Travel Blog

Ewa had the cod vacuum-packed in Norway and brought it on the Norwegian Air Shuttle from Oslo to Fort Lauderdale. Then she prepared it in the Boca home of our friends Marek and Ela.

I had always been under the impression that friends don't serve friends lutefisk. I had heard the jokes about the fish soaked in lye (lute); the family in Minnesota that put it out to keep the raccoons away. It worked, but they now had a family of Norwegians living under their house.

I had also read about its strong taste and gelatinous texture, which I somehow translated to mean that it was sometimes served in aspic. I wouldn't even eat bacon in aspic. So I arrived at the dinner a little wary.

The main course arrived on a large white platter. It was not in aspic. This I viewed as a major triumph. A small bowl accompanied it, containing a sauce of cooked onions and bacon bits; this was to be ladled over the fish. (None of the jokes had ever mentioned bacon bits.)

When you've been expecting gelatin, a gelatinous texture is not a problem. Especially when it's offset by the saltily satisfying crunch of bacon. I washed everything down with aquavit, and asked Ewa about the horrible reputation of the fish.

She said that the Norwegians in Minnesota were too long removed from Norway to be able to prepare the dish properly. She also had a simpler, two-word explanation: Swedish propaganda.