted to find a recipe for >>lutefisk.... >Can't be too difficult, take some ?Cod? soak it in lye for 6 months.... Well not exactaly, when you soak lutefisk in lye and dry it It is for preservation, not taste enhancement. It is Cod, but when you preserve it, you take it and store it in the rafters until some cold february night, when there is no fish cause the river has 10'of ice on it. and it is twice soaked in fresh water to eliminate all the lye, then boiled and served with salt, pepper and butter (and various other spices) or rolled in lefsa. I have had it many times and enjoy it, but, I eat blood sasuage and pigs feet too.... Eric Rhude Ld Ateno of Annun Ridge, OM, Seahorse Panix.com staff From: "Mark Harris" <mark_harris at quickmail.sps.mot.com> Date: 1 May 1997 16:47:13 -0500 Subject: SC - lutefish This message was on the Rialto recently: >>>Len's persona is Viking and I always wanted to find a recipe for >>>lutefisk.... >>Can't be too difficult, take some ?Cod? soak it in lye for 6 months.... >Well not exactaly, when you soak lutefisk in lye and dry it >Its is for preservation, not taste enhancement. >It is Cod, but when you preserve it, you take it and store it in >the rafters until some cold february night, when there is >no fish cause the river has 10'of ice on it. and it is >twice soaked in fresh water to eliminate all the lye, >then boiled and served with salt, pepper and butter (and various >other spices) or rolled in lefsa. >I have had it many times and enjoy it, but, I eat blood sasuage >and pigs feet too.... >Eric Rhude >Ld Ateno of Annun Ridge, OM, Seahorse Ok. So does anyone have any recipes for lutefish? Or more details on lutefish? What's "lefsa"? Thanks. Stefan li Rous markh at risc.sps.mot.com From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com> Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 23:19:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: SC - lutefish At 4:47 PM -0500 5/1/97, Mark Harris wrote: >What's "lefsa"? Flex Mazoh. Eaten with butter and sugar. David/Cariadoc David Friedman Professor of Law Santa Clara University ddfr at best.com http://www.best.com/~ddfr/ From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 17:19:17 -0400 Subject: Re: SC - lutefish gypsy1 wrote: Lefse is an unleavened pancake made from a soft dough, rather than from a batter. Depending on what grain or other starch they are made from (nowadays they are sometimes made from potatoes, which makes them more properly lompe rather than lefse) they are either eaten fresh, and quite flexible they are, too, or dried to a matzoh-like consistency, and then reconstituted by wrapping in a damp towel for a couple of hours before eating (HINT, HINT: are you getting this, Joshua?) > > Ok...but what's Flex Mazoh??? > Rita the Ignorant 8-) (=large goofy grin) > > On Thu, 1 May 1997, david friedman wrote: > > > At 4:47 PM -0500 5/1/97, Mark Harris wrote: > > > > >What's "lefsa"? > > > > Flex Mazoh. Eaten with butter and sugar. > > > > David/Cariadoc Also eaten with butter and cloudberry or lingonberry jam. Some eat them with butter and cranberry sauce, in a pinch. Adamantius From: Uduido at aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 20:36:44 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SC - Salted meat << Other possibilities include beating the meat with a mallet to tease some of the fibers apart, which would not only tenderize but serve to increase the exposed surface area and make the desalting easier. >> Egads! Reminds me of those dried stockfish that you can find in Jewish markets in N.Y. I have one (or rather half a one) hanging in my kitchen that is at least 13 years old. I just cut off a piece whenever I am in need of emergency fish stock. Pound it to death. Soak it. Pound it some more, Soak it. etc. Makes great stock but I wish I could justify getting a new one. :-0 Lord Ras Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 16:40:47 -0500 (CDT) From: nweders at mail.utexas.edu (ND Wederstrandt) Subject: Re: SC - lutefisk The late Master Ragnar hosted a lutefisk party at one of Lyonnesse one year. It was truly a feast. He invited all his friends who had never tried this delicacy from his home country and we all gethered around and tried it. It isn't bad when prepared well so perhaps those who don't like it didn't get it prepared correctly. More closely one of the older stores near my house has a strong Scandinavian populace since every once in while they get huge quantities of lutefisk (an entire freezer full, the funny cheese (whose name escapes me) and wheels of flatbread. Considering we have a normally small Scand. population, I'm not sure where it goes. Clare St. John Date: Fri, 19 Sep 1997 08:58:28 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - re: lutefisk! kat wrote: > First of all, is lutefisk period? Lutefisk, in its primal form, is as period as all get-out. Or...well...yes, it's period. It is air-dried (as opposed to salt) cod, a.k.a. (m.k.a.?) stockfish, probably the single most common medieval food staple for Lent, if you go by the recipes. We really don't know how period Scandinavians would have eaten it, though. As with many bland foods (my favorite example being bean curd) it needs to be seasoned when cooked. For those cultures whose only seasonings extend to salt and pepper, that shouldn't be a problem. (I made a batch of haggis some months ago which brought tears to the eyes. The only spices in it were salt and pepper, but we seasoned them every step of the way, figuring they were sausages, for Heaven's sake, and could NOT, as Jerry Seinfeld says, not be spicy.) I'm reasonably familiar with Lutefisk being served with melted butter (sometimes drawn butter, but not always) and potato-dough pancakes that the Norse call lefse, but the Swedes lompe. Hot dogs are also eaten in lefse/lompe, BTW. Makes 'em almost tolerable. > Seriously, now; I'm truly interested. It would make one heckuva interesting feast.... Hmmmm. It would, wouldn't it? Welcome to Lars' Viking Buffet! I suspect that the long lines would form for the mutton prosciutto (fennlaer, IIRC), but there would likely be some diehard Scandamaniacs (a non-derogatory technical term describing people like my friend Ateno) who would feel quite at home with lutefisk and lefse, which, in this case, would be made with barley, rye, and whole wheat flour. It's kind of expensive and not always easy to find real torsk, though. Might have to make do with really well soaked salt cod or fresh cod. Don't forget the lingonberries and cloudberries! Adamantius Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 10:18:04 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - re: lutefisk! Griff41520 at aol.com wrote: > What is lutefisk? I understand the dried cod part, but what is it cooked > in/served with........I am familiar with the Italian Bakala-salted dried cod > fish and the traditions surrounding it but know next to nothing about > lutefisk or Scandinavian foods. It looks interesting tho. > > Ivy~ Lutefisk is air-dried cod that is, as part of the reconstituting process, soaked