Frikadeller

Frikadeller (Danish Pan-Fried Meat Patties)

Classic Danish everyday patties made from a pork-and-veal base bound with onion, egg and flour, fried in butter until golden. Traditionally served with boiled potatoes and warm sweet-sour red cabbage.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4 (makes 12 patties)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) minced pork, around 15% fat
• •200 g (7 oz) minced veal
• •1 medium onion, about 120 g, very finely grated
• •1 large egg, around 55 g, lightly beaten
• •40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour, all-purpose
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) whole milk, or as needed for a soft, spoonable mix
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •white pepper, ½, freshly ground
• •ground allspice, ¼, optional, traditional touch
• •60 g (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, for frying; add a splash of neutral oil if needed

Steps

1. 1 Grate the peeled onion on the finest side of a box grater (or pulse to a paste in a small chopper). You want wet pulp, not diced onion.
2. 2 In a large bowl, combine minced pork, minced veal, grated onion, egg, flour, milk, salt, white pepper and allspice. Mix with one hand for about 1 minute, lifting and squeezing, until the mixture becomes slightly tacky and 'squelches' when pressed; do not overwork. The mix should be soft enough to drop from a wet spoon — add a splash more milk if stiff.
3. 3 Cover and rest the mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight) so the flour hydrates and the patties hold together better.
4. 4 Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add about 20 g of the butter plus a teaspoon of neutral oil to prevent burning. The fat should be hot enough to foam gently but not smoke.
5. 5 Wet two tablespoons in a bowl of warm water. Scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture with one wet spoon and shape an oval patty using the second wet spoon, dropping it into the pan. Cook in batches of 5–6, leaving space between patties.
6. 6 Fry the patties for about 3–4 minutes on the first side over medium heat, until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Flip carefully with a thin spatula and fry 3–4 minutes more, turning on the edges for the last minute to brown them too.
7. 7 Doneness cue: cut into one patty at the end of frying — the interior should be uniformly cooked through (no pink) and the juices run clear. The internal temperature should read at least 72°C (160°F) on an instant-read thermometer.
8. 8 Transfer cooked frikadeller to a warm plate, tent loosely with foil, and keep in a low oven while you fry the remaining batches, adding more butter (and a little oil) to the pan as needed.
9. 9 Serve hot with boiled potatoes and warm red cabbage (rødkål); a pan sauce made by deglazing the skillet with a splash of stock or milk is a classic finishing touch.