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Rakfisk
Rakfisk: Valdres fermented trout with lefse, onion and sour cream
Rakfisk is the autumn feast of Valdres in the Norwegian mountains, where trout and char from the lakes are salted and left to ferment for two to three months, until the fish is soft, pungent and buttery. Every November the town of Fagernes holds a rakfisk festival, and families serve it in slices on lefse or flatbread with red onion, sour cream and boiled potatoes. Home fermentation of fish carries a risk of botulism, so buy rakfisk only from licensed producers, never make it yourself. It is eaten raw, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. A common mistake is serving it too warm, which makes the smell overpowering. Chef's tip: serve it well chilled and sliced thin.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For serving
- 1 ⅓ lb potatoesboiled and sliced
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- ¾ cup sour cream (rømme)
- 1 oz butter
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Keep 14 oz rakfisk (from a licensed producer) in the fridge until the moment you serve it. Common mistake: letting it warm up.
Step 2: Boil 1 ⅓ lb potatoes for 20 minutes, until tender, and slice.
20 minStep 3: Fillet the rakfisk, removing the skin and bones, and slice it thinly.
Step 4: Butter 4 lefse or soft flatbread with 1 oz butter. Lay on potatoes, fish, 1 red onion and ¾ cup sour cream (rømme), roll up and eat at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rakfisk take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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