in a powerful alkalai solution like potash or lye, which changes the texture of the fish. When properly prepared, it is rich, a little bland (copious melted butter, salt and pepper come in REALLY handy) and so tender it is almost quivery. You either love it or you hate it. Adamantius Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 20:06:10 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - re: lutefisk! Uduido at aol.com wrote: > By the way, is a 'stockfish' the nsame as a 'lutefisk'? I have a > 'stockfich' which I bought in N.Y. City at a wonderful Jewish place that is > half used and still hanging around in the kitchen after 10 yrs. (perfectly > edible yet!). > > Lord Ras Stockfish is the English term for air-dried cod, which would have been reconstituted in period with repeated and lengthy soaking, after having first beaten it for a long time with a wooden mallet, to tease the fibers apart, and make them more receptive to water penetration. Scandinavian terms for this that I'm familar with are Stokfisk and/or Torsk(i). Torski becomes lutefisk only when it is soaked in running water for a while, further soaked in potash or lye solution, and then soaked again to remove the alkalai. I wonder if the term "lute" means lye? Some people cheat, by the way, and poach fresh cod fillets, calling it lutefisk. Can you remember the name of the store you bought the stockfish in? Wasn't by any chance Russ and Daughters, was it? Still the best smoked fish place in Manhattan. The best in the city is in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I'm not even certain there's a sign above the place, so while I could take you there, I don't know its name. Adamantius Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 07:07:03 +0200 (METDST) From: Par Leijonhufvud <parlei at ki.se> Subject: Sw. 'lut' == Eng. 'lye' (was: SC - re: lutefisk!) On Sat, 20 Sep 1997, Philip & Susan Troy wrote: > Torski becomes lutefisk only when it is soaked in running water for a > while, further soaked in potash or lye solution, and then soaked again > to remove the alkalai. I wonder if the term "lute" means lye? At least in modern Swedish 'lut' means lye. I would presume that the term 'lute' is Norwegian, but I _could_ be wrong. /UlfR - -- Par Leijonhufvud par.leijonhufvud at labtek.ki.se Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 10:22:55 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU> Subject: Re: SC - re: lutefisk! What is lutefisk? lutefisk - noun A traditional Scandinavian dish prepared by soaking air-dried cod in a lye solution for several weeks before skinning, boning, and boiling it, a process that gives the dish its characteristic gelatinous consistency. [Norwegian : lut, lye + fisk, fish (from Old Norse fiskr).] Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 10:03:13 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: Re- SC - pickled herring Par Leijonhufvud wrote: > Haven't seen any dried in the stores, but the salted stuff (for the > do-it-yourself enthusiast) is available in virtually all supermarkets > over here. Obviously, if dried herring, as opposed to salted, exists, then it exists, but I'd be inclined to think that dried herring would go rancid VERY quickly, with its high fat content. Salt herring I am familiar with, and also the herring that is salted and then smoked till it resembles a chunk of wood...what the official "herring terminology" for that product is, I don't know. "Smoked herring" doesn't seem enough to distinguish it from things like kippers, bloaters, etc. > The question is *what* they did with it once upon a time. I seriously > doubt they all either ate it raw, or looked at it and decied to call out > for pizza. FWIW, I remember reading that the concept of salting herrings on board ship, to preserve them both on the trip back to port, and also beyond that, dates back to some time in the 14th century. One of the problems that you'll encounter with trying to find ways that salt fish and meats were used, as that they appear often to have been used interchangeably with fresh fish and meats. You obviously would desalt them, which every decent cook would know how to do, and then often you would proceed as for the fresh equivalent item. There are some recipes that call for things like stockfish, which give pretty detailed instructions on how to reconstitute and/or desalt it (speaking generally since stockfish is normally just air-dried), but I'm not aware of any recipes for herring that specify salt herring be used. There are one or two in which the proviso that the herring be fresh is pretty clearly implicit, such as one which calls for frying the herring and making a sauce by squeezing the juice from the head. I believe there are some late-period recipes for pies calling for herring and fruit, but, again, I'm not sure offhand whether they are for fresh, salt, or pickled herring. Adamantius Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 16:25:14 +1100 (EST) From: Charles McCN <charlesn at sunrise.srl.rmit.edu.au> Subject: Re: SC - dried fish and names Buying smoked trout in Australia means a gutted, but very lightly smoked thing (it is usually nearly fresh and doesn't keep long. But it tastes like fresh fish). Buying smoked mackerel, on the other hand, means you get the insides too. The stuff keeps for ages, and doesn't taste anything like fresh fish. The innards actually end up a lot like anchovy paste (I always wondered what went into that). Charles Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 19:01:30 +0100 (MET) From: Par Leijonhufvud <pkl at absaroka.obgyn.ks.se> Subject: SC - OOP: mustard herring (finally!) Once uppon a time, long long ago I promised to dig up a recipie for this. This is straight out of a book, untried by me, and for all I know it will turn out horrid. But... metric units: 1 dl = 0.1 L = 3.4 fl.oz. 1 kg = 2.2 lb Mustard Herring (Skania style) 1 kg fresh herring 1.5 dl 12.5% acetic acid 5 dl water Sauce: 2 egg yolks 4 T prepared mustard (half sweet, half less sweet) 2 T white wine vinegar 1 t salt pepper 1 dl oil 3-5 T water 1 bunch dill 1-3 T sugar 1. Clean the fish, remove the spine and cut off the back fin with a pair of scissors. 2. Mix the acetic acid with the water. Place the fish in this and let stand 3-6 hours. 3. Remove the skin from the filets. Replace in the liquid and let stand over night. 4. Drain the fish in a coleander. 5. Place the egg-yolks in a bowl, add mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir down the oil while pouring it in gradually, as when making mayonaise. When the sauce begins to thicken increase the rate. Thin the sauce with water until it has a suitable consitency. 6. Rinse and chop the dill. Crush in a mortar together with 1-3 T sugar. The flavour of the dill is brouhgt out better this way than if the suf'gar is added directly to the sauce. 