The point with the lutfisk is to have a soft ending to all the fat in the Christmas food. The lutfisk is very smooth, only spiced with salt and allspice, and should be served with a gentle bechamel, with or without nutmeg, and potatoes. For drink I would suggest a dark, maybe a little sweet, beer. And, of course, the schnaps!
As I understand it, the lutfisk is, at times, confused with the fermented Baltic herring. Now, that is for people who never tried, or smelled, the fermented herring. The smell of it can, for the not initiated, be mistaken for stink, when it is in fact an odour! I had fermented herring as late as last Sunday, at my wifes parents place. Complete with perfectly chopped onion, potatoes, flatbread, beer, and, again, schnaps! Lovely, partners, lovely!!! And it stays so strong in the stomach, that even as late as last night, my wife, who only eats two fishes (myself like 5-6 of them) gave me the eye.
There's been situations when I've had a gig in direct connection to an evening with fermented herring. Let's just say my band mates are indulgent.
But enough talk now: if any of you guys ever visits northern Sweden, I would really like to give you a schooling in how to eat both the herring and the lutfisk. And as an extra bonus I would throw in a couple of schnapses! Aalborgs aquavit, a Danish schnaps, and the Best. And we would, of course, to not lose direction in the Forum, talk about Gibson basses. Of and on, between the chewings.
