A frikadelle is a rounded, flat-bottomed, pan-fried meatball of ground meat, often likened to the German version of meatballs. The origin of the dish is unknown. The term is German but the dish is associated with German, Nordic and Polish cuisines. They are one of the most popular meals in Poland, where they are known as (literally "ground cutlets"). There are various local variants of frikadelle throughout Scandinavia, as both a

main course A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. It usually follows the entrée () course. Usage In the United States and Canada (except Quebec), the main course is traditionally called an "entrée". En ...

and a

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, the word refers to meatballs that are boiled, not pan-fried.

Etymology

The origin of the word is uncertain. According to the '','' (pl. ) can be found end of the 17th century in German, and is related to the French , and Latin ('to roast'). The name of the dish in German is famously variable, with at least 16 recorded regional variants including , , , , and ''/Grillette'' as well as the Austrian '. It may be derived from , a dish of sliced veal, larded with pork fat. In the (1837) is defined as, "In Belgium, a ball of ground, cooked meat" and a separate word, , is defined as . And in ''Phillips's New World of Words'' (1706) it is defined as "Fricandoe, a sort of

Scotch Collops A collop is a slice of meat, according to one definition in the ''Oxford English Dictionary''. In Elizabethan times, "collops" came to refer specifically to slices of bacon. Shrove Monday, also known as Collop Monday, was traditionally the last ...

made of thin slices of Veal, well larded and stuff'd." The ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' defines ''fricandele'' (variation ''fricadelle'') as a "quasi-French form of fricandeau".''Oxford English Dictionary'' (2003)

Other variations

Denmark

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, traditionally, they are made from ground

veal Veal is the meat of Calf (animal), calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any List of cattle breeds, breed; however, most veal comes from young male calves of Dairy cattle, dairy b ...

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

or beef (or a blend of two of these meats); chopped

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s; eggs; milk (or water); bread crumbs (or oatmeal or flour);

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

; and pepper; then formed into balls by using a tablespoon to get the right size and flattened somewhat. They are then pan-fried in pork fat or beef fat, or more commonly in modern times in

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a Spread (food), spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The ...

or even

vegetable oil Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed ...

. Another popular variation is replacing the meat with fish (mostly cod, but sometimes cod and salmon) as the main ingredient and often served with

remoulade Rémoulade (; ) is a cold sauce. Although similar to tartar sauce, it is often more yellowish, sometimes flavored with curry, and often contains chopped Pickled cucumber, pickles or piccalilli. It can also contain horseradish, paprika, Anchovies ...

. As a main dish, they are most often served with boiled white potatoes and gravy () accompanied by pickled

beetroot The beetroot (British English) or beet (North American English) is the taproot portion of a ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'' plant in the Conditiva Group. The plant is a root vegetable also known as the table beet, garden beet, dinner bee ...

or cooked red cabbage. Alternatively, they can be served with creamed, white cabbage. Frikadeller are also eaten on ryebread ( rugbrød) with red

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

or pickle slices as a traditional Danish

smørrebrød (; originally , "butter and bread"), smørbrød "butter bread" (Norwegian language, Norwegian), or smörgås " butter goose" (Swedish language, Swedish), is a traditional Open sandwich, open-faced sandwich in the cuisine of Denmark, cuisines of ...

. The combination of frikadeller and a cold

potato salad Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables. It is usually served as a side dish. History and varieties Potato salad is foun ...

is very popular at

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

s or

potluck A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade, dish of food to be shared. Other names for a "potluck" include: potluck dinner, pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, c ...

s, due to the ease of transporting either component after cooking.

Indonesia

Frikadel are also known in

Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...

through

Dutch cuisine Dutch cuisine is formed from the cooking traditions and practices of the Netherlands. The country's cuisine is shaped by its location on the fertile Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta at the North Sea, giving rise to fishing, farming, and overseas tra ...

(of the frikadel, which is historically similar to the frikadaller) influence and called '' perkedel'', however the main ingredient is not meat, but mashed potato, sometimes slightly mixed with ground meat or corned beef. The mixture is then shaped into flat round patties and dipped in egg yolk before being deep fried. Other than mashed potato, '' cabe rawit'', spring onion, shrimp, peeled

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

, or mashed

tofu or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...

fritters are also common as perkedel ingredients.

South Africa

Frikkedelle is also popular in most traditional South African cuisine like the Cape Malay and Boer, with both British and German influence from the early settlers. Frikadelle is not only panfried, but often baked in the oven to give it a cripsy outside with a tender and juicy inside. It is served with side dishes of a starch like rice, samp, "pap", or mashed potatoes, accompanied by vegetables and or salad.

Explanatory notes

References

External links

* Frikadeller Recipe in the Wikibooks Cookbook {{Authority control Danish cuisine German cuisine Norwegian cuisine Meatballs Polish cuisine Dutch cuisine Russian cuisine National dishes fr:Boulette de viande#Europe zh:肉圓#世界各地的肉圓