Kokt Torsk
Poached winter cod served the coastal way — with its roe, liver, boiled potatoes and melted butter.
Cultural Context & History
When the skrei cod run into the western fjords each winter, the classic reward is kokt torsk: fish poached whole in salted water and served with its own roe and liver — nothing wasted, everything celebrated.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg fresh cod cutlets, thick, sliced on the bone
- 5 tbsp salt per litre of water, for the cure
- 2 tbsp salt per litre of water, for poaching
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Melted butter and chopped flat-leaf parsley, to finish
- Boiled potatoes, to serve
Recommended Tools
- Wide stockpotHolds the cutlets in one layer for even, gentle poaching.
- Slotted fish sliceLifts the delicate cutlets without breaking the flakes.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Sprinkle the cod cutlets generously with salt and leave to cure at room temperature for 30 minutes to firm the flesh, then rinse well.
- 2
Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 2 tbsp salt per litre and the vinegar, then lower the heat until the water sits just below a simmer.
- 3
Slip in the cutlets and poach gently for 8–10 minutes, until the flesh flakes easily from the bone.
- 4
Lift out carefully with a slotted spoon and serve at once with melted butter, chopped parsley and boiled potatoes.
Chef's Tip
Keeping the water just below a simmer is the whole art here — a rolling boil toughens the cod and shakes the flakes off the bone before they reach the plate.
Chef's Tip
The 30-minute salt cure is worth the wait: it draws out water and firms the flesh so the cutlets hold together in the pot.
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