Cooking this tonight. Frikadeller

[JustJohn or JJ]

Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)



Ingredients

Frikadeller:

¾ lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 large onion - grated
½ c. breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp flour
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2-3 cloves of garlic
½ tsp. sage leaves
half & half (or milk) for consistency (1/4 to ½ c.)
butter

Gravy:

¾ - 2 Tbsp drippings from Frickadeller
tiny butter if needed
3 Tbsp flour
1 c. heavy cream (Milk works too)
1 Tbsp. beef bouillon
salt & pepper

Instructions

Frikadeller:

Combine beef, pork and onion. Add breadcrumbs, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and sage leaves (it works best if you mix it with your hands).
Slowly add half & half for consistency (you want them to be slightly sticky, you shouldn't be able to form them into a perfect ball). Coat large skillet well with butter. Drop clumps of mixture (a heaping tablespoon-size) onto the skillet.
Fry on medium to medium low heat until brown (press the meat down a lightly with a fork so it flattens out a little.. it should look like a fat hamburger.. see picture below), then flip (approx 3-5 minutes per side). Add more butter with each batch.
Serve with gravy (see below). *Don't wash the skillet-- you will want the brown bits and drippings for the gravy*

For the gravy:

Add the flour to the drippings to form a roux (add butter if needed). Slowly add cream (or milk) until mixture reaches gravy consistency. Add beef bouillon, salt & pepper to taste.

[pieter]

Funny,

Frikadeller in Danish is something totally different than the Dutch Frikandellen, called Bratrollen, Fleischrollen or holländische Frikadellen (Dutch Frikandels) in German.


A Dutch Frikandel with french fries and a Heineken beer in the left corner

Where the Dutch Frikandel is just a snack, the Danish Frikandeller looks more sophisticated as a meat dish. In the Netherlands, meatballs are called gehaktbal, and are often served with boiled potatoes and vegetables.

Danish Frikadeller

Frikadeller are flat, pan-fried dumplings of minced meat, often likened to the Danish version of meatballs. They are a popular dish in Germany, where they are known as Frikadellen, Buletten, Fleischküchle or Fleischpflanzerl, Austria, where they are known as "Faschierte Laibchen", Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Estonia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Lithuania and in South Africa, where they form part of the Afrikaner culinary heritage. In Sweden, poached quenelles are called frikadeller and are usually served in soup.


Danish Frikadeller

Many variations of frikadeller exist but traditionally they are made of minced veal, pork or beef (or a blend of two of these meats); chopped onions; eggs; milk (or water); bread crumbs (or oatmeal or flour); salt; and pepper; then formed into balls and flattened somewhat. They are then pan-fried in pork fat or beef fat, or more commonly in modern times in butter, margarine or even vegetable oil. Another popular variation is fiskefrikadeller replacing the meat with fish as the main ingredient and often served with remoulade.


Danish Frikadeller on plate

As a main dish they are most often served with boiled white potatoes and gravy (brun sovs) accompanied by pickled beetroot or cooked red cabbage. Alternatively they can be served with creamed, white cabbage.

Frikadeller are also a popular choice on the Smörgåsbord or Swedish lunch buffet, eaten on rugbrød with red cabbage or pickle slices. They can also be served cold, sliced thinly as a base for open face sandwiches on rye bread.


Frikadeller (meat balls) with rugbrød (rye bread) and pickled gherkins

The combination of frikadeller and a cold potato salad is very popular at picnics or potlucks, due to the ease of transporting either component after cooking.

Other version

Frikadeller is also known in Indonesian cuisine through Dutch cuisine influence and called perkedel, however the main ingredients are not solely meat, but for the most part mashed potato mixed (as much as 1:1 ratio) with ground meat or corned beef. The mixture is then shaped into flat round patties and dipped in egg yolk before being deep fried. Other than mashed potato, cabe rawit, spring onion, shrimp, peeled corn, or mashed tofu fritters are also common as perkedel ingredients.


Perkedel, an Indonesian version of frikadeller using potato

[JustJohn or JJ]

Well, I did it and it was anti climatic. Everyone thought it was - hohum - OK.

Hmmmmmm - - - -

[karl]

J.J.

Boy, you and Pieter know how to make me hungry,,this for sure... Frikadeller as indicated is very much over complicated. Should not take more then 20 or 30 minutes to prepare and toss on a cooking pan.

Simply to mix up the meat with what is available as depected in the various descriptions. At similar, boil some small potatoes such as red, boil up some cabbage and mix up a nice salad with what ever out of the garden, we usually had plenty of cucumbers and vinegar. If time allows and stove space, a nice brown gravy.

Very seldom we had a desert, if so, usually chopped apple, cherries with fresh crème to cover over.

Karl

[ivan73]

Wow!! This recipe for Frikadeller is great dear. It is looking so yummy that I want to try it out at my home. I really love trying such unique online cooking recipes. Cooking is my passion. I want to become a chef!!
    

[shgrke14]

Pleased to know about your family event and cooking. Couple of months ago, arranged a family dinner at our place. Prepared a special recipe about which I learnt from Nom Live Video App and all loved doing this activity.

[pieter]

I love to eat Dutch Frikandellen her in the Netherlands. Hope to taste some Danish ones in the future. On a weekly basis I eat one in a Dutch snackbar or cafeteria.



The production of Dutch Frikandellen

[karl]

Gollies but you guys make me hungry,,,, For my self, I do hate cooking, but hate worse to be hungry. What ever looks cooked and smells reasonable I will usually eat it. In the canteen is usually a very nice selection of food of the day with all the tempting smells that go with it..

Karl