Fiskegrateng — Norwegian Fish Gratin

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb Cod, chunked
• 2 cups cooked macaroni
• 3 tbsp butter + 3 tbsp flour + 2½ cups milk
• 1 tsp dijon + nutmeg pinch
• 3 eggs, separated
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs + 2 tbsp butter for the top
• Grated carrot salad, the traditional sidekick

Method

1. White sauce: roux, then milk whisked in gradually; simmer thick. Season with dijon, nutmeg, salt, pepper.
2. Off heat, beat in the egg YOLKS; fold in the macaroni and raw Cod chunks.
3. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold through — the secret lift that makes fiskegrateng soufflé-adjacent instead of stodgy.
4. Pour into a buttered dish, top with the buttered crumbs, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes until puffed and bronzed (fish cooks gently inside — silky at 145°F).
5. Serve with grated-carrot salad. Every Norwegian under 40 was raised on this; every Norwegian over 40 still orders it.