THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN-FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.

[ LAUGHTER, HEARTBEAT, MUSIC ] Woman: CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.

♪ >> ♪ >> HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING," FROM THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS IN NORTHERN NORWAY.

I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.

TRY TO TURN BACK TIME, REWIND TO A TIME BEFORE ELECTRICITY, BEFORE THE HOUSES WERE WARM, WHEN YOU HAD TO LIVE OFF THE LAND AND WHERE EVERY JOURNEY OUTSIDE MEANSKING YOUR LIFE.

THEN, WHY SETTLE HERE -- ON WINDY, DESOLATE ISLANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAGING ATLANTIC OCEAN?

WELL, THE ANSWER IS CODFISH.

THE ABUNDANCE OF FISH HERE DURING THE ANNUAL WINTER FISHERIES MADE CODFISH INTO NORWAY'S FIRST IMPORTANT COMMODITY, EATEN AND APPRECIATED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AND IT'S STILL ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD -- ONE OF OUR BEST AMBASSADORS.

IN TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE'LL FOLLOW THE CODFISH FROM HERE -- ITS PLACE OF ORIGIN IN NORTHERN NORWAY -- TO ITALY, WHERE DRIED CODFISH IS CONSIDERED A TRUE DELICACY.

I'LL START OFF BY MAKING A SIMPLE DISH WITH FRESH CODFISH, BROCCOLI PUREE AND CARROTS.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO RE-LIVE AN OLD CLASSIC NORWEGIAN DISH -- SEMI-DRIED CODFISH WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER.

AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ITALY TO LEARN HOW ITALIANS USE DRIED NORWEGIAN CODFISH TO MAKE A WHOLE RANGE OF DIFFERENT DISHES -- AMONG THEM, BAKED PEPPERS WITH CODFISH, RICE, OLIVES AND GARLIC.

[ LAUGHS ] AND THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.

THIS HANDSOME, BEARDED FELLOW HAS SUSTAINED AN ENTIRE REGION, AND IT'S BEEN SO IMPORTANT FOR THE CULINARY TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AS FAR-FLUNG CORNERS OF THE WORLD AS BRAZIL, THE CARIBBEAN, WESTERN AFRICA AND, NOT LEAST, SOUTHERN EUROPE.

NOW, THE FIRST DISH I'M GOING TO MAKE TODAY IS A SIMPLE DISH WITH FRESH COD.

IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT WOULD BE IF IT WAS SERVED BY VEBJORN HERE.

HE SAYS THAT WHAT HE BASICALLY DOES IS TO BOIL THE FISH.

I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE SOMETHING, BUT STILL YOU WANT THE PREDOMINANT FLAVOR TO BE THE FLAVOR OF THE REALLY FRESH CODFISH.

SIMPLE COOKING IS REALLY THE ONLY OPTION HERE IN A KITCHEN LIKE THIS.

HERE I'VE GOT SEAWATER -- THAT'S WATER THAT KEEPS ABOUT 3 1/2% SALT, AND THAT'S BY WEIGHT.

SO YOU'VE GOT TO MEASURE IT OUT TO ABOUT TWO TABLESPOONS PER QUART OR LITER OF WATER.

AND I'VE ADDED A COUPLE OF BAY LEAVES AND A FEW PEPPERCORNS.

OH.

OH.

NOW, I'VE LET THE FISH SIMMER FOR ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES IN THIS LIGHTLY FLAVORED, SALTY WATER.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I'VE ADDED A FEW CARROTS ALONG THE WAY.

NOW, ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT I EXPERIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO CODFISH IS CODFISH THAT'S TOO ROUGHLY HANDLED.

VERY OFTEN IN A RESTAURANT, YOU'LL GET IT SEARED, WHICH ADDS THIS CARAMELIZED BROWN, ALMOST MEATY FLAVOR, AND THEN WITH LOTS OF GARNISHES WITH STRONG FLAVORS AND THEN MAYBE A SAUCE ON TOP.