7. Mix the dill with the sauce and add the fish. Store cool, should keep for 4-6 days. /UlfR - -- Par Leijonhufvud par.leijonhufvud at labtek.ki.se Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 13:51:34 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - OOP: mustard herring (finally!) Par Leijonhufvud wrote: > Once uppon a time, long long ago I promised to dig up a recipie for > this. This is straight out of a book, untried by me, and for all I know > it wil turn out horrid. But... Sounds good to me. It is essentially skinless, boneless herring, pickled, with a sauce that is more or less what is traditionally eaten with gravlax. Yum! Adamantius Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 14:53:10 -0600 From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US> Subject: SC - FW: MMMM, good holiday food! Here's a little something off the New Mexico Tech list. Bear >From: Steven L. Anderson[SMTP:steveo at nmt.edu] >Sent: Friday, December 19, 1997 2:11 PM >To: sca at mauve.nmt.edu >Subject: MMMM, good holiday food! > >From CNN: > >Norwegian seasonal delicacies include > fermented fish and > fried sheep's head > > December 19, 1997 > Web posted at: 11:14 a.m. EST (1614 GMT) > > OSLO, Norway (Reuters) -- Forget the haute cuisine of France, the > rich pasta sauces of Italy and Japan's delicate sushi. > > If cod soaked in caustic soda, half-rotten trout or fried sheep's head > excite your gastric juices, then maybe you should consider a gourmet > trip to Norway in December. Not only is the twelfth month a time for > skiing, Christmas and scenery of snow-decked fir trees and wooden > cabins, it marks what Norwegians consider the height of the culinary > calender. > > Most specialties are still prepared by methods dating back six or > seven hundred years, when long winters and freezing temperatures > between November and March left the ground ice-packed and all > supplies had to be conserved and stored. > > Beer flows freely as restaurants fill with Norwegians clamoring for > their annual dose of seasonal fare. Such is the tradition that > long-time emigrants as far afield as the United States and Singapore > still join in the feasting. > > But, even with the most romantic, candle-lit surroundings, many > Norwegian winter dishes are likely to present a challenge to a > non-native palate. > > Most specialties are still prepared by methods dating back six or > seven hundred years, when long winters and freezing temperatures > between November and March left the ground ice-packed and all > supplies had to be conserved and stored. > > "Most traditional dishes are based on three months of production and > nine months of consumption," Astri Riddervold, a food writer and > retired doctor of ethnology, told Reuters. "All basic foods had to be > preserved, and the type of food and method were very dependent on > geographical factors." > > Topping the menu of December delights is "lutefisk" or lye fish, > which any self-respecting Norwegian will have at least once before > Christmas. Lutefisk is rehydrated dried cod soaked in a strong > alkaline solution for several days until the fish is soft enough for > a finger to be pressed through without meeting resistance. > > Nowadays the alkali is usually caustic soda, but documents dating > back to the Middle Ages tell that the solution was made from the > ashes of birch tree. Some folklore says the dish originated when > people scavenging for food after a wooden house burned down found cod > lying sodden in ashes. > > After soaking, the cod is rinsed for several days in running cold > water before cooking is completed by either steaming or poaching. The > result is a translucent golden color fillet with a stiff-jelly > consistency. Lovers of lutefisk say that, if cooked to perfection, > each layer of fish meat should stand apart from the next. > > "Lutefisk is unique, the taste is very weak but the consistency is > very important," Riddervold said. "It is an art to be a lutefisk > cook, it mustn't be too jelly." > > Lutefisk tastes surprisingly bland and is usually enhanced by sauces, > which differ depending on region. In the east, where pigs were > traditionally farmed, molten pork fat with crispy bacon shavings is > poured lavishly over the fish. > > In the western part of Norway white sauce with mustard seeds is more > common, and in the north Norway's famous brown goat's cheese with > syrup is the accompaniment. Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 02:41:44 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: SC - Semi-Rant Re: MMMM, good holiday food! > From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US> > Subject: SC - FW: MMMM, good holiday food! > >From CNN: > > > >Norwegian seasonal delicacies include > > fermented fish and > > fried sheep's head > > > > December 19, 1997 > > Web posted at: 11:14 a.m. EST (1614 GMT) > > > > OSLO, Norway (Reuters) -- Forget the haute cuisine of France, the > > rich pasta sauces of Italy and Japan's delicate sushi. Once again, some irresponsible moron [and I'm not referring to the Noble Lord Bear!] seeks to amuse, enlighten, and perpetuate and spread prejudices, as if that weren't already quite adequate in this world. > > > > If cod soaked in caustic soda, half-rotten trout or fried sheep's head > > excite your gastric juices, then maybe you should consider a gourmet > > trip to Norway in December. Not only is the twelfth month a time for > > skiing, Christmas and scenery of snow-decked fir trees and wooden > > cabins, it marks what Norwegians consider the height of the culinary > > calender. The "cod soaked in caustic soda" is presumably a reference to lutefisk: the extremely hard, dried fish is soaked to reconstitute and tenderize in a weak solution of lye or potash, which would be somewhat caustic in their undilute form. Since they are, however, dilute, this is irrelevant. Overall, the process (and the anticipated reaction) is kind of like watching an American housewife sprinkling meat tenderizer on a chuck steak, and running to the nearest latrine to upchuck. Now, there's no law that says you have to like the dish, especially if you've never tasted it, or even if you have, but there's a big difference between something being intrinsically awful, and being not to your taste. As for the "half-rotten trout", this is just nonsense. It's not clear whether the dish referred to is one of the dishes stored for a long time in a cold cellar (originally a sort of box dug in the gravel beach), which would result either in gravlax, which is cured and not by any remote stretch of the imagination rotten, or something like hakarl, which is similarly stored until it begins to break down under the action of enzymes found in the muscle tissue. It's too darned cold for any bacteria to grow, and the process is essentially the same as what is used to turn a recently-killed side of beef in rigor mortis into well-aged, butter-tender prime steaks. I'm not quite sure which half of "rotten" this is referring to. Again, even though it admittedly might not be your cup of tea. There are also dishes made from herring cured with half-quantities of salt, and stored in sealed cans, but not pasteurized or sterilized (surstromming?). There's some lacto-baccilic action there (the cans get kinda puffy, I understand). This