Danish Food Recipes

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Frikadellen

In all the Scandinavian countries it seems like Danish food recipes still have most traditions kept. Heavy protein rich food for tough work in a harsh climate is still the favoured food in most Danish homes. Since long a big food exporter of pork, cheese and beer these products are often the base in the cuisine of Denmark. Often accused of being a unhealthy cuisine, the absense of fresh vegetables and fruits is still quite common. However lately, like in most parts of Europe greens and fruits are a lot more common. And it must be added that the quality of meat and fish is a lot higher (and less fatty) than what you would find in many other parts of the world.

Some History
Denmark has long played an important part in the history of Europe - of the Scandinavian countries it is generally considered to be more continental. It is with the viking culture that Denmark starts to become a name, after that follows a development from agrarian to modern industrialized society. A quite harsh country with long winters made preservation methods important. Influences from the Eastern Europe, France and Germany combined with local ingredients would give you the foundation to understanding modern day Danish food recipes. Industrializataion and trade are as in most countries important factors.

Typical Ingredients
Just like in the other Scandinavian countries dairy products and potatoes are staple foods. Pork and various types of prepared fish, mostly smoked and pickled, is still the major protein source. Here are some examples of specific food products:
Bacon This smoked pork meet is also exported in vast quantities.
Pickled herring Like in the other Scandinavian countries a traditional food.
Rye bread Dark, heavy, fiber rich bread based on rye. Perhaps the healthiest part of the Danish cuisine.
Havarti This is a traditional Danish cheese that is feared all over Scandinavia for its famed odour.
Beer Danish 'pilsner' beer like Carlsberg and Tuborg is exported all over the world.
Akvavit This is spiced vodka made from seeds or potatoes. Drunk in shot glasses with traditional Danish food.

Some Typical Dishes
Below are some examples of what you can find on Danish plates.
Smørrebrød It is slices of rye bread with various mixtures of cold meats, fish and vegetables on top. Very popular and very delicious. Has its traditions back to the early 19th century. Enjoyed with cold beer and a small glass of akvavit.
Frikadellen Pork meatballs eaten with potatoes and brown sauce is a very popular dish.
Røde pølser The traditional fast food. Bright red pork sausages eaten with bread, mustard, ketchup and a relish called 'remoulade'.
Det kolde bord Is a great feast of cold and warm foods eaten at lunch time. Sausages, smoked salmon, rye bread, Danish salami, potatoes, liver paté, meat balls are soem examples of what you can find on the 'cold table'. In Sweden called 'smörgåsbord'.

Submitted Danish Food Recipes

- 500g minced pork (not too fatty)
- 500g minced veal (can be replaced by more minced pork
- 1 finely chopped small yellow onion
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground black or white pepper
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 egg
- 1 125ml milk
- 1 tbsp wheat flour/125ml bread
- 1 butter/margarine

Preparation: In a bowl, blend onion and minced meat with a spoon. Blend (lightly) in egg, pepper and salt. Add milk and blend. Now lightly stir in flour (or bread crumbs) until the mix is firm, add more flour/crumbs if necessary. Let rest covered by towel in bowl at least for 10 minutes.
Heat butter or margarine in a frying pan until brown on medium heat. Add a tbsp of the meat mix and fill the frying pans with these 'lumps', after about 4 or 5 minutes they should be nice and brown and you should turn them over. Fry until they are brown on the second side (they should by now be firm). Put these balls in an oven proof and keep heated in the oven on 150°C, follow this procedure until you have no more meat mix.
Serve with small white potatoes, boiled green peas and carrots, some cooked spinach and some melted butter.

Hanne's Comment: Enjoy this wonderful traditional Danish dinner - as people basically all over the world have enjoyed them, when made and served for them - they all ask for more and want to know how to make them. Frikadeller is a very old Danish recipe and is made by basically all Danish families. My mother taught me, her mother taught her and the mother of my mother's mother taught her, and so on - the recipe is several hundred years old.
Also common to serve, as smaller meat balls - on a toothpick or the like - at children's get-together, such as birthdays, as snacks, as appetizers with a drink for grown-up parties, and so on. Common on all 'kolde bord' or sliced on a ryebread sandwich for school lunches, often with a pickle on top.

My comment: Meatballs is one of the truly international dishes, it seems like most cultures have them in some form. The Danish variety is partly or fully based on pork meat. It is hard to say how old the meatball, it starts to appear in recipes from the 16th century. Minced meat became a lot more popular with the hand driven meat grinder, an invention of the 19th century. Before then it was hard work to grind the meat. Actually this recipe doesn't differ a lot from Swedish meatball recipes, the big difference would be that the Danish frikadell is bigger and not round. Thanks Hanne!