To serve 4 to 6:
1/2 cup salt
6 fresh codfish steaks, sliced 3/4-inch thick
Egg Sauce:
1/4 pound butter
1/4 cup hot fish stock (from poaching the cod)
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely-chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon finely-chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely-chopped chives
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Alternate Garnishes:
8 tablespoons (1 quarter-pound stick) butter, melted
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Parsley sprigs
If you don't have a long, narrow fish poacher, an enamel roasting pan 5 inches deep will do just as well. Fill the pan with water to a depth of 4 inches and add 1/2 cup of salt. Bring to a boil (over 2 burners, if necessary), reduce the heat slightly and gently slide the cod slices into the water with a spatula. Lower the heat until the water is bubbling slightly and simmer the fish for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the fish will disintegrate. Remove the slices with a slotted spatula and drain them on a linen napkin or dish towel. Arrange the cod attractively on a heated platter and serve with egg sauce (below).
Egg Sauce: Melt the butter in a 1- to 1.5-quart enameled or stainless-steel saucepan. Remove from the heat, beat in 1/4 cup of the stock in which you poached the fish and stir in the chopped egg, tomato, parsley and chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat almost to the boiling point, pour into a sauceboat, and serve with the cod. If you prefer, you can simply pour melted butter over the cod and garnish it with lemon slices and parsley.
In Norway, this dish is often accompanied by raw, diced carrots - sprinkled with lemon juice - and
smørdampete nypoteter (butter-steamed new potatoes):
http://foodsoftheworld.activeb...teter_topic3225.html