is a variant of what we would call pickled herring. Most of the pickled herring we encounter (those of us who do, anyway) is pickled in vinegar, but anyone who has eaten a half-sour dill pickle and lived to tell the tale has survived the worst and most dangerous aspects of the surstromming experience. > > Most specialties are still prepared by methods dating back six or > > seven hundred years, when long winters and freezing temperatures > > between November and March left the ground ice-packed and all > > supplies had to be conserved and stored. Most cuisines are are based on the day-to-day, tangible needs of the people that created them. This is no different. > > Beer flows freely as restaurants fill with Norwegians clamoring for > > their annual dose of seasonal fare. Such is the tradition that > > long-time emigrants as far afield as the United States and Singapore > > still join in the feasting. Well, d**n! They're eating sheep's head and rotten fish, fer heaven's sake. Of course they're gonna need a stiff drink! ; ) And once you've gotten used to the cuisine of Singapore, you are, of course, ready for anything ; ) !!! (The previous statements are intended to amuse, and do not reflect the opinions of management.) > > > > But, even with the most romantic, candle-lit surroundings, many > > Norwegian winter dishes are likely to present a challenge to a > > non-native palate. Exactly. Likely to present a challenge to non-Norwegians (but to increasing numbers of Norwegians, as well) but really for no better reason than that some people don't like to eat things they aren't accustomed to eating regularly. > > After soaking, the cod is rinsed for several days in running cold > > water before cooking is completed by either steaming or poaching. The > > result is a translucent golden color fillet with a stiff-jelly > > consistency. Lovers of lutefisk say that, if cooked to perfection, > > each layer of fish meat should stand apart from the next. > > > > "Lutefisk is unique, the taste is very weak but the consistency is > > very important," Riddervold said. "It is an art to be a lutefisk > > cook, it mustn't be too jelly." > > > > Lutefisk tastes surprisingly bland and is usually enhanced by sauces, > > which differ depending on region. In the east, where pigs were > > traditionally farmed, molten pork fat with crispy bacon shavings is > > poured lavishly over the fish. To whom, exactly, is it a surprise that cod, air-dried, soaked in an alkalai solution, and then rinsed for several days until the pH is neutral again, and then cooked with fairly minimalistic seasonings and served with fairly minimalistic sauces, is bland? Not me! > > In the western part of Norway white sauce with mustard seeds is more > > common, and in the north Norway's famous brown goat's cheese with > > syrup is the accompaniment. Ah, gjetost. I'd say that saying lutefisk is a standard accompaniment to gjetost cheese in any particular place is akin to saying pigs in blankets traditionally accompany canapes, little fried meatballs on toothpicks, and miniature spring rolls. Possibly true, but not exactly the whole story, if you know what I mean. One thing I found fascinating was the fact that among the ordinary, well-known foods of France, Italy, and Japan mentioned in contrast to the the exotic Norwegian festival foods, was sushi, which even ten years ago, would probably not have appeared in a context similar to the one used. This suggests that tastes do change, and that you can't keep a good fish down, so to speak, even if it is half-rotten. Of course, if it was rotten, you might not want to keep it down--well, you get the idea, I'm sure ; ). Adamantius Date: 26 Jan 1998 02:04:27 GMT From: jack at purr.demon.co.uk (Jack Campin) (by way of renfrow at skylands.net) Subject: SC - FWD: Re: salt cod Saw this on rec.food.historic & thought you might be interested: "Roots" <!!muldrew at !!nbnet.nb.ca> writes: > Jack Campin wrote in message <3158 at purr.demon.co.uk>... >>"Roots" <!!muldrew at !!nbnet.nb.ca> writes: >>> Salt Cod originates in Newfoundland. >> According to Alan Davidson salted and dried cod, known as "klippfisk" in >> Scandinavia, was an innovation of mediaeval Europe and the economic base >> of the Hanseatic League, which puts it a few centuries before Europe was >> exploiting the Newfoundland fisheries. > **Sigh** Read the thread. We are discussing Salt COD. The process of > drying and salting fish was indeed around before the European discovery of > the Grand Banks. The Bay of Biscayne in Northern Spain is usually > credited. But Cod is not native to the area and they couldn't have dried > what they didn't have. Cod is an oceanic fish and doesn't need an EC work permit to leave Canadian waters. There are (or were) undoubtedly *more* of them near Newfoundland, but they occur all over the North Atlantic. Maria Dembinska, "Method of meat and fish preservation in the light of archaeological and historical sources", in _Food Conservation: ethnological studies_, ed. Astri Riddervold & Andreas Ropeid, (Department of Ethnology, University of Oslo), Prospect Books, London, 1988: ... palaeolithic drawings indicate that marine species of fish were eaten in regions distant from the sea; which testifies to their preservation before transportation. More proof of the necessity to preserve fish comes from the neolithic period (about 5000-2000 BC). Large quantities of fishbones and scales of cod found in neolithic excavations indicate that periodical fishing activities took place, probably in winter, along the Irish and Norwegian coasts... Similar fish remains have been found in neolithic excavations in Poland, for example in Pomerania. The whole article is fascinating; it includes a ham-smoking recipe from Cato the Elder's _DeRe Rustica_ of the 2nd century BC and a description of a reconstructed fish smoking process from early mediaeval Poland, and, in what has to be the least useful recipe ever mentioned on this group, an account of how to salt an aurochs. (Now where did I put that dodo liver pate recipe?...) > I quote from the Norweigan Fisheries website: > "The art of drying fish was passed on by a long and tortuous path before > it came to Norway. The method was known in both Newfoundland and Scotland > before it was taken up on the northwest coast of Norway. The first > indications of klipfish production here are dated 1640. Northwest Norway is rather a long way from Hansa territory. Dembinska describes a continuous tradition of cod preservation further south; maybe this region of Norway forgot it and had to recreate it? (hard to imagine how this could have happened). Or is this describing some highly specific modern process? In the same collection Johanna Maria van Winter's article "The role of preserved food in a number of mediaeval households in the Netherlands" describes the accounts for the military campaign of the Count of Holland against the Frisians in 1345 as listing 7342 codfish being salted for the army, with the quantity of salt also accounted for. The documents were reprinted by H.G. Hamaker as _De