Frikadeller
Danish pan-fried pork and veal patties
Frikadeller are the everyday comfort food of Denmark, fried up for Monday suppers in Copenhagen, packed cold on rye bread for lunch and served at nearly every children's birthday. The mix is mostly pork, with some veal, so this is a pork dish, loosened with milk and bound with egg and a spoonful of flour to make soft, flattened ovals with a crisp brown crust. Danes eat them hot with boiled potatoes, brown gravy and sweet-sour pickled red cabbage, or cold the next day with pickled beetroot. Where people go wrong is frying them on too high a heat; the outside burns before the middle is cooked. Chef's tip: let the mixture rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before shaping; it firms up and the patties keep a neat shape in the pan.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: In a bowl, mix 12 ½ oz pork mince, 5 ½ oz veal mince, 1 onion, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper and ¼ tsp ground allspice with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.
Step 2: Beat in 1 egg and 3 tbsp plain flour, then add ½ cup whole milk a splash at a time, stirring hard, until the mixture is soft and holds together but is not sloppy. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Heat 1 oz butter and 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat until the butter foams.
Step 4: Dip a tablespoon in the hot fat, scoop up a heaped spoonful of mixture and shape it against the palm of your hand into an oval about 2 cm thick. Slide it into the pan. Make 10–12 patties, frying in batches so the pan is not crowded.
Step 5: Fry for 5–6 minutes per side over a medium heat until deep brown and firm when pressed. The centre must reach 160°F, with clear juices and no pink. Keep cooked ones warm in a low oven.
12 minStep 6: Serve hot with boiled potatoes, gravy and 7 oz pickled red cabbage, or cool and chill for cold lunches. They keep 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frikadeller take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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