Frikadeller
Photo: Kobako · CC BY-SA 2.5

History

Frikadeller have been the Danish home-cooking centrepiece since at least the 18th century, with the first published recipe appearing in Madam Mangor's 1837 Kogebog for Smaa Husholdninger. The pork-and-veal combination is specific to Denmark; the oval hand-shape is the test of technique. Every Danish grandmother has a recipe she considers the definitive one.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g ground pork
  • 200g ground veal
  • 1 medium onion, finely grated
  • 2 eggs
  • 100ml sparkling water or milk
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • White pepper and ground allspice
  • 50g butter for frying

Method

  1. Mix the pork and veal together; add the grated onion, eggs, flour, salt, pepper and allspice.
  2. Add the sparkling water gradually and mix until the mixture is slightly sticky and holds its shape.
  3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
  4. Shape the meatballs using a large spoon dipped in the hot butter, forming an oval roughly the size of a small egg.
  5. Fry for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through; do not press down.
  6. Serve with pickled red cabbage, boiled potatoes and a simple pan gravy.

Tip from the editors. Sparkling water makes the mixture lighter; still water or milk is more traditional. The frikadeller should puff slightly in the pan; if they do not, the mixture needs more aeration.

Where to eat frikadeller

Frikadeller in Aarhus

Teater Bodega ★ 3.8

$ Nordic

The long-established bodega kitchen serves proper Danish classics at prices that have not kept pace with inflation. At Skolegade 7. Booking recommended.

TryFrikadeller med rødkål

Directions

Den Lille Kro ★ 3.8

$$ Nordic

A cosy timber-beamed inn in the Latin Quarter serving honest Danish cooking. Tuesday to Thursday it is quieter. The roast pork with crackling is the order.

Why locals goHidden down Graven behind the Cathedral, easy to walk past. No booking system and no website; it fills by locals who know it is there.

TipTuesday to Thursday it is quieter. The roast pork with crackling is the order.

Directions

Restaurant Kohalen ★ 3.9

$$$$ Tasting DKK 399 (three courses)NordicFrederiksbjergChef The kitchen team

Restaurant Kohalen at the end of Jaegergaardsgade serves classic Danish lunch in premises that date to 1907, with roast pork, steak sandwiches and open.

OrderStegt flæsk with potatoes and parsley sauce; a Nordic lunch institution in an warm-lit room.

BookNone ahead

TipMonday to Saturday 11:00-18:00, walk-ins only. The building itself dates to the old slaughterhouse district and the atmosphere reflects it.

Directions Book

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Frikadeller in Copenhagen

Restaurant Sankt Annæ ★ 4.3

$$ Smørrebrød

Restaurant Sankt Annæ is a Danish lunch restaurant at Sankt Annæ Plads 12 serving smørrebrød, in a room of understated charm, dating from 1894.

Why locals goA lunch restaurant from 1894 a stone's throw from the Royal Palace, serving on blue fluted porcelain with starched napkins and ironed tablecloths.

TipOrder open sandwiches or hot dishes, or have dishes delivered to eat at home.

Directions

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