THEN YOU GET NOTHING IN RETURN FOR EATING ONE OF THE FINEST FISHES IN THE WORLD.

IT MUST BE ALLOWED TO SHINE, QUITE LITERALLY, THIS WHITE FISH.

SO, I'M JUST GOING TO SERVE IT WITH BROCCOLI CREAM THAT I MADE.

I BOILED BROCCOLI WITH MILK AND CREAM AND SEASONED IT WITH SALT AND GRATED NUTMEG.

THIS IS ACTUALLY A FAIRLY TRADITIONAL COMBINATION OF FLAVORS -- CODFISH, BROCCOLI AND CARROT.

BUT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SMELL THE NUTMEG, WHICH LENDS SOMETHING QUITE EXOTIC TO THE MIX.

AND ALSO THAT LIGHT, SWEET SPICINESS FROM THE BAY LEAF.

I'M JUST GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF ROSEMARY.

AND THIS IS IT.

HI.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- THE SKREI IS HUNG TO DRY WHILE THERE'S STILL SNOW ON THE GROUND, AND IT HANGS FROM FEBRUARY UNTIL MAY.

THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS HAVE THE IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR DRYING COD, WITH TEMPERATURES JUST ABOVE FREEZING, A CONSTANT BREEZE, AND NOT TOO MUCH RAIN.

IN THE CODFISHING SEASON, THERE'S COD EVERYWHERE.

ENORMOUS RACKS WITH DRYING LOFOTEN COD IN EVERY LITTLE VILLAGE.

UP UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY, BRINGING FISH FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER WAS QUITE A CHALLENGE, IF NOT A REAL LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE.

IMAGINE TAKING FISH WITH YOU ON HORSEBACK OR IN AN OPEN CARRIAGE, UNREFRIGERATED.

IT WOULD SPOIL IN A MATTER OF DAYS, IF NOT HOURS.

HEREIN LIES THE ADVANTAGE OF CODFISH.

SINCE IT'S SO LEAN, IT DRIES UP EASILY.

AND WHEN IT HAS DRIED ON RACKS LIKE THIS FOR A FEW WEEKS, IT'S AS HARD AS A PLANK AND YOU CAN BRING IT WITH YOU, UNREFRIGERATED, TO THE MOST REMOTE DESTINATIONS.

AND IT IS QUITE A DELICACY AS WELL.

HERE IN LOFOTEN, IT'S MAINLY EATEN AS A SNACK.

COMES IN BAGS LIKE THIS, AND IT'S EATEN... MUCH LIKE CHIPS -- AS A MID-DAY SNACK OR WITH BEER.

I'VE GOT A NORWEGIAN COOKBOOK FROM THE 1950s, WHICH SAYS THAT SOMETIMES WE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF FRESH FISH AND WE GOT TIRED OF THE FRESH FISH, SO WE'D HANG UP A FEW AGAINST THE WALL TO MAKE BOKNAFISK, AND THAT IS A SORT OF SEMI-DRIED FISH.

YOU JUST BASICALLY TAKE A FISH, AND YOU JUST HANG IT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE FOR A FEW DAYS SO THAT IT DRIES UP A LITTLE, NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS WHEN MAKING THE PROPER DRIED CODFISH -- JUST ENOUGH FOR THE FLAVORS TO MATURE.

THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO USE IN THIS NEXT DISH.

AND THIS SAME COOKBOOK THAT I MENTIONED FROM THE 1950s REFERS TO A DISH THAT WAS ALREADY THEN STARTING TO BECOME UNFASHIONABLE.

IT WAS BOKNAFISK WITH BRUN BUTTER, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE BROWN BUTTER.

TO START WITH THE FISH, THIS IS FISH THAT HAS BEEN HANGING HERE IN THE SHADE FOR A FEW DAYS AND IT'S QUITE FIRM BUT IT STILL YIELDS TO MY TOUCH.

AND MIGHT BE HARD TO FIND BOKNAFISK IN THE STORE, BUT ANYONE CAN MAKE IT.