rekeningen der grafelijkheid van Holland onder het Henegouwsche Huis_, 2nd series nrs 21, 24, 26, Utrecht 1875/6/8, volume II, pp.168-172. De Winter seems to have trawled every domestic account book surviving from the mediaeval Netherlands; her references are awesomely thorough. - ---> email to "jc" at the site in the header: mail to "jack" will bounce <--- Jack Campin 2 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AE, Scotland 0131 556 5272 Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 10:17:24 -0000 From: "Yeldham, Caroline S" <csy20688 at GlaxoWellcome.co.uk> Subject: SC - Breakfast Re: 'Baconn'd herring' I understood salted and smoked herring was normally referred to as 'red herring', whereas white herring was just salted. On the other hand, I'd have through it unlikely that bacon would have been consumed in Lent, without special approval. Caroline Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 13:16:38 -0400 From: renfrow at skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow) Subject: Re: SC - Bacon ><snip> Often times the only meat available and affordable to the poor was >salted whale. >Ras. >= >Okay, I am going to do something that I really hate when it happens to me... >but can you document that Ras? I have seen some references to dolphin and >porpoise being used in period, but not whale- and it was my understanding that >out of period whale use did not include meat- fat, bone, baleen- but any >"edible" parts were waste... >-brid Ooh, ooh, I know! "And if on a fish day or in Lent there be whale-flesh (craspois), you ought to use it as you use bacon on a meat day." Power, The Goodman of Paris (Le Menagier de Paris), p. 252. Cindy/Sincgiefu Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 19:43:58 +1000 From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au> Subject: Re: SC - Organ Meats left out?- Heresy in the Cathedral! At 06:27 PM 12/05/98 -0500, Bogdan wrote: >Hey, speaking of Herring, anyone know some period herring recipes (chances >are they are sitting in this pile of medieval cookbooks, but I haven't >found them yet. Preferrably a picked type that might last longer? The Forme of Cury has a pickled fish recipie (Gele of fish) using wine, vinegar and spices you might want to look at... Rowan Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 02:56:07 -0500 (CDT) From: jeffrey stewart heilveil <heilveil at students.uiuc.edu> Subject: SC - Trouting I was wondering if anyone has tried the follwing recipe... It comes from _The Medieval Kitchen Recipes from France and Italy_ by Redon, Sabban, and Serventi. It is Recipe # 64. Marinated Trout in Carpione. (Pg. 122) The translation of the original says: "To prepare carpione of trout as you would cook a carpione, clean the trout well and gut them, then pierce them in many places all over with the point of a knife. Then make a brine with equal parts of water and vinegar, adding plenty of salt which you must dissolve thouroughy; and put the trout in for half a day or more. And when this is done, transfer them to a table, putting them under a weight for three or four hours, and fry them well in plenty of good oil, so that they are nicely cooked but not burnt. You can keep these trout for a month, refrying them if you like, and preparing them again as you would a carpione." While this sounds all well and good, I am left with a couple of questions: 2) then these fish can be kept DRY for a month? or should they be returned to the brine? Bogdan Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 09:52:22 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Trouting jeffrey stewart heilveil wrote: > I was wondering if anyone has tried the follwing recipe... > It comes from _The Medieval Kitchen Recipes from France and Italy_ by > Redon, Sabban, and Serventi. It is Recipe # 64. Marinated Trout in > Carpione. (Pg. 122) > > The translation of the original says: <recipe snipped> > > While this sounds all well and good, I am left with a couple of questions: > 2) then these fish can be kept DRY for a month? or should they be returned > to the brine? I suppose this is intended as a companion piece to a recipe for carpione. Having that would probably help clarify things...I could see either the frying oil being used to exclude air, or the semi-saturated, acidic brine being used to actually preserve the fish. It's not clear which, but this is where the carpione recipe would come in handy. My gut reaction is to suspect the fish are put back into the brine, which would bring to mind the idea of refrying them before serving. Adamantius Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 09:12:45 -0500 (CDT) From: jeffrey stewart heilveil <heilveil at students.uiuc.edu> Subject: Re: SC - Trouting On Mon, 13 Jul 1998, Philip & Susan Troy wrote: > I suppose this is intended as a companion piece to a recipe for > carpione. Having that would probably help clarify things...I could see > either the frying oil being used to exclude air, or the semi-saturated, > acidic brine being used to actually preserve the fish. It's not clear > which, but this is where the carpione recipe would come in handy. As it turns out, the original is from Maestro Martino's _Libro de arte coquinaria,_ though I don't believe I have an english copy around anywhere. Bogdan Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 17:58:11 EDT From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - Trouting heilveil at students.uiuc.edu writes: << While this sounds all well and good, I am left with a couple of questions: 2) then these fish can be kept DRY for a month? or should they be returned to the brine? >> Due to the salt and vinegar, added to the frying and pressing I would not be surprised that they might keep a month under the right conditions. Recently I made a pan of those breaded fish patties (I know- <gasp!>) but nevertheless I did. ;-) 2 of them were left on the counter overnight. They were literally as hard as a rock by morning and could well have survived a month of storage if i had chosen to do so. :-) A'aql (pronounced Ras) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 10:43:31 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: SC - Carpiones: Platina's perspective With regard to the experiment being done on trout in carpione, via Martino, I had mentioned in passing that I'd be very surprised to see that Platina, who seems to have based some of his work on Martino's, did not have a similar recipe. It turns out he does. De Honesta Voluptate, Book X, #64 "Garda Trout "I am surprised at Pliny, for although he made frequent mention of the very famous Lake Garda of his native Verona, nothing survives which was written by him about the trout for which that lake is especially praised. Trout are cooked however you wish. So that they may last a long time, as soon as they are caught and kept in brine for two days, fry for a long time in the best oil so they are well cooked, to be saved this way for a month,even if they are less healthful and rather unpleasant, more so, if they are recooked. other fish will also be saved but