FOOD & DRINKS
Drinks with lutefisk
Traditionally, Christmas food in Norway is served with beer and aquavit, but in recent years red wine and even white wine and sparkling wine have also found their way onto the Christmas dinner table. Take a look below to learn more about drinks to accompany lutefisk.
Lutefisk – a dish with lots of flavour
Lutefisk itself is dried fish, typically cod, which is rehydrated using lye. This gives the fish a lot of flavour. But lutefisk is about much more than just the fish. It's about crispy fried bacon, rib fat, pea stew and, in some cases, even syrup and brown cheese as accompaniments. In all cases, we are talking about a dish with a lot of flavour from fish, rib fat and pork belly or similar, and this calls for a drink that is equally flavourful.
And even though the fish itself is lean, the dish as a whole is quite fatty due to the butter in the pea stew, the rib fat and the side bacon. This calls for acidity in the wine and bitterness and freshness in the beer to lighten the meal.
The fat, the stew and the jelly-like consistency of the lutefisk also give the dish a rich texture. In other words, the choice of drink should not be of the lightest kind. In addition, any sweetness can be added with accompaniments such as syrup, brown cheese and the like, and then a corresponding sweetness is required in the drink so that it does not seem too sour or bitter in relation to the food.
Beer
If you want to drink beer with lutefisk, choose a beer with some flavour and body, as well as some freshness and bitterness. If you use sweet accompaniments such as syrup and brown cheese, these should be matched with a beer of similar sweetness.
If you avoid sweet elements in your food, Saison can be a good choice. Belgian beer styles generally have a somewhat high alcohol content, and thus body, strong carbonation that provides freshness, and plenty of aromas from Belgian yeast culture in the form of herbs, fruit and spices. The fullness and flavour of Saison therefore go well with lutefisk, while the freshness of the carbonation cuts through the fat. Saison is also slightly more hoppy in style than many other Belgian beers and therefore tends to have a little more bitterness, which can further balance the fat in the food.
Slightly darker styles may be appropriate for lutefisk with sweet accompaniments, but here the bitterness and freshness are often toned down, which can make the meal a little heavier.
Aquavit
The combination of Christmas aquavit and lutefisk is a delicate balance between flavours and tradition in Norwegian Christmas celebrations. Lutefisk, the traditional dish of dried fish that is soaked and prepared in a special way, is often served with pea stew, bacon and potatoes. When lutefisk is enjoyed with a quality Christmas aquavit, a harmonious interplay of flavours is created. The strong aquavit helps to balance the mild flavour of the lutefisk, and together they create a taste experience that is celebrated in Norwegian Christmas tradition.
White wine
Barrel-aged Chardonnay from cool climates is a good alternative to lutefisk. These wines have the body needed to match the consistency of rib fat and pea stew, as well as the acidity needed to balance the fat. Storage on lees and in barrels gives the wine a flavour that matches the dish and provides slightly toasted aromas that complement the side meat and rib fat well. Chardonnay of this type is often found in Central Burgundy in areas such as Meursault, Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet, and in coastal areas of California such as Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara. If you serve lutefisk with brown cheese and syrup, sweetness in the wine is important. Semi-dry wines such as halbtrocken or feinherb Riesling or demi-sec Chenin Blanc from the Loire can be good alternatives. Both are aromatic and have good acidity.
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine made using traditional methods tends to have the flavour and body needed to accompany lutefisk. Champagne, as well as expensive Crémant and Cava, are good examples of this. Like many other sparkling wines, these have enough acidity to cut through the fat in the food. If you avoid sweet accompaniments, Brut versions are most suitable. If you are using sweet accompaniments, we recommend a version with a little more sweetness than standard, such as extra dry (extra seco) or sec (seco). This will prevent the wine from tasting sour in relation to the sweet accompaniments.
Red wine
If you prefer red wine, choose a fresh, light wine with low tannin content. Pinot Noir is a good option.
Recipe for lutefisk
For 4 servings:
- 2 kg lutefisk made from cod
- 1-2 tbsp. salt
- 200 g bacon
Pea purée
- 500 g frozen peas
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 dl beef stock or meat broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lutefisk releases a lot of liquid, so it is not necessary to soak it in water like other fish. We therefore recommend baking the fish in a roasting pan in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the fish into nice serving pieces. Place the pieces skin-side down in the baking tray and salt them well. Bake the fish under aluminium foil for 35-40 minutes until it flakes easily and has a firm consistency.
Pour the peas into a suitably large saucepan, add the beef stock, boil and then remove from the heat. Use a hand blender to purée the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the bacon into 1 cm x 1 cm cubes. Fry in a frying pan until crispy.
Serve the lutefisk on warm plates with boiled Ringerike potatoes, pea purée and crispy bacon.