YOU CAN JUST TAKE ANY LEAN FISH, PREFERABLY COD, AND HANG IT A DRY, WELL VENTILATED PLACE WHERE THE CAT CAN'T GET AT AND JUST HANG IT FOR A FEW DAYS.

AND YOU WILL SEE IT STARTS TO FIRM UP AND THE SMELL IS MORE MATURE, IT'S NOT LIKE WITH A FATTY FISH.

IF YOU STORE A FATTY FISH TOO LONG, IT WILL START TO BECOME RANCID.

THIS HAS GOT MORE OF A MATURITY, MORE LIKE A CHEESE.

SO, I'M JUST GOING TO LET THIS FISH SIMMER FOR A FEW MINUTES IN SALTED WATER.

I'M ADDING ONE ONION, WHICH WILL LEND A NICE FLAVOR TO THE FISH.

AND THEN I SET THE POT ASIDE, ADD THE LID, AND LET IT JUST SIMMER LIKE THIS WHILE I MAKE THE BROWN BUTTER.

THE SECRET WHEN MAKING BROWN BUTTER IS TO ADD THE BUTTER A LITTLE AT THE TIME SO YOU GET A SLOW CARAMELIZATION OF THE MILK SOLIDS, BECAUSE IF IT BURNS YOU GET BITTER NOTES AND YOU DON'T WANT THEM.

AND NOW WE'RE GETTING HERE TO BE VERY LIGHTLY BROWN.

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S STARTING TO GET THERE ON THE SIDES.

NOW WE'VE GOT TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.

THEN, DURING THE FINAL STAGE, I ADD ONE MORE LUMP OF BUTTER AND REMOVE IT FROM THE PAN AND JUST STIR IT VIGOROUSLY SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE DOESN'T INCREASE.

AND IT'S BEEN ABOUT 12 MINUTES, AND THE FISH IS READY TO BE SERVED.

I'VE GOT SOME STEWED CARROTS HERE.

AND I SIMPLY SERVE FISH WITH STEWED CARROTS.

AND I DON'T SERVE THE ONIONS.

THOSE WERE JUST TO FLAVOR THE WATER.

A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF BUTTER.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUT WEB SITE -- NORWEGIAN CODFISH HAS BEEN A COMMODITY FOR MORE THAN A MILLENNIUM, AND FOR EVERY NEW DAY OF LENTRODUCED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE MARKET JUST EXPANDED.

BUT NO ONE KNEW WHERE THE FISH CAME FROM.

IF YOU BOUGHT A PIECE OF DRIED NORWEGIAN CODFISH IN A VILLAGE IN FRANCE, YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT IT CAME FROM A TRADESMAN IN STRASBOURG, AND THE GUY IN STRASBOURG KNEW THAT IT CAME FROM FREIBURG, GERMANY, AND THE GUY IN FREIBURG KNEW THAT IT CAME FROM HAMBURG, AND THE GUY IN HAMBURG KNEW THAT IT CAME OFF A SHIP FROM BERGEN, BUT THERE THE KNOWLEDGE STOPPED.

IT WAS A COMMON CONCEPTION THAT THE LAND UP NORTH WAS BARREN, UNINHABITED, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS INHABITED, IT WAS INHABITED BY BARBARIANS.

NOT UNTIL 1432, THE SECRET WAS REVEALED.

AN ITALIAN MERCHANT SHIP GOT BLOWN SERIOUSLY OFF COURSE.

THEY WERE HEADED FOR FLANDERN AND ENDED UP SHIPWRECKED HERE OFF THE COAST OF LOFOTEN.

THE SEA CAN BE PRETTY ROUGH HERE.

AND ABOARD WAS THE CAPTAIN PIETRO QUERINI.

AND WHAT HE FOUND WAS A THRIVING, QUITE AFFLUENT LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND AN ABUNDANCE, AN ABSURD ABUNDANCE OF CODFISH.

AND HE WROTE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES IN A BOOK, WHERE HE TOOK ISSUE WITH THIS CONCEPTION THAT PEOPLE HERE WERE BARBARIANS.

