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Frikadeller (Pan-Fried Pork and Veal Patties)
Frikadeller (Pan-Fried Pork and Veal Patties) reads richness 5.8, umami 4.5 and salinity 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Danish main, about 1 hr 14 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.9 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 1.0 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 0.4 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 3.5 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Richness 5.8 · Umami 4.5 · Salinity 3.6 · Allium 3.3 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Nutty 1.5 · Earthy 1.2 · Bitterness 1.0 · Sweetness 1.0 · Heat 0.8
What's in it (13)
- pork mince — 400 g
- ground veal — 200 g
- onion — 120 g
- egg — 100 g
- all-purpose flour — 40 g
- regular milk — 150 g
- salt — 10 g
- ground white pepper — 3 g
- freshly grated nutmeg — 1 g
- butter — 40 g
- oil — 27 g
- potatoes — 800 g
- danish pickled cucumber salad — 200 g
Time & effort: about 1 hr 14 min (44 min active) · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 156.2 kcal, 9.2 g protein, 8.5 g fat, 10.7 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (8 steps)
- Put the pork and veal mince in a bowl with the grated onion, egg, flour, salt, white pepper and nutmeg, and work the mixture hard with a wooden spoon for a full 5 minutes. This is not mixing, it is developing: the salt has to draw out the myosin so the farce turns pale, sticky and glossy and will hold together in the pan without breadcrumbs doing the job.
- Beat in the milk a splash at a time, letting each one disappear before the next. The farce should be soft enough to fall slowly from a spoon.
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes so it firms up and is easier to shape.
- Heat the butter and oil together in a wide heavy frying pan over medium heat. The oil stops the butter burning; the butter is what browns the patties properly.
- Dip a tablespoon into the hot fat, scoop up a spoonful of farce and slide it into the pan, shaping it into a three-sided oval against the spoon. Do this for each frikadelle, leaving space between them.
- Fry 7 minutes on the first side without moving them, until a deep even crust has formed, then turn and fry 6 minutes more. Keep the heat moderate: high heat gives a dark crust over a raw centre, and frikadeller are cooked through, never pink.
- Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes, until tender.
- Serve the frikadeller hot with the boiled potatoes and the pickled cucumber salad. Leftovers, cold on rye bread the next day, are as much the point of making them as dinner is.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Lokše (Potato Flatbreads with Goose Fat) — Slovak
- Kotlet Schabowy (Breaded Pork Chop) — Polish
- Cemita Poblana de Milanesa — Mexican · Puebla
- Croquetas de Jamon (Ham Croquettes) — Cuban
- Okra-Sausage Jambalaya — Southern
Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.