Frikadelle
A pan-fried meatball found across German, Nordic, and Eastern European cuisines.
A Frikadelle is a rounded, flat-bottomed, pan-fried meatball made from ground meat, often compared to the German version of meatballs. Its origin is unknown, and the dish is associated with German, Nordic, and Eastern European cuisines. In Poland, where it is one of the most popular meals, it is known as kotlety mielone or regionally sznycle.
Quick Facts
- Country
- Uncertain; supposedly Denmark or Germany
- Served
- Hot or cold
- Main ingredients
- Pork
- veal
- lamb
- beef or fish
- Other
- Generally served with boiled potatoes with gravy, or creamed cabbage
Facts from the source article.
Etymology
The word "Frikadelle" has an uncertain origin, entering German near the end of the 1600s. It connects to the French term "fricandeau" and the Latin verb "frīgere," meaning to fry or roast. The dish is known by at least sixteen regional German names, such as Boulette, Bratklops, Fleischpflanzerl, and Faschiertes Laibchen. It might come from "fricandeau de veau," sliced veal larded with pork fat. An 1837 dictionary defines "fricadelle" as a Belgian ball of ground, cooked meat.
Other variations
In Denmark, frikadeller are traditionally made from a blend of veal, pork, or beef, mixed with chopped onions, eggs, milk or water, bread crumbs or oatmeal, salt, and pepper. The mixture is formed into flattened balls and pan-fried in pork fat, beef fat, butter, margarine, or vegetable oil. They are often served with boiled white potatoes and brown sauce, accompanied by pickled beetroot or cooked red cabbage, and also appear on rugbrød as smørrebrød. A fish version, fiskefrikadeller, uses cod and sometimes salmon, served with remoulade. Through Dutch influence, Indonesian cuisine has perkedel, where mashed potato is the main ingredient, sometimes mixed with ground meat or corned beef, shaped into patties, dipped in egg yolk, and deep fried. In South African cuisine, frikkedelle is popular among Cape Malay and Boer communities, often baked in the oven and served with starch such as rice, samp, pap, or mashed potatoes, along with vegetables or salad.
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