not as long, if they have been cooked this way. Be careful not to be hurt by a spine which it bears on its head, for it is considered dangerous, as if it were dyed with poison." Translated by Mary Ella Millham. Just what occurs to me: Apparently Martino has this recipe as a variant on another recipe, but Platina omits the original, but a couple of recipes previous he gives a recipe for carpio (carp), carpiones being a plural form. Now, bearing in mind that carp are somewhat fatty, a bit like trout in texture, _and_ the fact that they are exceedingly bony fish, a long cooking method, which would tend to make the bones softer and more brittle, like chalk or the bones in canned salmon, it would make sense that this method might well have been developed with carp in mind originally. Trout have a far less difficult (at least from a diner's perspective) bone structure, but the edible portion (which in this dish probably includes the bones, more or less, for the less squeamish) would respond quite well to this treatment. Now, I gather Martino is pretty clear as to the strength of the brine he uses at the beginning of his process, and IIRC, he says to be careful to avoid burning. Platina just says to cook well for a long time. He also makes it clear to use the best oil. I bet this is more or less a fish confit in oil. Since Platina specifies the grade of oil, I imagine the oil is part of the final dish, which we don't normally associate with fried foods, at least not intentionally. This seems to me a possible relative of the numerous types of canned fried fish available and popular in many parts of the Far East. I'm not suggesting that one culture(s) learned it from another, necessarily, but it seems to have some similarity. Basically the fish is seasoned and fried in oil, until it has a texture similar to fried bacon, but is not burned. It becomes less crunchy and more tough as it cools, but it can either be refried, or steamed on a plate on top of the rice, to soften it up. It actually responds fairly well to microwaves, in fact. I must have six or eight cans of fried dace (little freshwater, vaguely herring-like guys) in oil with black beans (the fermented, salted ones, not frijoles negro). If this is the case, I assume the moisture lost in the cooking would have to be on the order of close to half the total weight of the fish before brining, to be effective as a preservative for any length of time. Same as for ham. I imagine this is not a dish you mess around with scales for, but I believe with some experience of getting it just right, that is the effect you would achieve. I also believe part of the preservative process is that the oil excludes some of the oxygen and airborne bacteria, so it should probably be stored at least partially submerged in oil. Packing the fish closely into a crock and covering them with the oil would probably be ideal. Adamantius Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 07:28:12 -0400 From: Phil & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Gravlax and the thingy recipe (a bit OT) Craig Jones. wrote: > <Snip> > >>seaweed, Gravlax (salmon spiced and fermented for a few days), > >>brandade, jelly fish salad, beef tendon noodle soup, sea cucumber, > >>pork and beef dumpling soup, Alys' recipe for bull penis, mountain > >>oysters, kimchee, <snip> > > Some quick questions: > > How do you make Gravlax? Have any good recipes for serving it? Is it > period? Yes, it appears to be period, although in slightly altered form. The method of storing your catch refrigerated by burying it in the sand above the high tide line is prehistoric. When you bury salmon you have gravad (as in grave) lachs. We used to make this almost daily in a restaurant I worked in, according to _fairly_ traditional, albeit updated, methods. Everything was done more or less by eye, so I don't have really well-defined quantities for the ingredients. But fear not, last time I checked, when I didn't feel like typing a lot of stuff, I found several recipes on the Web. What we used to do is fillet (and completely debone, including the little guys that live along the lateral line) a whole, cleaned, 7-8 pound salmon, skin on. We would prick several holes just through the skin side, without cutting into the meat, to facilitate penetration of the marinade. On top of a sheet of plastic wrap, we would lay out the two fillets, side by side, almost touching along the back, and skin side down, so it looks like an orange oblong butterfly. We'd mix together approximately 1/2 cup Kosher, pickling, or sea salt (non-iodized!), and 1/2 cup sugar, along with about 2 Tbs cracked black peppercorns. We would spread this on the flesh side of the salmon, until the surface was white like snow. Okay, snow with black pepper in it. Sometimes we'd need to make more of the mixture depending on the size of the salmon, but it should be fairly thickly coated. Tradition calls for a topping of coarse-chopped fresh dill, again, a thick coat so the surface is now completely green. We would first add sliced shallots to almost cover the fish, and it's good that way, but not really standard traditional. A light sprinkling (maybe an ounce) of some kind of hard spirit (ideally akvavit, but I've seen it done with gin and a bunch of other types of hooch) is optional. We'd then fold the fillets together along the back line, like a book, and wrap our fish, sugar, salt, and dill sandwich up tightly in more plaswrap. We used to place the package in a hotel pan, a.k.a. a steamer tray, and top it with a perforated hotel pan liner, and place a weight on top of this. I seem to recall tomato cans were the approved item, totalling maybe four or five pounds. We found it was necessary to move the weights around because they wouldn't stack well on the non-level surface, and as the fish cured it would compress and the angle would change. We used to turn the fish over daily, and pour some of the resulting brine back over the fish package. Oh, and I forgot to mention: this was kept refrigerated! It could be considered done after it had macerated and cured for as little as two or three days, but we used to think it was best after pickling for four days, at which time it had shrunken a bit, darkened a bit, and acquired a waxy shine to the meat. We'd scrape the blackened dill off (sometimes rinsing to get the last of it off), pat dry with towels if necessary, and allow it to sit for a few minutes for the surface to dry a bit in the air, maybe five or ten minutes. We'd slice this in paper-thin slices with the only viable salmon knife on the premises, which happened to belong to me ; ) : Thin, long, flexible, and very sharp. The kind of knife commonly called a ham knife works well, just make _sure_ the knife is not serrated, or you really _will_ have ground Nova. This was (and is) traditionally served with bagels or brown bread, topped with a thick, creamy olive oil / white wine vinegar vinaigrette, with added sugar, some prepared mustard (we used Dijon) and much finely chopped dill (no stems this time) stirred in. Need I mention that gravlax made from an eight-pound salmon goes a fairly long way? It might get you something like twenty good-sized servings. Adamantius, with profound apologies for calling akvavit "hooch"! Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 17:09:10 -0400 From: Marilyn Traber <margali at 99main.com> Subject: SC - Gravlax recipe (a bit OT) Gravlax with Mustard Dill Sauce The following recipe is for two large sides (whole fillets) of salmon, which outside of restaurants, is only appropriate for large buffets. If you're not serving a small army, simply reduce the recipe. Just be sure your two pieces of salmon are similar in size and shape (two tail pieces would work nicely). You'll need two pans the same size that are large enough to hold whatever size salmon fillets you choose to cure and some canned goods for weights. The exact amount of dill needed cannot be easily specified because dill bunches, as sold, vary so greatly in size. You need enough to cover your pan twice, plus enough to fill in between the fillets, plus dill for the sauce. Don't throw away the stems when making the sauce. They can be used in the cure. For a real taste of spring, serve the salmon slices over spears of chilled, steamed or blanched asparagus. For the salmon: Two large sides of salmon, two pounds or more each 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup sea salt 1/2 cup ground white pepper lots of dill For the sauce: 2 tbs. Dijon mustard 2 tsp dry mustard 1/2 cup granulated sugar 6 egg yolks 1/2 cup distilled vinegar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, stems removed salt and white pepper to taste Salmon: Thoroughly mix four dry ingredients. Spread thoroughly and evenly over salmon flesh, spreading a little on the skin side too. Cover the bottom of one pan with dill. Place one salmon fillet, skin-side down in the pan. Cover with more dill. Place the other fillet on top, skin-side up, matching head and tail ends of the two fillets. Cover with the remaining dill. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap. Place the second pan on top of the salmon. Add the cans or other weights. Refrigerate for 2-3 three days, turning the salmon fillets at least once each day and recovering. Remove salmon from pan. Brush away the dill and any remaining cure. Lay the fillets on a flat surface. With a long, sharp, thin-bladed knife, held at an angle almost parallel to the work surface, slice the salmon into wide slices as thin as possible. Spread salmon slices, overlapping on serving plates or a large serving platter. Serve with the sauce and lightly toasted slices of pumpernickel bread. Tightly wrapped gravlax will keep under refrigeration for up to 10 days. Sauce: Whisk the first four ingredients in a bowl until light and lemon-colored. Slowly whisk in the vinegar, then the oil. Stir in the dill and then season with salt and pepper. Sauce will keep 3-4 days under refrigeration. Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 20:38:53 -0400 From: "Philippa Alderton" <phlip at bright.net> Subject: SC - Gravlax I've been trying to send y'all gravlax recipes all day, with no success, so if you're interested, try these links: http://www.eskimo.com/~jefffree/recipes/gravlax.htm http://www.eskimo.com/~jefffree/recipes/gravlox6.htm http://www.eskimo.com/~jefffree/recipes/gravlox5.htm Phlip Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 22:28:50 EDT From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: SC - Here is Phlip's recipe for Gravlax GRAVLAX IV Source: "Pure & Simple: Delicious Recipes for Additive-free Cooking" by Marian Burros* "2 lbs center-cut fresh salmon "1 T sugar "1 T salt "1 1/3 T coarsely ground black pepper "1 large bunch dill, coarsely cut MUSTARD SAUCE: "2 T Dijon mustard "1 T sugar "2 T vinegar "6 T oil "1 heaping tsp chopped dill HORSERADISH SAUCE: "3 heaping T prepared white horseradish with liquid thoroughly squeezed out "1 T powdered sugar "1/2 tsp dry mustard "2 T white wine vinegar "Salt and pepper to taste "1 cup heavy cream, whipped 1. Split fish into 2 halves. Remove all the bones and wash and wipe the skin. 2. Combine the sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle over halves of flesh. 3. Sprinkle on the dill. 4. Place the two salmon halves flesh side together. 5. Place in an enamel or glass container and cover tightly. Place a brick or other heavy weight on top of salmon. 6. Refrigerate for 3-4 days, turning salmon occasionally. 7. Remove the dill and scrape off seasonings. 8. Slice salmon thinly and garnish with fresh dill and lemon and serve with sauce. MUSTARD SAUCE: Mix mustard with sugar and vinegar; add oil slowly, beating as you add. Stir in chopped dill and serve with Gravlax. Swedish mustard will make a much sweeter sauce. HORSERADISH SAUCE: Mix horseradish with sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Gradually add to whipped cream. Chill sauce for several hours before serving. *NOTE: The author's source was the wife of the Swedish Ambassador, Ulla Wachtmeister From: Suzan D Herskowitz (sooz3 at juno.com) Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 19:15:19 -0800 From: Edwin Hewitt <brogoose at pe.net> To: "sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu> Subject: Re: Pickled fish Melanie Wilson wrote: > This variation is similar to Gravlaks ie buried or grave salmon. there is a > record of its use in a ms of 1348, and is probably older still.... I found a nice little site that can suppy you with all the pickled and dried fish your little viking might want from Norsland Lefse: http://mydestiny.com/norsland/ordering.html Samples: Microwaveable Lutefisk For our lost Viking friends. We've secured a supply of the highest quality boneless, vacuum packed lutefisk. 1 3/4# Fillet $10.95 Microwaveable Lutefisk Dinner completely cooked lukefisk, peas, homestyle mashed potatoes. Single serving ready in 8-10 minutes $4.95 Olsen Herring You'll have the finest pickled herring with Olsen's. In fine wine sauce. Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 13:21:35 -0600 From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US> Subject: RE: SC - Kippers > Adamantius, what is a kipper? > > Leanna (without dictionary, as well as eggs, bacon or sausage) of > Sparrowhaven I'm not Adamantius, but kippering is the preparation of fish by splitting, salting, and smoking. A kipper is usually a herring which has been split, salted and smoked, but I am given to understand that salmon may also be kippered. Bear Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 23:23:42 -0500 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Kippers "Sharon R. Saroff" wrote: > Isn't a kipper a type of herring or sardine? > > Sindara "A kipper" generally refers to a kippered herring, unless otherwise specified as kippered salmon, sturgeon, etc. Kippering is a light salt cure (I think in brine rather than a dry rub) followed by a rather light cold-smoking, so the fish is not cooked in the heat of the smoking. In the case of kippered salmon or sturgeon, however, I believe it is more common to hot-smoke the fish so it emerges from