Bill Wick, ca. 1980

Back in 1991, the former Oregon Sea Grant director, William Q. (Bill) Wick, sent around the attached description  of how to prepare lutefisk, the Norwegian version of what to do with dry salted cod to make it edible—even, to some, tasty and delicious. Wick, of Danish/Norwegian heritage, was a World War II veteran before becoming an Extension agent and then Sea Grant director, and he navigated academia with practical common sense and good humor. This practical bent and dry humor are apparent in the recipe, which he no doubt hoped would cause others to appreciate this Scandinavian delicacy: as he writes, “there’s no such thing as ‘bad’ lutefisk.”

To Prepare Foolproof Lutefisk (.pdf)