Classic Danish meatballs (frikadeller) served with boiled potatoes, brown gravy and pickled cucumbers. A grandmother’s classic that the whole family loves – and one that simply never goes out of fashion.
It tastes wonderful and is really easy to make. I prefer to use a mix of veal and pork mince, but you can just as easily make the meatballs with minced pork alone if you prefer.
Danish meatballs (frikadeller) with brown gravy and potatoes
Recipe for classic Danish meatballs (frikadeller) served with brown gravy, potatoes and pickles – a proper old-fashioned family dinner that most people love.
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g minced veal and pork, or minced pork
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
- 100 ml whole milk
- 3 tbsp fine dried breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 50 g butter
- 2 tbsp oil rapeseed or another neutral oil
Gravy
- 25 g butter
- 2-3 tbsp pan drippings from frying the meatballs
- 2 1/2 tbsp plain flour
- 200 ml stock – vegetable or chicken
- 250 ml whole milk (or half milk, half cream)
- 1 tsp redcurrant jelly
- Gravy browning
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- 800 g potatoes
- 250 g Tenderstem broccoli
- Pickled cucumbers
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Method
Potatoes and Tenderstem broccoli
- Rinse and trim the Tenderstem broccoli.
- Scrub the potatoes clean. I prefer to leave the skins on – and I’m happy to eat them with the skin too. You can also peel them after boiling, or peel them beforehand – it’s up to you.
- Put the potatoes in a pan with plenty of well-salted cold water, adding peppercorns and lovage, parsley or similar if you like. Bring to the boil, then let them simmer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes with the lid on.
- Turn off the heat and leave the potatoes to finish cooking in the hot water, lid on, for about 15 minutes. Add the Tenderstem broccoli so it sits in the water for the last 5-8 minutes – it should keep plenty of bite.Cooking the potatoes this way gives you firm potatoes that hold their shape and don’t fall apart. The time naturally depends on the size of the potatoes, so test them with a skewer once they have sat for 10 minutes. If they are still very hard, simply turn the heat back on for a couple of minutes – you quickly learn to judge the timing once you have done it a few times. If they only need a little more, leave them in the water with the lid on.
Meatballs
- Mix the meat thoroughly with the salt – ideally in a stand mixer, otherwise with a hand mixer or thoroughly by hand.
- Then add the remaining ingredients to the meat, season generously with pepper and mix the mince well.If the mixture is too dry, add a little extra milk; if it is too loose, add a little extra breadcrumbs. If the meat has been frozen, it may hold extra liquid – keep that in mind.Ideally, let the mixture rest for 15-20 minutes before frying the meatballs.
- Melt a generous knob of butter with a little rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and let it foam up gently.
- Dip a tablespoon in the hot fat in the pan, and shape the meatballs with the spoon and the palm of your hand. Fry the meatballs until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side over a medium heat.
- Transfer the meatballs to a dish as they are done and cover with foil so they keep warm.
Gravy
- Melt the butter with 2-3 tbsp of the fat from the frying pan in a small saucepan.
- Whisk the flour thoroughly into the butter and let it cook through for about a minute.
- Add the stock a little at a time, whisking well.
- Pour in the milk in a couple of additions, whisking thoroughly, and let the gravy simmer for about 10 minutes. Whisk regularly so it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
- Add the redcurrant jelly, season the gravy with salt and pepper and adjust the colour with gravy browning.
Serving
- Serve the warm meatballs with the boiled potatoes and Tenderstem broccoli, pickled cucumbers and brown gravy.
Nutrition
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