Danish Frikadeller

About This Recipe

Frikadeller are Denmark's national meatballs — slightly oval-shaped patties (not perfectly round, distinct from Swedish köttbullar) made of seasoned ground pork and veal bound with grated onion, egg, breadcrumbs, and milk, pan-fried in butter until golden brown and juicy inside. Served with boiled potatoes, a creamy parsley-flecked sauce, and tart pickled red cabbage, they are the dish every Dane was raised on and the most-cooked meal in the country. The technique is simple but precise: the mince must be beaten for several minutes until it transforms into a smooth, sticky paste; then shaped with a wet spoon, never the hands, into the signature oval. Hygge food at its most domestic — what Danes eat on Friday evenings when nothing else will do.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gground pork (20% fat)
• 200 gground veal (or beef)
• 1 smallyellow onion, very finely grated
• 1 largeegg
• 50 gfresh white breadcrumbs
• 150 mlwhole milk
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1.5 tspfine salt
• 1 tspfreshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 tspground allspice
• 40 gunsalted butter (for frying)
• 2 tbspneutral oil (for frying)
• 30 gbutter (for parsley sauce)
• 30 gflour (for parsley sauce)
• 500 mlwhole milk (for parsley sauce)
• 1 good gratingfresh nutmeg
• 1 large bunchflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• boiled new potatoes, pickled red cabbage, and rye bread to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak crumbs

   Combine breadcrumbs and 150 ml milk in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the mince paste

   In a wide bowl, combine pork, veal, grated onion, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, flour, salt, pepper, and allspice. Beat for 3–4 minutes with a wooden spoon — the mixture should transform into a smooth, sticky, pale paste. This is the trick.

3. 3

   Rest

   Cover and rest 15 minutes in the fridge. Cold paste holds shape better.

4. 4

   Shape with two spoons

   Heat butter and oil in a wide skillet over medium until the butter foams. Using two wet tablespoons (one to scoop, one to push), shape ovals about the size of an egg and drop directly into the pan.

5. 5

   Fry the frikadeller

   Fry over medium heat for 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through. They should be firm to the touch but spring back. Do not crowd the pan — work in batches.

6. 6

   Make the parsley sauce

   In a separate saucepan, melt 30 g butter. Whisk in flour to a pale roux. Cook 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk in three additions, allowing each to thicken. Simmer 6 minutes, whisking, until silky. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Just before serving, stir in chopped parsley.

7. 7

   Plate

   Serve frikadeller hot with boiled new potatoes, a generous ladle of parsley sauce, and a heap of cold pickled red cabbage on the side. Rye bread for the table.

Variations

• •

  Frikadeller with curry sauce (boller i karry): Danish-Indian fusion served over rice.

• •

  Cold frikadeller in a smørrebrød open sandwich, with beetroot and pickled cucumber.

• •

  Add 1 tsp lemon zest for a brighter spring version.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked frikadeller up to 3 days; freeze 2 months. They are excellent cold, sliced on rye bread the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions