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Sekai Gohan
Frikadeller: Danish Pan-Fried Meatballs Basted in Butter
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Pork and veal mince | 2.2 lb (1 kg) | The body of the meatballs |
| Salt | ¾ oz (20 g) | Seasons the meat; mixed in first |
| Brown onion, finely chopped | 1 | Sweetness and aroma |
| Plain flour | 1¾ oz (50 g) | Binds the soft mixture |
| Dried breadcrumbs | 3½ oz (100 g) | Holds moisture for tenderness |
| Black pepper, freshly ground | to taste | Warmth |
| Eggs | 3 | Binding |
| Chicken stock, low-salt, homemade or good-quality bought | 2 cups (500 ml) | Reduced with the wine for savoury depth |
| Red wine | a scant ½ cup (100 ml) | Flavours the reduction |
| Milk | 2 cups (500 ml) | Makes the mixture soft and tender |
| Olive oil | 4 tsp (20 ml) | Frying, with the butter |
| Butter | plenty | Frying and basting; colour and flavour |
Steps
1Reduce the stock and wine
Pour the chicken stock and red wine into a saucepan and set it over medium heat. Let it bubble steadily for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. It is ready when it has reduced to about ½ cup (125 ml) of dark, glossy, concentrated liquid. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
2Salt the mince, then add the dry ingredients and eggs
Put the mince in a large bowl, add the salt, and mix it in well with your hands before anything else goes in. Add the chopped onion, flour, breadcrumbs and black pepper, then mix again until no dry crumbs or flour pockets remain. Add the eggs and work them through. Stop when the mixture is evenly blended and holds together in one cohesive mass.
3Work in the reduction and the milk, then chill
Pour the reduced stock into the bowl and knead it through first. Then add the milk gradually, a splash at a time, kneading after each addition until it is taken up. Keep going until all the milk is in and the mixture is soft, smooth and well combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4Heat the butter and shape the frikadeller
Set a large frying pan over medium heat with the olive oil and a generous amount of butter. When the butter foams, scoop up a dessert spoon of the cold mixture and shape it into a quenelle, an oval with a flat bottom. Lay it in the pan on its flat side, then shape the next one, leaving space between them.
5Baste and fry until golden and cooked through
Tilt the pan and keep spooning the foaming butter over the frikadeller as they fry, turning them so every side touches the pan. Cook for 6–8 minutes per batch, until they are golden on all sides and cooked through. Push a meat thermometer into the centre of the thickest one. It must read 167°F (75°C). Lift the cooked batch onto a clean plate and fry the rest the same way.
6Serve with the pickled cucumber salad
Arrange the frikadeller on a serving plate with prepared pickled cucumber salad on the side. For a main course, add potatoes. Serve them hot, golden and glossy with butter, or let them cool for a cold lunch plate.