the smokehouse more or less ready to eat. I recall reading somewhere that kippering actually originally referred to the way the fish is split and splayed open for smoking (split down the _back_ and held open with little wooden splints). In any case, kippered herring are a fairly common Scots export, and fresh ones can still be a little too salty for most Americans' taste if cooked in a skillet with eggs, which is a fairly common way of eating them. They're actually better poached in a skillet of water, then drained and buttered, and there is a way of jugging them by putting them in a tall jar or pitcher with boiling water. Alternately (and be aware this is heavy-duty sacrilege) there are canned "kipper snacks", fillets of kippered herring, cooked and ready to eat, which, while sacrilege, aren't such a terrible introduction to the product for children and others easily intimidated. My reference to kippers was sparked by the references to eggs, bacon and sausages at breakfast. They're fairly common in the British Isles as an accompaniment to eggs and surely beat the stuffings out of Spam in that regard... Adamantius Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1999 12:12:33 +0200 From: "ana l. valdes" <agora at algonet.se> Subject: Re: SC - "cabelho" fish recipe? I am not an expert, but I am raised in Uruguay, South America, and in my catholic family, with portuguise, spanish and italian ancestors, it was natural to eat cabelho or "bacalao" every Friday during Lend. The recipe we used at home was the following: 1 kilo dried fish, cod, called also cabelho or bacalao Tomatoes Chickpeas Onions Oil (olive) Egg Parsley Bayleaves Pepper and salt Let the fish soaked in water one day Dry the excess of water, rinse and pat with some paper In a pan fry the tomatoes and the onions in olive oil Put the fish in a pot and add the mixture you got from the pan If the chickpeas are "natural", you must cook them for some hours before you add them to the pot If not, the best is to buy a can with precooked chickpeas You got now in the pot the fish, the tomatoes, onions and chickpeas. Add water (not much) A can with passed tomatoes and tomato juice Parsley Bayleaves Add salt and pepper Let it boil during two hours with slow flame When the casserole is almost ready, add the eggs The bacalao can serves with rice or potatoes Excuse my poor english, I tried to translated my grandmothers recipe from 1935 Greetings Ana L. Valds Date: Sat, 03 Jul 1999 10:32:37 +0200 From: "ana l. valdes" <agora at algonet.se> Subject: Re: SC - "cabelho" fish recipe? And the dish have different names in different cultures. In Spanish its called bacalao, in Portuguise cabelho. But all its about the same fish, dried cod. When you buy it, its very similar to jerky, long and wide irregular chunks, hanging often from the roof. I can try to find some pictures if you want. By the way, i found a wonderful recipe from Nero Wolfes cookbook, the recipe is called "portugese salt cod": NERO WOLFE'S BACALHAU (PORTUGESE SALT COD) Dato - Date: 18-02-1997 av - by : Lasse Jenssen (lasse.jenssen at graficonn.no) Oppskrift - Recipe Ingredienser - Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 lbs soaked dried cod 2 lg Onions, sliced 6 tb Butter 1 cl Garlic, minced 3 lg Potatoes 2 tb Bread crumbs 10 Pitted green olives 10 Black olives 4 Hard-cooked eggs 1/2 c Chopped fresh parsley Wine vinegar Olive oil Fresh ground black pepper Framgangsmte - Description NOTE: To prepare dried cod, soak in cold water for about 24 hours, or until it is completely moistened. Change the water two or three times. Drain thoroughly. Put the cod into a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the fish is tender. Drain; remove skin and bones. Flake the meat with a fork into large pieces. Saute the onions in 3 tablespoons of butter until they are tender and golden in color. Add the garlic. Boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water. When they are tender (about 20 minutes), remove from the heat, put under cold running water, and remove the skins. Drain and slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Preheat the oven to 350 deg.F. Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Arrange a layer of half the potatoes, then half the cod, then half the onions. Sprinkle with a little pepper and repeat the layering. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through and lightly browned. Before serving, garnish the top with olives and eggs; sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the wine vinegar and oil in cruets and black pepper in a small dish. In this url you can find more recipes around the same topic: http://graficonn.no/webhotell/oppskrifter/Bacalao.html I forgot the Norwegians and the Newfoundlanders are also big consumers of bacalao. Greetings from Ana L. Valds Date: Sat, 03 Jul 1999 15:31:46 +0200 From: "ana l. valdes" <agora at algonet.se> Subject: Re: SC - "cabelho" fish recipe? Jessica Tiffin skrev: > Ana L. Valds said: > > > spices they found in Madagascar and Macao. Their recipes about the dried > > > fish named "cabelho" are also unique. > Ooooh, this is fascinating! When you say "dried fish named cabelho", does > the name refer to a particular fish species, or to any kind of fish which is > dried?? There's a stockfish found only off the coast of Southern Africa and > Madagascar, which is a prime eating fish, and which in Afrikaans is called > kabeljou, pronounced "cabble-yo". The name is apparently derived from the > Old Dutch (according to my housemate's book on S. African fish-species), but > sounds _very_ similar to the Portuguese. I'm wondering if there was > cross-cultural wossname here, and if so, which way?? > > Jehanne > > Jehanne de Huguenin, called Melisant * Jessica Tiffin > melisant at iafrica.com * jessica at beattie.uct.ac.za * It can be, in Norway and in other parts of the Northern Europe the fish is named "torsk", in English cod. But I think the "kabeljou" or "bacalao" it means the dryed fish, the procedure and not the specific fish. For all interested in trace the origins of food and what kind of food are really "multicultural", I can recommend Raymond Sokolov "Why we eat what we eat", published 1991 by Summit Books. Greetings Ana L. Valds Date: Sat, 03 Jul 1999 10:35:55 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - "cabelho" fish recipe? LrdRas at aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 7/3/99 9:32:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, agora at algonet.se > writes: > << ut I think the "kabeljou" or > "bacalao" it means the dried fish, the procedure and not the specific > fish. >> > > What leads you to this conclusion? > > Ras In the case of bacalao (I think there's something about cabaljou in that fascinating cod book I have somewhere, but where, aye, there's the cod) it seems to be the deal that any of a number of codlike fishes can be used, including cod, ling or hake, pollack, etc. The equivocation for purpose is only aided by the fact that cod, as they've become somewhat overfished, have gotten smaller [i.e. the size at whi