Someone said they'd gotten a lefse iron and were going to make lefse. (I
get my lists confused sometimes, but think it was this one.) Following is
my Aunt Ethel's recipe (which is probably Grandma's ... a Norwegian
immigrant). Ethel usually cooked the potatoes while making dinner, then
spent the evening making lefse. In our house, it was a family affair, with
Dad and at least one kid helping.
I know there are those who think that lefse should be as thin as possible
and take great pride in that. We like it a bit thick (about /8"). That's
because we lay a piece on the dinner plate (it's about that size), top it
with lutefisk, mashed potatoes and melted butter, roll it up and eat it
like a burrito.
Another way to serve it is to spread it with butter and sprinkle on white
or brown sugar. Heaven!!! Great treat for kids.
AUNT ETHEL'S LEFSE
3 c. mashed potatoes (2 qt. kettles, almost full)
about 1 c. flour
salt to taste
Add a little cream or milk while finishing mashing the potatoes. Cool
completely before adding flour or dough gets sticky. (Some of this is by
feel and takes a little practice. It has to hang together, but you don't
want to add too much flour.) Never add more flour during rolling other
than some on the pastry cloth. Although many people are proud of how thin
they can get it rolled, we like it thick enough to hold mashed potatoes,
lutefisk and melted butter rolled in it like in a tortilla ... about 1/8".
Bake on lefse iron or at about 375 F on electric fry pan (or whatever heat
it takes on a griddle or fry pan on the stove not to burn). It should look
like a tortilla with lovely brown spots. If the spots are too pale, it's
not done, if black, too burned.
Lefse must be turned once like pancakes. To turn it, we always used a long
flat stick which was thin at one end. A shade slat with the end sanded
down thin at the end would work. The end should be square, not pointed,
but with the corners sanded off slightly. Slide the stick under the center
of the lefse, lift, lay one edge down at the edge of the lefse
iron. Gently lay the under half down to the center, then rotate the stick
to gently roll the top half out to the other edge. Or just make them small
and use a pancake turner.
Lay between dish towels to cool. Freeze w/waxed paper between each piece
or use immediately (or sooner -- if you just can't wait!).