ON THE CONTRARY, HE SAID, FOR A FEW MONTHS, IT WAS LIKE SPENDING TIME IN THE FIRST CIRCLE OF PARADISE, MAKING ANYTHING HE HAD EXPERIENCED IN ITALY GROW PALE IN COMPARISON.

BUONGIORNO!

>> BUONGIORNO!

>> PARLARE NORVEGESE?

>> EH, NO.

NO, NO.

ITALIANO.

>> TORRFISK?

>> TORRFISK.

>> KLIPPFISK?

>> NO.

>> HERE IN ITALY, IT'S QUITE COMMON TO CRUSH THE DRIED COD.

THIS ALTERS THE TEXTURE.

IT BREAKS UP THE FLESH INTO SMALL PIECES, AND OF COURSE IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO RECONSTITUTE -- WHEN YOU RECONSTITUTE IT IN WATER.

SO, IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT THREE DAYS, WHEREAS IN NORWAY, THE TYPICAL RULE IS TO RECONSTITUTE THE FISH FOR A FULL WEEK.

>> OW!

>> OW!

>> OW!

[ SPEAKING ITALIAN ] TORRFISK SNACKS?

[ SPEAKING ITALIAN ] >> GRAZIE!

ARRIVEDERCI!

>> CIAO, ARRIVEDERCI.

>> WHEN THE ITALIANS WERE ASKED BY THE EU TO MAKE A LIST OF THE MOST TYPICAL ITALIAN DISHES, THEY FOUND QUITE A FEW OF THE USUAL SUSPECTS, WHAT WE ASSOCIATE WITH ITALIAN FOOD -- PIZZA FROM NAPLES, RICOTTA STUFFED CANNELLONI FROM SICILY, BAROLO BRAISED BEEF FROM THE PIEDMONT, BUT ALSO BACALA ALLA VINCENTINA FROM SANDRIGO IN VENETO, MADE WITH NORWEGIAN COD.

AND THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE HAS GATHERED HERE TO CELEBRATE IN THE ANNUAL STOCKFISH FESTIVAL HERE IN SANDRIGO.

ALL THE DIGNITARIES HAVE COME FROM NORWAY AND FROM ITALY, AND LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.

AND IT'S STRANGE FOR A NORWEGIAN TO BE HERE.

EVERYONE IS GATHERED HERE TO CELEBRATE A FISH FROM NORWAY.

>> Man: OKAY.

>> AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT -- A DISH MADE WITH NORWEGIAN STOCKFISH, DRIED COD, MILK, ONION, GARLIC AND OLIVE OIL, AND IT'S ALWAYS SERVED WITH POLENTA.

AND TONIGHT, MORE THAN 700 PORTIONS OF BACALA ALLA VINCENTINA ARE SERVED IN THIS GIANT TENT.

IT'S HARD WORK, EH?

[ SPEAKING ITALIAN ] THE LAST DISH I'M GOING TO MAKE TODAY IS A DISH THAT COMBINES THE DRIED COD WITH TYPICAL ITALIAN FLAVORS, WHERE THE BACALA ALLA VINCENTINA IS QUITE MILD, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE FLAVOR OF THE FISH.

COD CAN ALSO BE COMBINED WITH BIG, BOLD FLAVORS.

I'M GOING TO USE TOMATOES, PEPPERONCINI OR CHILI PEPPERS, OLIVES, CAPERS AND RED PEPPERS.

I'M GOING TO START OFF THOUGH WITH PANCETTA.

PANCETTA IS LIKE AN ITALIAN EQUIVALENT OF BACON.

IT'S JUST NOT SMOKED.

AND I'M CUTTING IT INTO SMALLER PIECES.

AND THEN FRY THE PANCETTA IN THE PAN, RELATIVELY LOW HEAT.

JUST TO SWEAT IT OUT AND COOK IT THROUGH.

IT'S NOT A POINT IN ITSELF THAT THE PANCETTA SHOULD BE CRISPY.

