Stockfisk — Rehydrated Dried Cod for Lean Days
Air-dried cod, long rehydrated, then poached and served with herb butter or mustard sauce. The great preservation classic of the medieval North.
Air-dried cod, long rehydrated, then poached and served with herb butter or mustard sauce. The great preservation classic of the medieval North.
This country of my husband, Norway, lives on fish that the wind dries on racks in Bergen until it becomes hard as wood. It keeps for entire seasons without spoiling, and in Lent it saves tables, mine as well as the lowliest fisherman's. But know the secret: it must be soaked for several days in fresh water, changed often, before it becomes tender and good again. Patience, always patience — that is the whole art of the North.
- •Dried cod (stockfish) — one piece (preserved fish)
- •Fresh water — plenty (rehydration)
- •Butter — a good lump (fat)
- •Parsley and spring onion — a handful (herbs)
- •Pepper — a pinch (spice)
Stockfisk — Rehydrated Dried Cod for Lean Days
Air-dried cod, long rehydrated, then poached and served with herb butter or mustard sauce. The great preservation classic of the medieval North.
Why this dish? Dried fish was the great wealth of Norway, of which Blanche became queen through her marriage to Magnus. Bergen's stockfish, dried in the cold wind, traveled across Europe and fed the court during the long lean days of Lent and winter.
This country of my husband, Norway, lives on fish that the wind dries on racks in Bergen until it becomes hard as wood. It keeps for entire seasons without spoiling, and in Lent it saves tables, mine as well as the lowliest fisherman's. But know the secret: it must be soaked for several days in fresh water, changed often, before it becomes tender and good again. Patience, always patience — that is the whole art of the North.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried cod (stockfish) — one piece (preserved fish)
- Fresh water — plenty (rehydration)
- Butter — a good lump (fat)
- Parsley and spring onion — a handful (herbs)
- Pepper — a pinch (spice)
Ingredients
- Unsalted dried cod (stockfish) — 500 g (fish)
- Cold water — large volume, to be renewed (soaking)
- Butter — 60 g (fat)
- Flat-leaf parsley — 1 small bunch (herb)
- Spring onion or chives — a few stalks (herb)
- Black pepper — to taste (spice)
Method
- Soak the dried cod in a large amount of cold water for 2 to 4 days in a cool place, changing the water morning and evening.
- Once the flesh has become supple, rinse and cut into large pieces.
- Poach gently in simmering (not boiling) water for 15 to 20 minutes, until it flakes.
- Melt the butter with the chopped herbs and a grind of pepper.
- Drain the fish, coat with herb butter, and serve with rye bread or peas.
How it was made : Stockfish (cod or haddock dried without salt in the cold wind, in Norway) was a pillar of medieval trade, exported by Bergen merchants via the Hanseatic League. Its almost unlimited shelf life made it ideal for lean days, long winters, and travel. It was always rehydrated through prolonged soaking before cooking.
The contemporary twist : Flake the cod over a yellow pea purée and finish with brown butter — a dialogue between Blanche's two kingdoms on one plate.
Blanche de Namur · Charactorium