AND THEN I ADD ONION.

WE'RE IN ITALY, WE NEED GARLIC.

NOT JUST A LITTLE GARLIC, NOT JUST ONE CLOVE, NOT JUST TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, WE NEED SIX.

AND JUST CRUSH THEM WITH THE FLAT SIDE OF A KNIFE.

AND THEN REMOVE THE PAPERY HUSK AND ADD TO THE PAN.

WHEN GENTLY COOKED LIKE THIS, GARLIC LOSES SOME OF ITS AGGRESSIVENESS.

IT BECOMES MILD, SWEET AND AROMATIC.

AND WE NEED THE BIG, SWEET TASTE OF LOVE APPLES.

THAT'S WHAT ITALIANS CALL TOMATOES, POMODORI.

AND I'LL CRUSH A FEW OF THEM WITH MY HANDS AND LEAVE THE REST OF THEM WHOLE.

AND THEY'LL COLLAPSE EVENTUALLY.

AND A GOOD HANDFUL OF OLIVES, BLACK OLIVES, AND SOME CAPERS.

NORMALLY YOU'D RINSE THEM WELL BEFORE ADDING THEM TO A PAN, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY SALT HERE AND THE DRIED, RECONSTITUTED COD IS NOT SALTY EITHER.

SO, I'M GOING TO USE THE SALTED CAPERS AND JUST CHOP THEM COARSELY.

THEY'LL ADD A LOT OF FLAVOR AND SALTNESS.

AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

I CAN HANDLE QUITE A LOT, BUT I HAVE EXPERIENCED COOKING WITH TOO MUCH CHILI AND LEAVING MY GUESTS IN TEARS.

AND THAT'S NOT VERY NICE, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE DO WITH ONE CHILI.

AND THEN WE'RE ADDING THE FISH.

THE DRIED COD, WHICH IS NO LONGER DRY, IT'S BEEN RECONSTITUTED IN WATER FOR A FULL WEEK.

AND I CUT THIS INTO SMALLER PIECES AND ADD TO THE OTHER INGREDIENTS.

AND I'M JUST GOING TO LET THIS SIMMER FOR ABOUT 8 TO 10 MINUTES, AND THEN THE FISH IS DONE.

NOW THIS STEW IS DELICIOUS IN ITSELF, BUT I'M GOING TO USE IT AS STUFFING FOR STUFFED PEPPERS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S QUITE MOIST NOW, SO IN ORDER TO SOP UP SOME OF THE MOISTURE, I'M ADDING SOME BOILED RICE.

AND WE'RE NOW IN THE RISOTTO-EATING PART OF ITALY, SO I'M USING CARNAROLI RICE THAT I'VE JUST BOILED IN WATER.

CAN SEE THE MOISTURE IS BEING SOPPED UP BY THE RICE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

AND TO THIS, I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF FINELY CHOPPED PARSLEY.

AND I'M STUFFING THESE HOLLOWED-OUT PEPPERS WITH THIS MIXTURE TO THE BRIM, THEN PLACING THE LID ON.

I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL.

THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS DISH IS THAT THE STUFFING IS DONE, SO YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT COOKING TIME IN TERMS OF DONENESS.

YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THE PEPPERS.

IF YOU LIKE THE PEPPERS TO STILL BE FRESH-TASTING AND HAVE A BIT OF STRUCTURE TO THEM, THEN YOU CAN JUST BAKE THEM FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AT 200 CENTIGRADE OR 400 FAHRENHEIT.

BUT IF YOU LIKE THEM TO BE SWEET AND COLLAPSED, THEN YOU CAN BAKE THEM A LOT LONGER.

YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THE PEPPERS AND DETERMINE YOURSELF.

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- BUONGIORNO!

FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT SCANDINAVIAN DESTINATIONS AND FOOD, VISIT OUR WEB SITE -- NEWSCANCOOK.COM.

THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN-FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.

[ LAUGHTER, HEARTBEAT, MUSIC ] Woman: CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.

♪